Modeling Journey

Random Thoughts:

Now that the Ontario PC Leadership Race is over, I am not quite sure what to do with my time. I congratulate Tim Hudak on his victory and am proud of the campaign that Frank Klees ran over the past few months. I think the PC Party will be stronger because of the race and I think Tim Hudak is off to the right start for victory in 2011 over Dalton McGuinty. I believe Tim Hudak will be the next Premier of Ontario. Overall I think Tim Hudak, Frank Klees, Christine Elliott and Randy Hillier raised their profile and did a great job contributing to the rebuilding process of our party. I think the leadership contest will also help us organizationally in Ontario for whenever the federal election comes. It was good to see the relationship improve between provincial and federal Conservatives. I am also excited about the prospect of former leader John Tory running for mayor of Toronto. The Tory tribute and keynote address from Peter MacKay was also very well done. There are only three complaints I have about the PC Ontario Leadership race after the fact. The first is that the contest was too short. A fall vote would have allowed more time to promote the party, the leadership candidates, PC policies/principles and of course provided the time to sell more memberships. The party currently has about 45,000 members. We had over 100,000 in 2002. My second complaint was that the media, supporters and candidates seemed to focus the entire campaign around the Human Rights Commission. While that issue certainly needs to be addressed, I think given the state of the economy there were other areas I would have liked to hear more from the candidates on. The Economy, education, energy, health care and transit should have got more attention. Finally I have noticed in general that media coverage is really lacking these days at Queens Park. I think this hurts our entire democracy because too many people are not getting the information about what is happening in Ontario politics. The major newspapers and television stations should have at least one reporting covering provincial politics despite their economic struggles.

I hope Tim Hudak reaches out to Frank Klees, Christine Elliott, Peter Shurman, Elizabeth Witmer and Randy Hillier with his shadow cabinet picks. We need to have the strongest team possible and all the signs I have seen so far is that the Hudak team is serious about unity. Perhaps we will see the shadow cabinet picked later this summer. The provincial legislature returns September 14.

At the end of June, my term as President of Newmarket Rotary Club ended. It was a pleasure to serve the club for a year as President and I appreciate all the support given to me by members of the club. I think we did a lot of good things in the community and around the world. Those with some extra time should really consider joining a service club. It is rewarding to give back to the community and I believe it is time well spent. Virtually every community in Canada has a Rotary Club, a Lions Club or another service club. These groups need members in order to continue the good work they are doing. I would strongly encourage anyone interested in giving back to their community to consider joining a service club in your area. If time is an issue, perhaps consider helping an organization for a weekend such as Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers and Sisters, and various other charities or causes looking for volunteers, time or money. With the state of the current economy, there are many people in need. Government cannot solve every problem, so many are relying on volunteers to fill in the gaps.

Today also marks my fourth day without a cigarette. This is getting close to the tenth attempt at quitting I have made over the past five years. This time I am feeling confident and hope to be successful. More and more people are quitting everyday and more and more young people are not starting the habit to begin with. Addictions are painful to break and I would strongly encourage anyone reading this not to take up smoking. It simply isn’t worth it. The first four days are the hardest and withdrawal symptoms last about ten days. For now I am proud to have joined the ranks of non-smokers and hope to stay in that club. Financially if I quit I will save close to $3600 and of course health issues are the main motivation to give up the habit.

On the garbage strikes in Toronto and Windsor, to me there is only one solution. York Region and Etobicoke use private collection companies and Toronto/Windsor should do the same if legally possible. In York Region I believe the company is Turtle Island that handles recycling and trash collection. I am not sure what value CUPE adds in Toronto that is not present in York Region and other places where garbage collection is outsourced. I also think that previous Toronto labour agreements and the council pay raise had a major role in this strike and the position of the union. In the private sector people are losing their jobs and unions have made concessions in the auto and airline industries. Toronto’s finances are in shambles and it is clear that taxpayers cannot afford another Miller style union-friendly contract. It is time for Toronto to live within its means and dump the socialist mentality. Frankly I don’t see much chance for improvement in Toronto until 2010. I would be proud to support Tory, Stinz, Smitherman or whoever the credible candidate is that runs against David Miller. God do I miss the good old days of Mel Lastman! The fact council will not even consider rolling back their "cost of living" raise tells me clearly that it is time to take a broom to city hall in 2010. The city of Toronto desparately needs change at the political level. Like in Windsor, taxpayers should be reinbursed for services not rendered.

Speaking of dysfunctional cities, I also hope Julian Fantino eventually enters the race for Mayor of Vaughan. If not mayor, perhaps he would consider being a candidate for the PC Party and future MPP in 2011? Armand La Barge would also be fantastic if he ever entered politics in my opinion.

I have seen lots of studies, funding announcements and talk, but will shovels ever get into the ground on the TTC Subway extensions into York Region along the Yonge and Spadina lines? On a positive note, I am excited by VIVA’s plans in Newmarket and throughout York Region. Now if we could only get hourly GO Trains from Newmarket to Union! Extension of the 404 and 427 North as well as the Bradford By-Pass would have been huge stimulus projects that I would have strongly supported. Public transit is important for sure, but so are roads and highways. It doesn’t make sense to bailout auto companies and then continue to fight a war on the car in Ontario. Tearing down the Gardener in Toronto makes absolutely no sense.

It is exciting that Magna is looking to acquire Opel and also potentially will manufacturer electric cars in Canada. Magna is a crucial employer in York Region and the riding of Newmarket-Aurora.

Stimulus spending is taking place in Newmarket and Aurora as we speak. VIVA, GO Transit, Newmarket Curling Club, Newmarket Soccer Club, Aurora Waste Water Infrastructure, Parks and Trails and the revitalization of Newmarket’s old town hall are some of the stimulus projects in my riding. Would love to see more GO Trains between Newmarket (or Barrie) and Union added to the list.

Can anyone explain to me why Schreiber has not been deported to Germany yet? It is time to end the dog and pony show and force him to finally face some justice. As predicted the Mulroney inquiry was a waste of time and money.

I really like the idea of a high speed rail link between Calgary and Edmonton as well as Montreal and Windsor.

I am disappointed that Ontario is going to hold off on nuclear energy. I think that is the only realistic solution at this point to meet energy demand while reducing green house gas emissions.

On federal politics there is no election but lots of political games. Will we go in the fall? Will we survive the Olympics? Will we fall on the budget? Are we years away from another election? Truth is I really do not know. I predict Harper will appease on EI, delay the next election until after the Olympics, fall on the budget and win another minority but drop some seats. With Ignatieff supporting another confidence motion in June, I don’t think he has any issue or point of differentiation to run on in September. His opinion on Afghanistan is the same as Harper. His position on the Middle East is basically the same as Harper. He voted for the budget. He supported the auto bailout. He backed most of the Conservative justice bills. He opposes a carbon tax (now at least). He supports the oil sands and is “concerned” about the size of the deficit. He backs Quebec as a “nation” and agrees that the self employed should be eligible for EI. Could any of my progressive friends share with me how Ignatieff is any different than Harper? So far I fail to see any significant differences between the two men that would justify an election during these economic times. Of course the fact we have abandoned most of our Conservative principles has helped in blurring the line between the two parties that have any real chance of winning. As usual the Bloc is strong but useless and the status quo in Quebec will not change. NDP is on the decline and losing relevance by the minute. Greens are simply not players and without a seat are barely different than the other fringe parties. If an election takes place in the fall, I predict the lowest voter turnout in Canadian history.

I would still love to see Mario Dumont run for the Conservatives in the upcoming by-election in Quebec in his former provincial riding. I also think it is time to bring Maxime Bernier back to cabinet. Obviously we have a lot of work to do in Quebec. It is also well past time that Michael Chong was considered for another cabinet post as well.

I am very happy with the job Newmarket council and Mayor Tony Van Bynen are doing for this town. We are lucky to have a functional, mature and stable council in Newmarket that are putting the residents first. Keep up the good work my friends. Yesterday, Mississauga decided to cancel question period during council meetings. I am disappointed in this decision and think it is an idea that should be considered in Newmarket.

I don’t really have an opinion on the gay pride parade funding announcement. My question is why is the federal government spending taxpayer money on festivals at all?

It is a waste of time, resources and tax dollars for America to prosecute Mark Emery for selling marijuana seeds. Potential for serving 5 years in prison is a joke when compared to sentences being handed out for violent, sexual and other serious crimes here in Canada.

To some degree Obama has been a disappointment, particularly as far as domestic spending goes. I am not sure how much longer America will remain solvent and future generations are facing a massive tax hike because of the spending now and over the past few years. I think America’s role as the sole superpower has ended and we are seeing a transition into a multi-polar world. At the same time the Republicans do not have their act together and do not present anything close to an alternative at this point. I think Dr. Ron Paul is the only one who can cure that party right now. It has become painfully obvious that Sarah Palin is not the answer and unfortunately I am not sure who else is possible leadership material for the Republican Party right now. They need to return to their fiscal roots and rebuild the Reagan coalition. Right now the base is way to small while at the same time not inclusive. To be blunt, I fully expect Obama to serve a second term in the White House despite America’s current problems.

It is great to see people pushing for freedom in Iran and China. I also hope that democracy can be restored in Honduras and Zimbabwe soon. I also think we are not far from change in Cuba. Eventually democracy will prevail over tyranny. I am also optimistic about relations between Russia and the West as well as the potential for peace in the Middle East.

I do not want to see the Jays trade Halladay. I am happy about off season moves made by the Raptors and Bills. I am really happy with Burke’s efforts in rebuilding the Toronto Maple Leafs. It will be interesting to see who they acquire to score some goals. I know it doesn’t make sense on a rebuilding team, but part of me would really like to see Sundin retire as a Leaf. It is a shame that Koivu and Sundin were not able to finish their careers with the Canadiens and Leafs. I am also looking forward to UFC 100 this Saturday and hope to see a show live in Toronto some day. Brock Lesnar has added excitement to the heavyweight divison.

I am looking forward to a summer full of relaxation without having to think much about politics. Fall will be interesting as Hudak makes his debut as PC leader and of course the potential exists for a federal election in November or possibly even sooner.

Thanks for reading…

Darryl

Conservative Transit Announcement Great for GTA and York Region

This announcement is great news for York Region and commuters in the GTA. A good example of Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party brining actual results to our riding.
-Darryl

Government of Canada invests in Toronto Transit: Flaherty announces funds will begin flowing to Spadina Subway Extension

TORONTO, Sept. 5 /CNW/ - People living and working in Toronto will begin
to benefit soon from reduced traffic congestion, shorter commuting times, and
cleaner air through the Toronto-York Spadina Subway extension. The Honourable
Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence
Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced
that a contribution agreement has been signed by the federal, provincial and
municipal governments, meaning that funds for the completion of the project
will now begin flowing.

"The Government of Canada is helping to provide the students, commuters,
and families of the Greater Toronto Area with transportation options, getting
people out of their cars and onto public transit," said Minister Flaherty. "We
are committed to working with our provincial and municipal partners to improve
transportation infrastructure across the country. The Toronto-York Spadina
Subway extension is an excellent example of how we're delivering real
results."

The Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension project encompasses an
8.6 kilometre extension to the Toronto Transit Commission's Spadina subway
line, extending subway service to York University and the Vaughan Corporate
Centre. With the signing of the contribution agreement, the Government of
Canada will commit to paying up to $622 million under the Building Canada
infrastructure plan towards the design and construction of this project. This
is in addition to the $75 million already received by the project under the
Public Transit Capital Trust.

In addition to the funding being made available for the Spadina Subway
extension, several other transit projects in the GTA are being funded by the
Government of Canada. They include:

- York VIVA (Phase 1) - $50 million toward a $164 million bus rapid
transit project;
- York VIVA (Phase 2) - up to $85 million toward the second phase of this
bus rapid transit project;
- GO Transit Rail Improvement Program - $385 million toward a $1 billion
project; Through this project, six of the seven rail corridors being
used by GO are being upgraded, as well as some work around Union
Station;
- Brampton AcceleRide - $95 million from the Canada Strategic
Infrastructure Fund toward a $285 million Bus Rapid Transit project;
- Mississauga Bus Rapid Transit - $83 million from the Canada Strategic
Infrastructure Fund toward a $249 million project; and
- Toronto Transit Commission Strategic Capital Projects - $350 million
from the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund towards a $1.2 billion
project.


The Government of Canada provided $500 million for public transit
infrastructure in Budget 2008. This will provide up to $194.5 million to
Ontario under the Public Transit Fund. Under the previous Public Transit
Capital Trust, the Province of Ontario has received $351.5 million, which it
can use for various transit projects over the next three years. In addition,
all Ontario municipalities will continue to receive a GST rebate.

"It's clear that for the Government of Canada, investing in
transportation infrastructure for the people of the GTA has been a key
priority," Minister Flaherty said. "We are delivering on this priority even
further today with the Spadina Subway extension."

For further information: Chisholm Pothier, Press Secretary, Office of
the Minister of Finance, (613) 996-7861; Transport Canada is online at
www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at www.tc.gc.ca/e-news
and keep up to date on the latest from Transport Canada. This news release may
be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual
disabilities.