My friend Blazing Catfur was pessimistic about yesterday’s Ontario elections. Too many government workers and low information immigrant voters combined with HUDAK’s lack of appeal added up to a Liberal victory. I haven’t lived in Ontario for 30 years but that made sense to me. I hoped for a better outcome but it was not to be.
I don’t think the outcome is good for Ontario but that is their business. For the rest of Canada the election of a full blooded tax and spend Liberal is potentially a Godsend.
The creaking engine of Canadian Confederation, transfer payments, is sixty years old. For a long time they were justified as necessary to keep Quebec in Canada. A priority for Ontario if not the West. We largely ignored the issue because Ontario was the largest contributor to the scheme.
Now Ontario is a have not province in its own right and likely to become all the more so under the Liberals. As Whynn pays off her public service union buddies and expands the Ontario government she is no longer doing it from a position of economic strength.
Ontario’s fiscal recklessness is being paid for by the rest of Canada. That will not last long unless there are some signs Ontario is willing to put its house in order.
The election of profligate Liberals is Ontario’s priviledge; but there is no reason why the rest of Canada should continue to pay Ontario’s bar tab.
Jay Currie 