St. Paul's the 2nd
August 17, 2009 - 12:48pm
I see a lot of similarities between Levy's candidacy and that of Peter Kent in '06 (i.e. there will be a very visible campaign and a high profile candidate but the votes just not being there) - and I think her showing will be similar.
I'm afraid Lord Palmerston is right about that. Unfortunately, Peter Kent was very effective at scaring Lib/NDP swing voters into voting Liberal.
I wonder if candidates actually living in the riding will play any part.
I think Levy lives there while Hoskins does not.
As to LTJ's concern about the presence of a high profile Tory candidate scaring voters into going Liberal, it's a different dynamic in a by-election obviously. Whoever wins, it's not going to skew the balance of power in the legislature. People can vote to 'send a message' while still preserving the status quo.
The Greens Chris Chopik also lives in the riding, has a business in the riding, and is a community organizer in the riding.
I suspect the dippers will have to move their nomination meeting up unless riding Liberals get their way and have McGuinty delay dropping the writ for a few more weeks.
Stuart Parker also lives in the riding.
Jullian Heller also lives in the St. Paul's, and has been active continuously in the local NDP for decades. If commitment to the riding is the litmus test, everyone else might as well give up now.
Levy has to move it 30% to win. I can't see that happening. Liberals have been beating Tories 2 to 1 in that riding.
In the old days (say 20+ years ago) it was a bellweather, but not any more.
Both Bennett and Mihevic and their crews will make sure people do not vote Tory.
Not only that but Forest Hill is the centre of the Rich Liberal Universe.
I heard the Liberals are running around saying the sky is falling, but I suspect it is the usual Liberal Energy Vampires making much ado about nothing.
The only discontent is among businesses along St. Clair W, who are suffering because of the excess of time it is talking to complete the streetcar route. Yet even there people realize that it will make that transit route much much safer for riders and pedestrians.
After a few calls from the usual suspects about supporting a racist and homophobic PC Party, watch for Levy's cage to be rattled. See if she doesn't melt down...
I'm afraid Lord Palmerston is right about that. Unfortunately, Peter Kent was very effective at scaring Lib/NDP swing voters into voting Liberal.
Though in a seat like St Paul's, when have said swing voters ever not been scared into voting Liberal? Or at least lured into voting Liberal through urbane "swing-voter-compatible" candidates like Bryant, Bennett, etc...
I'm a fan of Benedict Anderson's book Imagined Communities, about the emergence of nationalism as an ideology. But I have to say, as a voting reformer, ridings in Canada aren't even imagined communities. They are imaginary communities. The important communities in any major cities (and anywhere really since the advent of the internet) transcend riding boundaries. Communities like rabble.ca are far more substantively real -- in representing real bases of fellowship, community and commonality -- than random selections of 110,000 people delineated by boundaries commissions.
Any democratic leftist is going to have more in common with another Canadian socialist on the other side of the country than she does with her Tory-voting nextdoor neighbour.
So, while I'm a resident of St. Paul's, I'm not going to lord this over Bob Frankford or any other alleged carpetbagger who comes to our judicially-determined turf.
I suspect the dippers will have to move their nomination meeting up unless riding Liberals get their way and have McGuinty delay dropping the writ for a few more weeks.
really
Just as an aside there are 57 BIAs in Toronto. Maybe the local shopping neighborhoods would make better ridings than what was arbitrarily decided by the electioral boundaries commission.
It might be good if you were a kulak!
I'm a fan of Benedict Anderson's book Imagined Communities, about the emergence of nationalism as an ideology. But I have to say, as a voting reformer, ridings in Canada aren't even imagined communities. They are imaginary communities. The important communities in any major cities (and anywhere really since the advent of the internet) transcend riding boundaries. Communities like rabble.ca are far more substantively real -- in representing real bases of fellowship, community and commonality -- than random selections of 110,000 people delineated by boundaries commissions.
Any democratic leftist is going to have more in common with another Canadian socialist on the other side of the country than she does with her Tory-voting nextdoor neighbour.
So, while I'm a resident of St. Paul's, I'm not going to lord this over Bob Frankford or any other alleged carpetbagger who comes to our judicially-determined turf.
That is an excellent point.
Stall St. Paul's byelection, jumpy Liberals urge premier
In June, Bryant, economic development minister at the time, resigned the seat he had held since 1999.
Hoskins, a doctor and co-founder of the War Child Canada charity, won a hard-fought nomination battle last Wednesday over lawyer and riding association treasurer Charles Finlay and former senior bureaucrat Judith Moses.
The Liberals are bracing for a bruising battle with Levy, who is Jewish and openly gay in a riding with a significant Jewish population and a healthy contingent of socially liberal, fiscally conservative voters.
So far, three people are vying for the NDP nomination: former Scarborough East MPP Bob Frankford, lawyer Julian Heller, and former British Columbia Green Party leader Stuart Parker.
McGuinty calls byelection for Sept. 17
Why should the Liberals be "jumpy"? Besides the fact that they're probably making a mountain out of a molehill with Levy, isn't it good form (through British/Aussie/US precedent) to have automatic byelections/special elections?
I'll say one thing for McGuinty. He has been pretty consistent about calling byelections reasonably quickly after a vacancy, unlike Harper who leaves people without representation for as much as 8 months!
Here's the lay of the land:
St. Paul's Riding Map - 2007 Provincial Election
The NDP has moved their nomination meeting to Monday, August 24 at 7:00 pm.
It's still at St. Matthew's Bracondale House, 707 St. Clair Avenue West. Bracondale House is located at the fourth bus stop westbound from St. Clair West Subway Station, across the street from McDonalds (south side). Here's a Google map.
I'll say one thing for McGuinty. He has been pretty consistent about calling byelections reasonably quickly after a vacancy, unlike Harper who leaves people without representation for as much as 8 months!
And strategically speaking, it was clever to call the byelection at a moment when the NDP hadn't chosen their candidate yet, just so the press could report that the NDP (unlike the other three parties) hadn't chosen a candidate yet and lead people to think that yup, once again, the Dippers haven't gotten their act together...
Seems to me that the party slow on this stuff sometimes. I know that they can't predict the call, but Spet 17 always seemed a bit late, especially given that we've known about Bryant's decisions for a while.
St. Paul's Riding Map - 2007 Provincial Election
From this map, much of Forest Hill did vote PC by over 60%, while other affluent areas voted Liberal. Anyone know the explanation for that?
I'm thinking "old money vs. new money".
Thanks, Scott. I was hoping it wasn't a religious difference.
I've promoting this via Facebook, cold calling and an e-mail blast to the riding members but in case I didn't get ou any of these ways, we're putting on a campaign open house at our home on Sunday afternoon. E-mail me to get more info.
On that front, I'd like to encourage rabblers to check out the new and much improved campaign web site at www.stuartparker.ca.
Looking at the map (thanks), I made a blooper in the first thread about Vaughn & Oakwood. It is clearly still within St. Pauls which means that all the apartment buildings on Vaughn Road are in St. Pauls. It's definitely an uphill battle for whoever wins the NDP nomination.
The blue area west of Bathurst isn't actually Forest Hill but has many "wannabes". It's known as Cedarvale if I'm not mistaken. The affluent areas east of Forest Hill are not as affluent as Forest Hill although that doesn't necessarily explain their liberal inclinations.
Also it's interesting how the map turns yellow just south of the riding border (Trinity-Spadina). Of course having an incumbent (Marchese) helps but I'm not sure that explains it. Could it be a difference in approaches by the two riding associations between elections?
Great improvements to your website Stuart! Best of luck stirring up the race.
Andrea Horwath's YouTube appeal to St. Paul's voters.
Exactly. The area east of Avenue Rd. is more "yuppie" with a large number of condo dwellers and renters and far less grand housing than Forest Hill. Forest Hill is for the most part extremely wealthy.
The 2007 election was unusual with Tory's school funding plan being so prevalent. A lot of normally Liberal Jewish voters went PC because of this issue (and it cost the Tories support among other demographics). In the last federal election the heavily Jewish areas of St. Paul stayed Liberal despite Harper's pro-Israel stance.
...
The 2007 election was unusual with Tory's school funding plan being so prevalent. A lot of normally Liberal Jewish voters went PC because of this issue (and it cost the Tories support among other demographics). In the last federal election the heavily Jewish areas of St. Paul stayed Liberal despite Harper's pro-Israel stance.
Thanks again. I must admit that I had already forgotten about that issue which makes a religious split more understandable, and apparently only temporary.
How is that particular zone "uphill"? Demographically, it's a very NDP-compatible kind of Liberal.
Actually, the present blueness of Cedarvale has a lot to do with its Jewishness--maybe the southernmost manifestation of the "Blue Jew" shift...
Which again, didn't occur in the 2008 federal election - look at the results for Cedarvale (polls 19 to 26).
The impact of Sue-Ann Levy's candidacy on the "Jewish vote" has been wildly overstated. If the "Jewish vote" didn't go Tory as a bloc in the federal election or in the last provincial election when funding for Jewish day schools was supposed to be a big issue for the Jewish community then it isn't going to swing Tory now. (And, frankly, as much as the CJC and Bnai Brith thought funding parochial schools was a top of mind issue for Jews - it wasn't).
I wonder why we keep being told that Sue Anne Levy is Jewish, but no one ever mentions that Julian Heller who ran for the NDP in St. Paul's in 2003 and 2007 and is trying to get the nomination this time - is also Jewish? I guess Jewish New Democrats don't count!
Which again, didn't occur in the 2008 federal election - look at the results for Cedarvale (polls 19 to 26).
Polls 19-26
NDP 135 (9.51)
Lib 635 (44.75)
GP 107 (7.54)
Con 535 (37.70)
Ltn 7 (.49)
Depends on what you mean by "didn't occur"--that's nearly 6 points lower than the Liberal mean, and nearly 11 points higher than the Tory mean...
And the same polls, 2006:
Libs 838 (47.9%)
Cons 550 (31.4%)
NDP 274 (15.7%)
Grns 82 (4.7%)
This represents, at most, a slight swing towards the Tories.
Returning to the provincial scene, I'm quite certain the partisan loyalties of these "John Tory Tories" are very weak and am not convinced they'll be all that impressed with Sue Ann Levy just because she is Jewish. Levy does however seem to be an interesting first test for Hudak, who is currently perceived as a "small town" leader opposed to human rights commissions. Don't think that issue will play too much in their favor in St. Paul.
Though consider the overall shift in St Paul's from 2006 to 2008...
Lib 2006 50.26%; Lib 2008 50.61%
Con 2006 25.77%; Con 2008 26.86%
NDP 2006 19.20%; NDP 2008 12.83%
GP 2006 4.78%; GP 2008 9.10%
So, especially relative to the riding at large, it's more than just a "slight swing"...
Within the context of St. Paul's, it is a shift. Within the context of the 2008 election overall, it is nothing special and certainly not a "realignment."
Within the context of St. Paul's, it is a shift. Within the context of the 2008 election overall, it is nothing special and certainly not a "realignment."
Well, I'm not claiming anything dramatically on the red-to-blue scale of Eg-Law/York Centre/Thornhill (or even, more recently, Mount Royal). But we'd also have to reach further back than 2006 to understand the gravity of the shift--and moreover, view it within, as you say, the context of St Paul's. So, to reiterate the earlier quote, in order to address it...
...my hunch is that, if a seat like present-day St Paul's configuration existed back in Mulroney days, the present east-of-Forest-Hill "affluent + Liberal inclination" zone would be bluer than Cedarvale: solid WASPy middle-class North Toronto Red Tory territory. It's more than "wannabeism" that explains Cedarvale's increasing blueness within the riding compared to yesteryear...
Keep in mind too that there have been a lot of demographic changes in North Toronto over the last two decades (more density, high rises, fewer families with children, etc.) that have benefitted the Liberals and hurt the Tories while Cedarvale has more or less remained the same place (a wealthy single-family dwelling suburban area). Keep in mind too that a lot of Jews live in North Toronto as well but they are less "affiliated." It is true that the Tories made inroads in the Jewish community in the last federal election, but that was either the worst showing or second worst showing for the Liberals ever, depending on how you measure it and the Liberals lost ground among virtually all groups. I'm not convinced the big "realignment" has occurred.
Returning to the NDP nomination, I agree with Stuart that the HST focus is a mistake as it feeds into anti-tax sentiment.
Agreed - unless it is played very carefully, and attacked as regressive taxation, with equal force given to attacking corporate welfare through tax cuts and other means.
My question is, why is it taking the NDP so long to nominate a candidate. The writ has been dropped and there is no NDP candidate canvassing the riding while today was a big launch BBQ and canvass for the Liberals. What a waste and, in my opinion, does not reflect well on the ONDP leadership that they are not taking this opportunity to present an alternative vision for Toronto and Ontario.
The NDP is nominating its candidate TODAY!
Is it already Monday where you are, Stockholm?
The original date was set for the 9th and that is almost a month after the Liberal nomination. Seriously what was the ONDP brain trust thinking? It wasn't a secret that there would be a by-election and with a Liberal nomination set for August 12th it's not a leap of logic to assume that they would call an election soon after.
In every paper that reported the election date of Sept 17th they also mentioned that the ONDP didn't have a candidate and would nominate one on the 9th... 8 days before the election for f**k sakes. Even the bloody Greens had a candidate nominated.
So we push up the date (that nobody knows about) and this is what we get, a candidate tomorrow then what? It's going to take 3-4 days to rent a campaign office, have the phones hooked up and print and design candidate cards. A week lost on the campaign trail and, more importantly, a chance to introduce Andrea to Ontarians on our terms all because we couldn't nominate a candidate around the same time as the Liberals.
This could have been a moment to recruit a "star" candidate and announce to the press and Ontarians that the ONDP is back and ready for government, but nooooo, instead of doing the obvious and competent thing we look like the gang who couldn't shoot straight. My question is why??? Was this election getting in the way of a summer cottage vacation??? Was the drive down the 400 was just too much work? Still hung over from Halifax??? Or do we just not care?
This is a by-election and every resource should have been made available and the campaign should have started the day Bryant resigned. That is unless the ONDP is happy being the butt of a political joke and has to hold it's breath to see if it will get official party status. Weak seriously weak.
I think you are making some very valid points about the party being better prepared for this byelection and that it is a bad sign for the new leadership. But that being said, I don't think that a "star candidate" would have ever been in the cards since St. Paul's is not a winnable seat for the NDP and never will be (unless the Liberals vanish - and even then St. Paul's would probably be to Ontario like what River Heights is to Manitoba - the one vestigial Liberal seat left after all else has disintegrated).
As much as I like Stuart Parker and I'm rooting for him, I suspect that Julian Heller (who btw is a really nice guy as well) will get the nomination based on all the connections he has as a long time resident of the riding with kids in the local schools and having already run in 2003 and 2007.
Obviously if the Liberals have nominated a candidate, the intent is to grab the seat quickly.
Regardless of the nomination date, the NDP can still get the office location, have the phones ready, and many campaigns run off cell phones today, in order not to lose time while landlines are installed. Election Signs are the thing, but as long as there are footsoldiers willing to go door to door and meet the public, identify the vote and get the sign locations, as long as the signs come, there is little to be concerned about.
The NDP has 3 candidates and any candidate has there work cut out for them in this riding. It is such a safe riding that the LPC choose a parachute candidate.
The NDP is going to have to demonstrate a good ground game, and see what the possibilities are.
I don't know any of the NDP candidates, and only seen Stuarts posts. So good luck to you, you seem willing to take on the hard work.
While I view this By election as a Liberal safe seat, I am interested in how all hte other parties do.
I see McGuinty and the Liberals never being held to account on anything they do. Thus even if the opposition parties fail to win this seat, I want to see them raise the issues.
In my best of dreams, I want to see the Liberals lose this seat and get bloody nose, as used to be traditional with by elections. The only thing the LIberals have done for Ontarians is make them not care about anything, including voting... LOL.
I know the NDP doesn't stand a snowball's chance in winning the riding but a "star" candidate would have signalled so much more and set the ground work for 2011. (Nice things fixed election dates.) This board loves to complain and blame the MSM for not following the NDP yet how can one blame the MSM with this piss poor performance.
Stockholm a star candidate wouldn't have won (then again stranger things have happened before) but it would have shown that the ONDP is a revitalised party that has the resources to attract talent and, more importantly, is ready for government. What a wasted opportunity.
YOu seem to think that all the NDP has to do is snap its fingers and a "star candidate" will suddenly appear who is willing to quit their job and go through the grueling hell of being a candidate knowing all along that there is zero chance of winning. Its hard enough to find "star candidates" in winnable seats let alone in unwinnable ones.
Meanwhile, the Levy campaign is dropping literature in apartment buildings telling people their rent is being increased...but it turns out to be an attack on the HST.
Yet Carolyn Bennett actually improved on her overall share in 2008 vs 2006--go figure...
(Yeah, I know, a post-brake-line-slashing "sympathy vote" may have helped, together with a lesser NDP candidate and less high-profile Tory candidate. Though one significant group Liberals made gains among in Toronto were Peggy Atwood-style urban lefties--thus, surprising results in the Annex, Riverdale, et al)
...very few of whom live in the "gilded ghetto" of Forest Hill and Cedarvale.
Returning to the NDP nomination, I agree with Stuart that the HST focus is a mistake as it feeds into anti-tax sentiment.
Yes the NDP could totally look like it is out of touch with the concerns of average working people by being afriad to mention something that will increase the costs of everything from home heating, rental costs and even funerals. I mean why would a party dedicated to bettering the lives of average folks want to talk about something so straight forward that shows how full of crap Liberal 'we care' rhetoric is.
I guess if you think its wrong of the NDP to oppose the HST, you must also think it was wrong of the British Labour party to have made such a fuss about Margaret Thatcher's hated "poll tax" in the late 80s. YTou know the tax that was so unpopular that it caused a palace revolt that ousted her from power.
I know the NDP doesn't stand a snowball's chance in winning the riding but a "star" candidate would have signalled so much more and set the ground work for 2011.
I think Stuart Parker could easily be considered a 'star candidate' if intelligence and dedication were considered above name brand recognition. He did an excellent job building the BC Greens before being ousted by the Tory wing, but maybe BC is too far away from Ontario or maybe this is just the wrong riding for any NDPer.
I second that.
So much for that can do spirit. Stockholm I never said it would be easy but with a new leader comes new supporters. New, engaged and active supporters. Also, nowhere does it say that the "star" would have to quit their job, I seriously doubt Levy has quit hers. Secondly, as to the motivation, even if you know you are going to lose, a glorious loss could do wonders for one's profile later.
Think, as a hypothetical, if Linda McQuaig decided to run for the NDP. Not only would the resulting press garnered from a match-up of pundits, one right the other running for the Tories, be great for the NDP but Linda's profile would be raised as well. Well worth a sure loss.
As opposed to a general election, where local races are lonely affairs, this is a by-election so it's the only game in town. Everybody is going to report on it and if we don't show up they will report that as well.
Stuart you might be a great guy and a star in your own right, but you are going up against veritable supernovae. A well known right wing columnist and a Doctor who works in war zones saving children and he has an Order of Canada thrown in as well.
The moral is: if you want to be taken seriously one has to act like one is serious.
I second that.
The NDP's lucky to attract candidates like him still, too bad it's such a tough riding.
Well, it's the kind of seat that demands something like a "Gregor Robertson" dynamic within the party. But still; I wouldn't be *too* surprised if the NDP poses at least a stiff second-place challenge to Levy...
The moral is: if you want to be taken seriously one has to act like one is serious.
What patronizing nonsense.
Peter Kent was more apt to be seen as a star candidate, and he lost. Sue-Ann Levy is a laughingstock in comparison, with her constant references to "socialist silly hall" and calls to defund our schools.
As for the doctor, I overheard several people saying he looks twelve years old. One of them was a university student herself, whom I would have thought would relate to a younger candidate.
edited to add:
Holy Cow. Eric Hoskins is 48 or 49 (born in 1960) now that I check. Unlike the ladies I was eavesdropping on, I'd never seen him until I just googled to check him out. (They'd all seen him on the news.) I can see where they got the Doogie Houser reference, but it really doesn't carry much weight under the circumstance.
I don't think Sue Ann Levy will fly in St. Paul's. The Tories who have won St. Paul's historically have been Red Tories and she is too negative, too rightwing.
And Eric Hoskins is defintely an impressive candidate for the Liberals, though I will certainly be voting for the NDP candidate.
Stuart, while I appreciate your dedication and commitment, I will be supporting Julian Heller at the nomination meeting.
Perhaps that is true, but there are lots of small-"l" liberal Liberal/NDP swing voters in St. Paul's. There are plenty of reasons for that. First of all, the NDP aren't seen as contenders in the riding. And Carolyn Bennett is just about the most progressive Liberal there is. People who vote for Joe Mihevc in Ward 21 have no trouble voting for her. When the NDP runs a strong, visible campaign they can do respectably. But if you run some last-minute low-profile candidate (like in the last federal election), the Liberals will take a lot of soft NDP votes.
Stuart,
All I can say is: Impress us.
Or should I say impress us more, for to some degree, you already have.
From everything I've heard, Julian is the known quantity (who will take it, all else being equal), Bob Frankford is frankly seen as a has-been who's parachuting in for no real reason, and you are the unknown quantity of interest.
Speak well, inspire us, and you might take it. Even if you don't, you'll at least position yourself strongly for the next time out - particularly if you stick around for the campaign. There's likely a federal election coming up, and we'd do well to have a good candidate in the wings.
Actually, apropos the NDP (whomever runs), it may be worth looking at a "Tory-leaning" place such as Cedarvale because it does have NDP friendliness in the recent past--not only through Mihevc's incumbency, but because up to 1995 it was part of the provincial riding of Oakwood, a Liberal/NDP marginal where Tories were the dismal also-rans...
Well, I lost but it was closer than I anticipated. Onward and upward!
Here was the speech that got 31 votes to Julian's 39.
That was a great speech, and you certainly made an impression, Stuart.
So now that Julian Heller has been nominated, can anyone tell us about his speech and what sort of a candidate he will be?
From looking at his website, he seems to be somewhat of a pillar of the local community and very strong on educational issues:
http://www.julianheller.ca/
PS: I think Stuart Parker would have been a good candidate as well and I hope he runs somewhere soon. Come to think of it - we are likely to have a federal election hot on the heels of the byelection - maybe Stuart wants to go for the federal nomination in St. Paul's??
Good. I like a story with a happy ending where everyone gets a piece of the action and quite frankly, if I were Stuart Parker I would much rather be a federal candidate. Let's face it, Ontario provincial politics are as dull as dishwater. Running federally, its much juicier with more exciting issues and being able to run against horrible people like Harper and Iggy.
Stuart's speech was great.
Julian's was pretty good too - and while Stuart had a truly inspiring speech, Julian might have had a bit of an edge in terms of delivery, IMO. In the end, what counted was that Julian has paid his dues in the riding for more than a decade, and had the loyalty of the party stalwarts.
BTW, Stuart - I don't know that those results were meant to be public.
Stuart, that was a fabulous speech. If I thought the ONDP was moving in that direction, I'd join again in a heartbeat. (If I lived in St. Paul's, I would have joined to vote for you at the nomination.) Thanks for sharing that with all of us!
Stuart - fabulous speech - Michelle thanks for the facebook link.
Meanwhile, the Levy campaign is dropping literature in apartment buildings telling people their rent is being increased...but it turns out to be an attack on the HST.
That was a great speech, and you certainly made an impression, Stuart.
Stuart - I was there, excellent speech. I really enjoyed it and was very impressed.
If Stuart runs federally, then we get the best of both worlds. The federal scene is where its at and i also think that with regard to electoral reform - its essentially dead at the Ontario provincial level, but it needs to be pushed forward at the federal level where we really need it. Stuart can do way more good at the federal level as opposed to having to deal with the mundane issues that dominate provincial politics these days.
Perhaps. But then, if by some off chance ;) Julian Heller doesn't win this by-election, perhaps he might try to win the nomination for the federal election?
I doubt it. The evidence seems to suggest that for some inexplicable reason, Julian only has provincial ambitions. He ran provincially in St. Paul in 2003, then sat out the 2004 and 2006 federal elections, then ran provincially in 2007, then sat out the '08 federal election. His website bio seems mostly devoted to issues under provincial jurisdication like education and tenants rights etc... Plus I doubt if he'd want to be a candidate for what would amount to three months - that a lot of time to take off work etc...
Anyways i could be wrong and i haven't asked the guy - but that's how i see it.
Julian has a family and deep connections to the community here. He has no interest in a move to Ottawa.
Ah, okay. I was just speculating, since people often do run for both - I don't know the guy at all, but I've heard nothing but good things about him. I'd love to see Stuart get the nomination!
I was at the meeting too (my first NDP meeting as a member) and was quite impressed with the turnout - especially since it was a beautiful summer evening. I guesstimate that there were another 50 people in the room who were from outside the riding and couldn't vote, so interest was very high. Fundraising a la Peter Kormos went well. Horwath was revved up. Lots of positive energy. Although I was supporting Stuart, I will be helping Julian's campaign. I believe they already have an office on Eglinton somewhere and that lawn signs will be ready tomorrow.
p.s. - LTJ - were you the guy in the babble t-shirt?
Stockholm:
"Stuart can do way more good at the federal level as opposed to having to deal with the mundane issues that dominate provincial politics these days."
Mundane issues?? The federal scene is "where it's at"??
Woud you care to rephrase? Or explain?
Municipal and provincial politics are what affect people's lives most directly. How the fuck does that equate to "mundane"? Is this the attitude underpining the NDP in Ontario?
I'm an individual. i don't speak for the NDP in Ontario. I personally find federal issues vastly more interesting than provincial or municipal issues - especially in Ontario where six years of wishy-washy middle of the road policies under McGuinty are hard to get excited about one way or the other. There's only so much that can be said about funding formulas for school boards or whether or not Local Health Intergation Networks should exist, or whether or not to pave such an such a highway etc...
If I were a politician, I'd much rather be in Ottawa where you get to debate foreign policy, consitutional issues, justice issues, trade issues and lots of other juicy stuff. That's just me. I know that other people think that notnhing could be more interesting that what goes on at Richmond Hill city council. Not me.
Maybe it says something about the weaknesses of the Ontario NDP compared to the federal party that I find that nothing I get from them that deals with provincial political issues captures my interest.
My main point was that Stuart Parker is known as a leading crusader for electoral reform and to me that issue is dead and buried as a provincial issue in Ontario - but it is an issue that is still very much alive in federal politics - so i like the idea of him going into politics at a level where the issue he is most closely identified with can be pursued.
Congtratulations to Julian, and to Stuart (did Bob drop out?).
Regardless of who you were supporting there is one indisputable advantage from Julian's nomination. Now we won't have any time lag in getting our signs up
No, Bob Frankford came a very distant third.
Good work Stuart. I am especially pleased with what you said about the HST. In fact, you outdid the provincial leader, whose quote was inaccurate or at least very inarticulate.
If you don't run federally, please consider running municipally. Your idealistic enthusiasm is sorely lacking in this country.
By reading the article, one would think Heller mainly focused on the HST in his speech. In fact those quotes are pretty much all he said about it; Heller addressed an array of issues.
Good work Stuart. I am especially pleased with what you said about the HST. In fact, you outdid the provincial leader, whose quote was inaccurate or at least very inarticulate.
If you don't run federally, please consider running municipally. Your idealistic enthusiasm is sorely lacking in this country.
There is nothing innaccurate in the quote. Under the guise of the HST there will be large give aways to the largest corporations in the province while small bussiness and average people will be paying quite a bit more. I have sat in on HST meetings with the government as the representative of a lobby group and it is pretty clear that this is about both a tax grab and a tax shift effecting average people and small business.
I noticed what appeared to be the office on, I think, the Eglinton Theatre block--across the street from St. Paul's. (I don't know if that technicality's improper, though critics might pick on it.)
Here's a pretty upbeat analysis:
MPP Peter Kormos (Welland) almost single-handedly managed to raise $20,000 from the enthusiastic crowd for the by-election effort.
For the New Democrats, raising $20,000 like that at a single meeting is quite impressive and it looks like the New Democrats will be have the funds to run a full out campaign in St. Paul’s, something that they typically just would not be able to do. As I have said before, by-elections are a different beast and anything can and seems to happen in them. But from the sounds of it the New Democrats are off to a flying start in St. Paul’s...
It's Heller In St. Paul's For The New Democrats
Good work Stuart. I am especially pleased with what you said about the HST. In fact, you outdid the provincial leader, whose quote was inaccurate or at least very inarticulate.
This is a $7 billion tax CUT for business.
And a $9 billion tax HIKE for consumers.
And a $9 billion tax HIKE for consumers.
The Tories will ignore the first part, but hammer at the second part far more effectively than the NDP.
So is the heart of the NDP message going to be "unfair tax grab" or are they going to also emphasize increasing taxes on corporations and the wealthy to pay for education, social services, etc.
I noticed what appeared to be the office on, I think, the Eglinton Theatre block--across the street from St. Paul's. (I don't know if that technicality's improper, though critics might pick on it.)
It's certainly not illegal. Might result in a bit of teasing but certainly not improper. I've known NDP candidates to run their campaign out of a neighbouring riding's office in order to save money so this is nothing.
I was very impressed with what I saw of Stuart Parker, even though I like Julian Heller as well. I agree with Stockholm - you'll make a great candidate in the next federal election and I think your issues and concerns will probably be better served at that level.
It's nice to know the NDP is planning on making a serious run at St. Paul's.
The Act is silent as to the location (that is, the office is not required to be within the boundaries of the riding). It (the Act and accompanying regulations) is concerned that fair market value be charged for the space (space cannot be "donated" or subsidized ... it would be treated as a donation in excess of the legally permitted $1,100 otherwise and cause all sorts of problems).
I think people are making a far bigger deal of it on babble than the voters of St. Paul's will. It's not as if you enter a different world when you cross Eglinton Ave.!
No that only happens when you travel north of the 401
I was going to say; when you cross the Great Divide
I think people are making a far bigger deal of it on babble than the voters of St. Paul's will. It's not as if you enter a different world when you cross Eglinton Ave.!
It's probably more an anticipation of Liberal/Tories making a "far bigger deal of it", i.e. there goes the NDP again, they don't even know the geography of where they're running, etc...
Long thread