Change the conversation, support rabble.ca today.

A veritable orgy of Liberal leadership races have transfixed Canadians. Well, three, anyway. In Quebec, Dr. Phillippe Couillard will be the easy winner, which curbs the enthusiasm somewhat. But in Ontario and the Dominion at large, the thrill is palpable.

The Ontario Liberal Party is about to choose a woman as leader and, at least for a moment, the province's premier. But far more remarkable than their sex, the two frontrunners, Kathleen Wynne and Sandra Pupatello, offer an unusually stark contrast in policy, personality and prospects.

Tell Liberal party leader candidates to protect the Great Lakes by banning fracking in Ontario!

The Ontario government is brushing off concerns on fracking with promises to ensure fracking is "safe" before allowing permits even though the government has promoted shale gas development in the province. In 2010, the Ministry of Natural Resources released an aerial survey of shale formations in Ontario with the purpose of assisting gas companies in exploration. The Ontario Geological Survey, an arm of the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, has been drilling in pockets across Southern Ontario to assess the shale gas potential.

Today, Democracy Watch lamented the fact that, no matter which party wins the Ontario election, wealthy interests will have been able to use too-large donations of up to $31,000 to buy influence with the provincial government and during the provincial election.

Democracy Watch criticized the Ontario Liberals for breaking their 2003 election promise to democratize Ontario's political finance system. The organization called on all the parties to make democratizing changes after the election, and to disclose every donation they have received during the election by Sunday morning so voters at least can find out who bankrolled them before they vote. Parties in the other provinces, and the territories, should do the same, including for their municipal elections.