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June 9, 2004

McGuinty fails the Mike Harris test

Saturday will mark the beginning of the ninth month of Liberal rule in Ontario. In the eight months that have passed, the McGuinty government has done more to damage its reputation than any government in recent memory. With McGuinty’s personal approval rating (9%) lower than any other Premier in recent memory and his party now mired in the low 30s in terms of popularity, Queen’s Park Liberals may be wondering why.

Here’s what I think:

The Lies: There are too many to list, but the impression that the Liberals put one over the electorate has solidified to the point that it may soon become a solid fact in the minds of Ontarians.

Government by Trial Balloon: Since its election, the government has been without any apparent plan to govern. Instead, it has resorted to calculated leaks of possible policy options to test the waters. Cabinet Ministers and the Premier have engaged in public debates about the merit of policies that never see the light of day. This strategy has led the public to feel that the Liberals are either unprofessional or incompetent.

The Media: Liberals believed that the free ride they got from the media during last Fall’s election campaign was going to continue – they were wrong. After a brief honeymoon, the media returned to form and began attacking the government, initially for its inconsistent approach and later for its broken election promises.

What the Liberals still don’t understand is that it is no longer the 1980s and they are failing the Mike Harris test. For better, or worse (and I happen to think it is for the better) politicians in Ontario are being held to a higher standard. They are expected to present a plan during election campaigns and they are expected to govern from that plan. That is Mr. Harris' legacy and the Liberals ignore it at their peril.

Posted by maxthecat on June 9, 2004 at 11:58 AM | Printer-friendly version
Filed in: Politics / Ontario

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