{"id":153601,"date":"2018-02-20T03:04:11","date_gmt":"2018-02-20T08:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=153601"},"modified":"2025-01-13T10:13:31","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T15:13:31","slug":"internal-tory-turmoil-in-the-spotlight-as-ontario-legislature-resumes-this-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2018\/02\/20\/internal-tory-turmoil-in-the-spotlight-as-ontario-legislature-resumes-this-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Internal Tory turmoil in the spotlight as Ontario legislature resumes this week"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"When<\/a>
When legislators return to Queen’s Park on Tuesday, all eyes will be on former Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown \u2014 if he shows up to take a seat as an independent after being kicked out of caucus. (Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

TORONTO\u2014The sprint to Ontario’s spring election begins this week as the legislature is set to resume following an unprecedented tumult that saw the official Opposition implode under the weight of its leader’s resignation amid sexual misconduct allegations.<\/p>\n

When legislators return to Queen’s Park on Tuesday, all eyes will be on former Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown \u2014 if he shows up to take a seat as an independent after being kicked out of caucus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are fighting for the people of Ontario,\u201d the 39-year-old politician told a crowd of supporters on the weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can’t fight amongst ourselves,\u201d he said, while dismissing corruption allegations he has faced from the party as \u201cpetty internal nonsense.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event in Mississauga, Ont., marked the launch of his bid to reclaim his former job in a leadership contest that will see him compete against Toronto lawyer and businesswoman Caroline Mulroney, former Toronto councillor Doug Ford, former Tory legislator Christine Elliott and Social conservative advocate Tanya Granic Allen. The new leader will be announced March 10.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, interim Tory leader Vic Fedeli has been trying to shift the attention away from party infighting and on to its main goal \u2014 defeating Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal government.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor 15 years, the Liberals have helped their insider friends get rich, while leaving Ontario families paying more and getting less,\u201d he said. \u201cAnything they promise over the coming months is nothing but a costly, last-ditch election ploy they have no intention of keeping.\u201d<\/p>\n

But political experts said voters will likely not pay much attention to what Fedeli says over the next few weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one is going to pay attention to him (Fedeli) or the (caucus),\u201d said Henry Jacek, a political science professor at McMaster University. \u201cIt’s all going to be on the Tory leader and what he or she says they’re going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the end, Jacek said, the internal fights might mean little to voters when the session end arrives and the election begins.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have a lot of messes with nominations and the internal problems inside the party, but I don’t think the public is going to pay attention to that by the time you hit the campaign,\u201d he said. \u201cI think the public is going to say ‘What are you going to do for us?\u201d’<\/p>\n

In the meantime, the Liberal government will try to quietly take damaging issues off the table by, among other things, increasing spending to address concerns about hospital over-crowding, wait times and long-term care spaces, Jacek said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey’re going to have to say they’re going to spend mega dollars to show that they have a plan,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that will be showcased in the budget. They don’t want to lose health care voters over to the NDP.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Friday, Wynne slammed the PC leadership candidates, who all oppose the government’s plan to increase the minimum wage to $15 in January 2019. The latest increase to $14 an hour angered the small business community, who said the hike was too much to soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know I heard a lot of people who have never had to worry about whether they are going to be able to put food on the table talking about not increasing a minimum wage so that people who live in this province can look after themselves,\u201d Wynne said of the PC leadership candidates and comments they made on the minimum wage during last week’s leadership debate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the most disturbing thing to me I think. That there seemed to be such a lack of understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wynne said the upcoming provincial budget will be a large part of the government’s focus in the new session but gave no hints about when that key pre-election spending package will drop.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur plan … is about providing a fair and thriving province with opportunity for everyone,\u201d she said. \u201cSo, we will continue to look for ways to support people in this very uncertain time. This is a very uncertain time economically.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wynne also said the first piece of legislation her government will pass when it returns is a bill aimed at countering so-called \u201cBuy American\u201d policies put in place by some U.S. states.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is if there are those protectionist initiatives taken in the states then we have to have the ability to respond,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The NDP are expected to outline their legislative priorities Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

Brittany Andrew-Amofah, policy and research manager at the Broadbent Institute, said she expects the spring legislative session will see the Liberals and NDP fighting to distinguish themselves, and the differences in their policies, in the eyes of the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the Liberal government is trying to, at the very least, demonstrate that they are a progressive government but that’s up to the public to decide,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The New Democrats will try to shift the spotlight onto their policies on health care, and discussions around what a proper living wage should be in the province, Andrew-Amofah said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there’s room and value in talking about poverty reduction measures,\u201d she said. \u201cI don’t think that has entered into the public discourse as much as it should.<\/p>\n

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\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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