Monday, June 25, 2007 - 09:00
Welland Tribune
Editorial - One of the hazards of fixed election dates is that politicians have the capacity to begin campaigning well before the official writ period begins.
We saw that in the Progressive Conservative party, when leader John Tory unveiled the party's election platform at a convention earlier this month.
We are also seeing it in the Liberal party. Premier Dalton McGuinty is taking advantage of his decision to prorogue the legislature three weeks early to go on a cross-province tour promising bundles of cash for various projects.
It's the kind of tour usually seen in the weeks immediately preceding an election, but then it is funded by the party itself.
This itinerary of whistlestops and stump speeches is being done on the backs of Ontario's taxpayers.
It is suspicious, to say the least.
Laurel Broten, McGuinty's minister of the environment, said it is pure speculation that the rash of announcements made by the premier in the past couple of weeks is part of the Liberals' election platform. But that's only because the Liberals have yet to release their official campaign platform.
A look at the last week's spending announcements tells another tale. At a stop in Hamilton, with the knowledge that two incumbent Steel City Liberal MPPs wouldn't be seeking re-election, McGuinty challenged city residents to come up with big projects for the province to pursue.
For transit in the GTA and Hamilton, McGuinty promised $11.5 billion.
To encourage green automotive technologies, McGuinty promised $650 million.
In the home, a $150-million fund to offset the cost of renovations that make a house more energy efficient has been pledged.
Municipalities have been offered $220 million in loans and grants to help improve and retrofit buildings.
But none of these moneys will be made available until after the Oct. 10 election.
The implication is clear - vote Liberal, and these goodies will be available.
Vote for somebody else, and there are no guarantees any of these projects will see the light of day.
This kind of politics breeds cynicism among Ontario's voters. Ontarians will have plenty of time to hear McGuinty's policy promises during the actual election campaign.
But not now. If McGuinty feels the need to travel the province and spread an election message, he should peddle a public education campaign for the referendum question we'll see on our Oct. 10 ballot.
That will ask if Ontarians want to change the way we vote for our government.
McGuinty has promised a public education campaign on the two alternatives facing voters.
It would be nice to see that promise fulfilled before the premier makes anymore.