S
spmarshall
Guest
Here's an interesting scenerio: If John Tory loses the municipal election, he goes for either the provincial PC party or even the new federal Conservative Party.
I wouldn't mind Tory becoming the provincial leader. He's a strong politican, more of an old-school Davis-style conservative than Harris or Eves. The strong showing at the Toronto election would help, even after losing it. Though I'd probably not vote for him myself.
Hey, it might make it easier for those who like Tory to vote Miller!
Nov. 9, 2003. 01:00*AM
Toronto Star
Tory looks good to new party
RICHARD GWYN
When he announced in midweek that he would not run for the leadership of the merged Conservatives and Alliance, former Ontario premier Mike Harris let it out that it was because he was so enjoying the attractions of the private sector (including not having to read about his love life in the newspapers).
Not at all. An unimpeachable party source tells me that as part of his preparations to contest the leadership, Harris ordered up a quickie poll. Its findings were exceedingly bleak, for Harris personally and for the merged party nationally. Defeat avoidance made up Harris' mind for him.
Without Harris, the merged party doesn't have a real leadership race to give a kick-start to its new life. Conservative Leader Peter MacKay, if he runs, would be thrashed. Other potential candidates, like Calgary businessman Jim Prentice, may be capable but are unknown.
Which leaves Alliance Leader Stephen Harper. He has assets, like intelligence, parliamentary experience and bilingualism. He has one huge offsetting handicap. Any new party that starts life with an old leader hobbles itself before the electoral contest even begins. And a second sizeable handicap: Harper's ascent to the top would confirm public suspicions that what's happening is a takeover by the far-right Alliance of the centrist Conservatives.
Hang on for just a day and a potential solution will have changed the equation. The highly probable winner of tomorrow's Toronto mayoralty election will be David Miller. One of the losers therefore will be John Tory.
Only a semi-loser, though.
By his impressive campaign, Tory, a former top aide of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and former head of Rogers Media but until now unknown except to political professionals, will have made himself into a substantial public figure in what is the country's fourth-largest political constituency (after Ottawa, Ontario, Quebec).
Pressure is certain to be applied to Tory to save the new party from a leadership convention as boring as next week's Liberal get-together to crown Paul Martin. Pressure will be applied simultaneously by the recently defeated, and soon-to-be-leaderless, provincial Conservatives. Since Tory is unilingual, expect him to go provincial. Which will still leave the new party looking listless, and worse, old.
I wouldn't mind Tory becoming the provincial leader. He's a strong politican, more of an old-school Davis-style conservative than Harris or Eves. The strong showing at the Toronto election would help, even after losing it. Though I'd probably not vote for him myself.
Hey, it might make it easier for those who like Tory to vote Miller!
Nov. 9, 2003. 01:00*AM
Toronto Star
Tory looks good to new party
RICHARD GWYN
When he announced in midweek that he would not run for the leadership of the merged Conservatives and Alliance, former Ontario premier Mike Harris let it out that it was because he was so enjoying the attractions of the private sector (including not having to read about his love life in the newspapers).
Not at all. An unimpeachable party source tells me that as part of his preparations to contest the leadership, Harris ordered up a quickie poll. Its findings were exceedingly bleak, for Harris personally and for the merged party nationally. Defeat avoidance made up Harris' mind for him.
Without Harris, the merged party doesn't have a real leadership race to give a kick-start to its new life. Conservative Leader Peter MacKay, if he runs, would be thrashed. Other potential candidates, like Calgary businessman Jim Prentice, may be capable but are unknown.
Which leaves Alliance Leader Stephen Harper. He has assets, like intelligence, parliamentary experience and bilingualism. He has one huge offsetting handicap. Any new party that starts life with an old leader hobbles itself before the electoral contest even begins. And a second sizeable handicap: Harper's ascent to the top would confirm public suspicions that what's happening is a takeover by the far-right Alliance of the centrist Conservatives.
Hang on for just a day and a potential solution will have changed the equation. The highly probable winner of tomorrow's Toronto mayoralty election will be David Miller. One of the losers therefore will be John Tory.
Only a semi-loser, though.
By his impressive campaign, Tory, a former top aide of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and former head of Rogers Media but until now unknown except to political professionals, will have made himself into a substantial public figure in what is the country's fourth-largest political constituency (after Ottawa, Ontario, Quebec).
Pressure is certain to be applied to Tory to save the new party from a leadership convention as boring as next week's Liberal get-together to crown Paul Martin. Pressure will be applied simultaneously by the recently defeated, and soon-to-be-leaderless, provincial Conservatives. Since Tory is unilingual, expect him to go provincial. Which will still leave the new party looking listless, and worse, old.