John Tory finds a vacant seat to run in....damn!

I was really hoping that none of the Ontario Conservative MPP’s would cave in and give Tory an open seat to contest. After the disastrous 2007 provincial election, what the Ontario PC party was – and still is - most in need of is regeneration. This can only come from a leadership race and a fresh leader with new policies. Right now, there is still plenty of time for rebuilding. The best thing that could happen – from Dalton McGuinty’s perspective – is for a weak, wounded opposition leader to keep hanging on by his fingernails. Just as it was bad news for Stephane Dion to resign - from a Conservative perspective, it is bad news from a Liberal perspective for the right-wing version of Stephane Dion to resign.

And this is coming from somebody who had high hopes for John Tory when he first won the PC Ontario leadership. I saw his credible run against David Miller in the Toronto mayoral campaign and thought that, while he is a red tory, perhaps his strategic savvy would counterbalance his lack of conservative principles. Unfortunately, I failed to factor in the dismal campaign of Kim Campbell (Campbell-mania anyone?), the worst showing by a right-wing party in Canada - ever - which he managed. And now, after the 2007 provincial election, he has two full-blown calamities under his belt, so he doesn’t deserve another chance. He needs to put his party ahead of his personal career and step aside.

We can all forgive somebody for one mistake, but not two - especially when they are this big. At this point it is time to go. Especially when it can be argued that he made a third serious mistake by selfishly delaying his party’s rejuvenation by hanging on to what is an untenable and ignominious position.

I can understand if he feels that he is too young to retire from politics. But in this case, he should rehabilitate himself the way Stockwell Day did after losing the Alliance leadership to Stephen Harper. Work quietly and modestly in the background and prove your worth, one small bit at a time. In his case, quit as leader, run as an ordinary MPP the next time around, and do fundraising for the party in the meantime. People might then slowly change their minds about him.

Comments

[Dave Hodson]

If John Tory wins a seat in the legislature, then all we'll have is one more Liberal at Queens Park. His policy stances simply do not live up to his surname or the name of the party he leads.