Last week, the new leader of the Ontario PC Party came out against back-to-work legislation for Toronto’s two week old garbage strike. My first instinct was to think: great, he’s wimping out, just like John Tory. Then I realized, no, he’s actually making the smart play.
David Miller would like nothing better than for others to legislate to end the strike (or to demand such action). Miller’s currently on the horns of a dilemma because of his conflict-of-interest situation with municipal unions. On the one hand, the citizens of Toronto are pissed at the pampered garbage collectors and their unbelievable sick leave benefits. On the other hand, he is completely dependent on these same unions for his re-election campaign. If he asks Queen’s Park to legislate them back, all the union support he has enjoyed in past elections will vapourize in 2010. The only good way out of this situation for him is if somebody else plays the heavy with the union.
I think Hudak realizes this and is deliberately staying out of the way while his enemy self-destructs (and make no mistake about it, Miller is an enemy).
In related news, yesterday Premier Dalton McGuinty said that he is also in no hurry to legislate strikers back to work. I guess he’s had also enough of Miller, in this case his constant carping for provincial money. Forcing David Miller to come grovelling to Queen’s Park begging for back-to-work legislation would certainly put an end to those demands – after November, 2010.
It couldn’t happen to a nicer socialist demagogue.
Perhaps, if this is the case, Dalton McGuinty finally understands how the Federal Government feels every time HE comes whining for money...
Posted by: Sean Calder | July 07, 2009 at 08:19 PM
That's a very thoughtful analysis. It explains why this strike has gone on for so long, when we all thought that Miller would quickly cave to his friends in the unions.
It also bodes well for the Ontario PC leader. Finally we have somebody with some political insight.
Posted by: WiseGuy | July 07, 2009 at 09:04 PM