Conservative politics | Tory Redux

John Baird Wins Top Honours

John Baird does it again as Stephen Harper’s most irreplaceable political asset, by just proving to be Baird himself. He has energized the front benches in Parliament and shown himself to be a worthy parliamentary performer. He’s one part strategist, one part bridge builder and one part political bulldog.

He is gifted with a politician’s memory—that ability to instantly recall the connections of names, faces and events. In conversation, he is a succession of anecdotes and jokes and kind words. He enthuses about the process of negotiation. Dewar, a fellow Ottawa-area MP who has collaborated with Baird on capital issues, calls him “pragmatic” and “straight up.” “He understands that if you’re going to move things along that you need to engage,”

“Every now and then I want to say, ‘Who is the real John Baird?’ ” says Liberal MP Rob Oliphant. “Is he that charming, boyish kind of person who is trying to win over the hearts of people? Or is he the pit bull?” The answer is both. Because both are politics. And John Baird is politics.

Hudak says HST Tax will Hurt Families in Northern Ontario

Tim Hudak recently visited Northern Ontario and reiterated that the new HST tax would be a detriment for many Northern families. Ontario liberals our pulling the rug out from under many communities by making necessities almost unaffordable.

“Dalton McGuinty’s previous tax and fee increases have hurt Northern Ontario’s economy and cost tens of thousands of well- northern jobs. Now his $3 billion HST tax grab is making life more expensive still. Northern Ontario families can’t afford to lose any more local jobs.”
— Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak

Minister John Baird Had A Right To Be Heard

Today, while the Liberals and NDP were trying to score partisan points against the Conservatives in the Government operations committee, John Baird was just trying to assert his right as an elected member of the Crown and take ministerial responsibility for his actions. Our democratic system is born from the tradition of responsible government. If the Liberals and NDP will continue to play political games by denying a minister’s right to speak, this would be a clear violation of the sacred spirit of our democracy.

Any member of Parliament, any one of the 308 members of Parliament, are entitled to come to committee, they are entitled to be heard,” Baird said. “And Madame Chair, while I cannot vote, I am an elected member of Parliament and I am here to be heard. And I appreciate that it only took me 50 times to be able to ask to be heard, because you don’t know the rules, and it is an absolute disgrace. I’m here as a member of Parliament, and I have every…

Weeds Growing Around McGuinty Legacy

The Ontario liberals legacy will be one of, over regulation and over taxation. However with this said the liberals still have the advantages of having their hands on the levers of power. Simply put, today weeds tomorrow the world. The liberals seem to want to save Ontarians from themselves. Conservatives want to let government get out of the way of the individuals and ambition that will make this a better province. Tim Hudak has the message and motivation that might appeal to middle-class Ontarians. The Progressive Conservative party is creating a home for people who might be fed up with the protectionist’s at Queens Park.

“While we are focused on creating jobs and defending the family budget, the nanny premier is worried about saving you from the menace of the plastic bag and protecting dandelions on your front lawn,’

This would be an appropriate time, however, for the Liberals to take stock of the legacy left by their seven-year ban-wagon. They could do more to stop smoking if, rather than obsessing on how convenience stores display tobacco, they did something to stop the sale of cheap, untaxed, contraband cigarettes to schoolchildren. Moreover, the Liberals ought to consider the accumulative effect of all their bans.

Stony Creek Dairy An Economic Casualty in McGuinty’s Ontario

I was saddened to find out that after 80 years of operation Stoney Creek dairy is shutting its doors. It was a great small business that put ingenuity back into ice cream. It is disappointing to see the assault on small business because of over regulation and the new realities of energy costs in Ontario. How many MORE casualties will there be in an Ontario where the government is willing to open their wallets but not our doors to small business?

“I was sad to read that after more than 80 years, Stoney Dairy is shutting its doors over skyrocketing energy costs,” the Niagara West-Glanbrook MPP said in an address outlining his party’s ‘10 for 2010’ plan to jumpstart the Ontario economy.