John Tory To Face Liberal Challenge in Upcoming By-Election

by John Laforet
posted on January 19th, 2009 at 22:27:00 pm

Laurie Scott resigned as the MPP for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock to allow John Tory, the leader of a fractured Progressive Conservative party who lost his bid to become MPP while also attempting to become Premier, the opportunity to run in a by-election. It is seen as Tory’s attempt to return to the Legislature where there is general consensus if he insists on continuing to lead his party, he needs to be. 

I still think someone resigning their seat so someone else can run, AND accepting a paid position in exchange is a completely sketchy thing. Especially because Laurie Scott had just been elected to her second term, has been a decent Member of Provincial Parliament and frankly is also young enough to be of long term interest to both the Progressive Conservatives and the Province in future. 

She stepped down to give Tory her seat until the next election, when he would run in a forth riding and she would presumably run with a slogan like “I’m back!” and hope the people of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock didn’t feel all that used by the carpetbagging Tory (John Tory that is). Scott won with just under 50% of the vote, which is important because she basically received the same total in 2003 and 2007, which suggests this blue seat is a little bluer because of her, and not just the party. 

Tory is to face the challenge of the Liberal Party, the NDP, the Greens and the Reform Party of Ontario. It should be fun to watch to say the least. John Tory IV – a Toronto born and raised multimillionaire is already being referred to as an “urbanite” by the Reform candidate who hopes to steal votes on the right from the right wing of Conservative ideology. Tory, staying true to himself doesn’t ever pretend to live in the ridings he has run in, he didn’t in 2005 in that by-election, or in 2007 when Kathleen Wynne stomped him all over Don Valley West. The same goes for this attempt. Tory is not alone in not living in the riding as Green Party candidate Mike Schreiner is also a Toronto based candidate trying to make a go of it. Reform says they’re candidate will be local. The NDP is still working on it. 

Rick Johnson however is an actual resident of Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock. That has to be a good start. Johnson also ran in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock during the 2007 election so he is dedicated to representing his community. He is also the past president of the Ontario Public School Boards Association, has served as a local public school trustee and served on the Lindsay Chamber of Commerce. As he rightly pointed out in expressing his interest in running his focus will be local and his entrance into the race is not part of any deal that doesn’t pass the smell test. He is running for the right reasons and could well give Tory a run, especially with the right wing already taking shots at Tory for him. 

I do genuinely feel that Tory has had a rough ride since his decision to enter public life. In the same breath much of it was his own doing. He lost a Mayor’s race in the final stretch when he was the one to bet on, became Leader of the Opposition, was set to become Premier until he gave McGuinty an incredible political two-by-four to finish him off with, while Wynne did her part to defend her seat in the legislature. Tory is running in his third riding in four years, he has lost two of three elections (three of four if we count Premier separately from Don Valley West) he as run in, and is giving the impression the people of Ontario some how owe him something because he wants to serve.

There are a lot of people who like John Tory seek public office to make a difference. But unlike John Tory, most unsuccessful candidates rest with the knowledge that voters tend to have a more enlightened view of the big picture than their often given credit for. They also put some actual work into it and don’t just show up, and look stunned when it doesn’t work out. The people of Ontario and Tory’s chosen riding rejected John Tory in election night 2007, just the like the people of Toronto did on election night in 2003, and now the people of Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock are in the process of losing a popular local voice and being given the choice between a carpetbagger from Toronto who probably couldn’t find Lindsay on a map before convincing Scott to trade her seat for a job with the party to allow him to run, or a strong local candidate who represents a party they did not elect last time but now may be forced to take a stronger look at. 

The Liberals have been doing a decent job in running the province, Rick Johnson seems to have the resume and background of the kind of guy you’d want representing you, especially in a riding like this that does how it’s own unique character. John Tory will be in for a fight, a fight of his choosing and one that I anticipate will do some serious damage to his reputation regardless of outcome. If Tory loses, his show is over and his party will be in some serious difficulty. If he wins, the people of Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock will lose their voice in the legislature and trade a hard working local MPP for a guy who frankly loses more fights than he wins and has no plans to do anything for the people whose representation he is taking away to get him a front row seat in the Legislature.  

I know I will be watching closely to see what voters do. My hope is that Rick Johnson and the Liberal Party of Ontario actually fight like hell for this seat, and recognize that what Tory and the Progressive Conservatives did was so wrong, if Tory is defeated the party will hopefully at least recognize that voters have a right to representation and there is few things in politics more disgusting than an individual or party trying to take advantage of a community like this. 

Tags: Bi-election, By-Election, Carpet Bagger, Carpetbagging, Green Party of Ontario, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, John Tory, Laurie Scott, Laurie Scott Resigning, Liberal Party of Ontario, Mike Schreiner, NDP Ontario, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, Reform Party of Ontario, Rick Johnson