Hudak's 2011 Prospects Looking Good...

I think there are going to be a lot more Liberal resignations coming before the end of the year.

George Smitherman and Jim Watson are just the beginning (I'm not going to count Michael Bryant because that was almost a year ago). As Election 2011 approaches, the prospects for another Liberal government are diminishing and the PCs are going to capitalize on every misstep.

The Liberals are burdened by a mountain of growing scandal, mismanagement, and tremendous tax hikes. Here's a short list:

• HST (don't get me started!)


• e-Health (David Kaplan presiding, but involving George Smitherman)


• OLG (David Kaplan)


• March Madness Cultural Lottery Giveaway (remember the $1.5M photo opp for a cricket club that only asked for $150,000?)


• Health Tax (after signing a symbolic contract for the Taxpayer's Federation not to raise taxes, he called this a 'levy')


• Generous Public Sector wage and benefit hikes so he could avoid further 'crisis' in health and education (isn't McGuinty's wife a teacher?)

Today’s resignation is further evidence that even Dalton McGuinty’s ministers have grown tired of defending his tax grabs, reckless spending and runaway deficits. How many more ministers are going to end up abandoning this scandal-plagued administration?
-- Tim Hudak, Leader of the Ontario PC Party

Liberal MPPs are worried about what will happen in 2011. Some may decide to 'retire' early and avoid the humiliation of a defeat they know may be a foregone conclusion, especially for those in swing ridings. The acid test will be whether McGuinty himself passes the torch, which I think he will before December, 2010. If he does, then Kathleen Wynne may be in the leadership chair come October 2011.

Below is a copy of a release from the PC Caucus:

For immediate release:
January 12, 2009

ANOTHER LIBERAL CABINET MINISTER ABANDONS SCANDAL-PLAGUED McGUINTY GOVERNMENT

Another senior Liberal cabinet minister has chosen to abandon the McGuinty Liberal caucus and instead seek municipal office with the resignation of Jim Watson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and MPP for Ottawa West - Nepean

Watson is the second high profile Liberal minister to resign from Dalton McGuinty’s cabinet in as many weeks. Last week, former Deputy Premier George Smitherman – who was heavily implicated in the eHealth Ontario scandal – resigned as the MPP for Toronto Centre.

Watson’s and Smitherman’s resignations come on the heels of the resignation of former Attorney General and MPP Michael Bryant, who quit the McGuinty cabinet on May 25th, 2009.

The resignations of these high-profile ministers clearly demonstrate how the rot of entitlement and waste has spread across the Liberal government. Even the most senior ministers in Dalton McGuinty’s cabinet have grown tired of defending his record of reckless spending, runaway deficits and higher taxes, including the upcoming $ 3 billion HST tax grab.

Today’s resignation is further evidence that even Dalton McGuinty’s ministers have grown tired of defending his tax grabs, reckless spending and runaway deficits. How many more ministers are going to end up abandoning this scandal-plagued administration? ”

-- Tim Hudak, Leader of the Ontario PC Party

It saves money to hold two by elections at the same time and it is no secret that Jim Watson has been eyeing the Ottawa Mayor’s chair. Dalton McGuinty should have demanded that Watson make his decision known before calling a by election to replace George Smitherman. Even in quitting, the McGuinty Liberals still find ways to waste our tax dollars.”

-- Lisa MacLeod, MPP Nepean-Carleton