[ttk77]

I don't think people will necessarily vote NDP because the Liberals cut library funding for TO and what they would do in their place - the danger for them is more these little things tick their supporters off enough to make them stay home.

AoD

Exactly. It's not the library cuts themselves, but it could it could turn into a death by a thousand cuts situation if they continue this approach with Toronto in other areas.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Exactly. It's not the library cuts themselves, but it could it could turn into a death by a thousand cuts situation if they continue this approach with Toronto in other areas.

Toronto "bashing" (if that in this case - the amount of funding involved sounds like a bureaucratic trump change than concerted political effort to punish the city) on behalf of rural Ontario may actually be a popular thing - and to be perfectly honest, I suspect rural Ontario probably need the library support more. Unlike social housing, this is something the city can fund themselves - 1 million plus can be made up with city budget - so why not start there? I mean, how much financial support has the city added over the last few years?

AoD

 

[ttk77]

It's more about the symbolism than the cuts themselves. The amount actually saved or lost seems to matter little when it comes to opinion.

 

[Cobra]

It's more about the symbolism than the cuts themselves. The amount actually saved or lost seems to matter little when it comes to opinion.

Exaclty. Like Alvino said, what's $1M to the city, let alone the province?

Surely the province could have wait post 2018 election, but it's deliberate to further antagonize Toronto as a "crybaby and complainer" to the rest of the province while the Premier portrays herself as "standing up" to Toronto. It's politics and perception is everything in politics. They must not be convinced that the PC will get the Toronto seats so they are going after rural Ontario and the 905. Still a risky strategy

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Exaclty. Like Alvino said, what's $1M to the city, let alone the province?

Surely the province could have wait post 2018 election, but it's deliberate to further antagonize Toronto as a "crybaby and complainer" to the rest of the province while the Premier portrays herself as "standing up" to Toronto. It's politics and perception is everything in politics. They must not be convinced that the PC will get the Toronto seats so they are going after rural Ontario and the 905. Still a risky strategy

I am not convinced it is this cut is a deliberate move to shore up their "anti-Toronto" cred (like wee, let's punish Toronto by not giving them 1M because rural literacy! sounds awfully weak) vs. a bureaucratic policy choice that didn't percolate high up enough the food chain to ring alarm bells.

AoD

 

[Cobra]

I am not convinced it is this cut is a deliberate move to shore up their "anti-Toronto" cred (like wee, let's punish Toronto by not giving them 1M because rural literacy! sounds awfully weak) vs. a bureaucratic policy choice that didn't percolate high up enough the food chain to ring alarm bells.

AoD

But you have to admit that the timing is odd over such a low amount. I'm not saying the goal is to punish Toronto, but to control the narrative and portrait themselves as "Ontario's defenders against greedy and crybaby Toronto". They clearly take the city for granted by doing that and are clearly aiming at scoring points against the PC in ridings that actually think we're nothing but freeloaders and crybabies who always wants more. It won't be enough because people are too pissed over hydro costs and I don't think the rebates will make a difference in rural Ontario. Liberals are aiming for suburban Ontario while taking Toronto and Ottawa for granted.

At the same time, the PC can't imitate Wynne since they finally understand that without Toronto, they don't stand a chance. Knowing their "very conservative fiscal policies", the gamble is that even if the PC miraculously transform themselves into "Toronto's champions", they would have little to offer since they are unlikely to give Toronto what it needs to win it over. (except Scarborough ). So they are stuck being empty with having little to proposed or the same old solutions to newer challenges in their attempt at pleasing everyone, which nowadays, is a terrible tactic...ask Mulcair or even Hilary Clinton.

Only the NDP can be viewed as credible as Toronto's champions but if they were smarter, they'd expand that to be urbanites & younger generation's champion, taking a page in the Federal Liberals page. Are they going to pull it off? I doubt it, Horwath isn't the right leader for that, she needs to go, but the NDP would have the better opportunity in the next election.

Anyway I see it, the PC are in a very tough spot and only a true "Progressive-Conservative" could actually find a way to meet the liberals in the middle and shift priorities to creatively satisfy progressive voters while carrying out a more fiscal conservative agenda than the Liberals. But who are we kidding here, Patrick Brown IS NOT that man, so the PC won't win a majority.

My prediction from most likely to less likely:

1. Liberal Minority
   
2. PC Minority
3. NDP Minority

No majority.

 

[SJD_Toronto]

My prediction from most likely to less likely:

1. Liberal Minority
   
2. PC Minority
3. NDP Minority

No majority.

I disagree. I still think a PC Majority is a possibility, if not a PC Minority over another Liberal government. And in terms of Brown, when he was running for the PC leadership, the majority of people doubted he would win the leadership role; people assumed Christine Elliott had it in the bag. Not only did Brown managed to win the leadership, he won it in a landslide. The guy knows how to campaign effectively and he knowd how to put together a strong, organized campaign team. If Wynne does 4 campaign stops in a day, he'll do 6. If Horwath wants to campaign all over Ontario, he'll double his efforts to do the same. Can he win lots of Toronto seats? I don't know if he can win a lot of seats but my point is Brown is a very good, very effective campaigner who may surprise a lot of people next June.

My prediction:
1. PC Majority
2. PC Minority
3. Liberal Minority
4. NDP Minority

 

[jje1000]

Liberals got scared of the potential backlash in Toronto, I think.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Liberals got scared of the potential backlash in Toronto, I think.

It's her base the cut is pissing off.

AoD

 

[Amare]

Kathleen just doesnt get it; so she has no problem cutting library funding but she loves reimbursing teacher's unions for their expenses incurred for negotiating a new contract with the government.

Its clear she's out of touch with the budgetary needs of this province.

 

[christiesplits]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/unemployment-rate-ontario-1.4101255

Ontario's unemployment rate is now sitting at 5.8 per cent, the lowest it's been since January 2001, Statistics Canada reported Friday.

The monthly labour force survey puts Ontario's jobless rate well below the national average of 6.5 per cent, itself the lowest national unemployment rate since October 2008.

While the number sounds good, I question how many Ontarians would say they are in a good position. The sense of frustration and even anger is palpable - workers in SW Ontario losing manufacturing jobs, recent graduates who can't find good work and are stuck in part time retail or restaurant gigs, young families who can't afford even the most modest of homes, pensioners who can't afford their utility bills, and workers of all stripes increasingly facing short term and precarious employment.

 

[ttk77]

While the number sounds good, I question how many Ontarians would say they are in a good position. The sense of frustration and even anger is palpable - workers in SW Ontario losing manufacturing jobs, recent graduates who can't find good work and are stuck in part time retail or restaurant gigs, young families who can't afford even the most modest of homes, pensioners who can't afford their utility bills, and workers of all stripes increasingly facing short term and precarious employment.

If that's the case, then I think we need to change how we calculate our employment figures.

 

[Amare]

While the number sounds good, I question how many Ontarians would say they are in a good position. The sense of frustration and even anger is palpable - workers in SW Ontario losing manufacturing jobs, recent graduates who can't find good work and are stuck in part time retail or restaurant gigs, young families who can't afford even the most modest of homes, pensioners who can't afford their utility bills, and workers of all stripes increasingly facing short term and precarious employment.

I couldnt agree more. How about we get stats on how precarious work has increased since 2001 and then we can talk about the unemployment rate.

If you take the unemployment rate drop at face value, sure it looks good. But when you start digging into the numbers, it's not as rosy as it seems.

 

[gabe]

While the number sounds good, I question how many Ontarians would say they are in a good position. The sense of frustration and even anger is palpable - workers in SW Ontario losing manufacturing jobs, recent graduates who can't find good work and are stuck in part time retail or restaurant gigs, young families who can't afford even the most modest of homes, pensioners who can't afford their utility bills, and workers of all stripes increasingly facing short term and precarious employment.

I'm seeing more and more short term temp jobs. Seems no one hires direct anymore. I know it's a lot cheaper for companies to go through these temp agencies, so they don't have to pay benefits and such.

 

[jje1000]

Literally this isn't anecdote- it's been recorded:

Ontario’s economy is 2nd-worst for young people. But it’s the worst on 1 thing: study

Full-time earnings in Ontario for typical 25- to 34-year-olds in 2014 fell by $4,600 from the period of 1976 to 1980, the report noted.

That was less than than the drop of $8,440 in B.C. But it was still steeper than the national average decline of $4,020.

While full-time earnings fell for several age groups in B.C., in Ontario they were stable for 35- to 44-year-olds; they went up $2,100 for the typical 45- to 54-year-old; and jumped by $1,400 for typical people aged 45 to 64 years old.

But there is one metric related to incomes that was worse in Ontario than in any other province: earnings since 2003, the year that the Ontario Liberals took office under premier Dalton McGuinty.

Ontario is the only province where full-time earnings for 25- to 34-year-olds fell in that time, dropping by $2,700.

http://globalnews.ca/news/3360458/ontario-economy-young-people-generation-squeeze/

Study itself:

http://www.gensqueeze.ca/ontario_is_the_second_worst_economy_in_canada_for_younger_generations

And of course the 'gig economy' is just another (corporate) word for temp work/freelancing- it's fine as a way to supplement a main income, but less so if it's the main income.