Last autumn, Ontarians cast their ballots in a rather mediocre election. Faced with a choice between three uninspiring leaders heading three tired parties, voters returned the incumbent Liberals to Queen’s Park one seat shy of a majority. During and since the campaign, none of the leaders, including Premier Dalton McGuinty, have proven themselves to be up to the task of guiding the province through tough times. The Liberal cabinet is especially weak due to the loss in recent years of heavyweights (and not incidentally, potential challengers to McGuinty), like former attorney general Michael Bryant and former health minister George Smitherman.
The problem with Ontario politics is not just a lack of leadership, but also a lack of political creativity. The Liberals have initiated a number of admirable policies while in office, including a grant program designed to reduce tuition fees by a third for most of Ontario’s college and university students. However, they have shown remarkably little audacity in the way they approach the challenges faced by the province. The serious issues facing Ontario are many, ranging from ballooning education and health and social care spending, to mounting economic concerns — not to mention climate change.
In Quebec, similar challenges have spurred the formation of a new political party, ‘La Coalition Avenir Quebec’ (the “Coalition for the Future of Quebec”). The Coalition has built a broad base of support across the political spectrum and has advocated significant changes to the way the Quebec government is run in order to meet these challenges. While the party’s policies will surely not be met with universal acclaim, the Coalition’s problem-focused approach is refreshingly creative. It remains to be seen whether the Coalition will manage to navigate the stormy waters of Quebec politics and succeed.
Likewise, in Vancouver, which has municipal political parties, the party of Mayor Gregor Robertson, Vision Vancouver, is adopting a similar approach. While Vision is considered to be significantly more left-wing than La Coalition Avenir Quebec, it has also pursued a creative path to solving the tough problems facing Vancouver. Vision has achieved remarkable successes in pursuing sustainable policies, while minimizing political discord and keeping Vancouver’s fiscal house in order. Vision’s successes in Vancouver have led some to speculate that it might be time for the formation of a “Vision British Columbia” party.
[pullquote]There is a desperate need for a new kind of politics attuned to the difficult economics of the day, but bold enough to pursue real solutions to real problems.[/pullquote]
Ontario’s political system makes it unlikely that a new party along the lines of La Coalition Avenir du Québec or Vision Vancouver will be formed. In the nearly 150 years since Confederation, government in Ontario has alternated between the Conservatives (known as the Progressive Conservatives since 1942) and the Liberals with only two exceptions: the United Farmers-Labour coalition between 1919 and 1923, and the New Democrats under now federal Liberal leader Bob Rae from 1990 to 1995. While a third party might challenge the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives in the future, the historical trend makes it likely that if anyone will come up with creative solutions to Ontario’s problems, they will do so within the two major parties.
Fortunately, there is a history of political creativity in Ontario, especially among the Progressive Conservatives, who formed governments between 1943 and 1985. Progressive Conservative premiers Leslie Frost, John Robarts, and Bill Davis all had a significant hand in making modern Ontario and mostly in ways that have little to do with what the term “conservative” means today. They invested heavily in education and health care, modernized labour law, and created human rights protections. If Ontario is to overcome the serious challenges it faces, there is a great need for more political creativity of this sort.
There is a desperate need for a new kind of politics attuned to the difficult economics of the day, but bold enough to pursue real solutions to real problems. While it is always fashionable to complain about self-interested politicians, it is important that we not forget the costs of their doing so. If we let our leaders and their parties become too invested in perpetuating themselves ideologically that they’re rendered unable to do any good for the province, then we cannot expect much from them.
Perhaps it is time for a coalition for the future of Ontario. More likely than not, it would be found within the ranks of either the Liberals or the Progressive Conservatives, but it is possible that it will be the New Democrats or another party still that will take up the mantle. The list of challenges facing Ontario is long, and the stakes are great. The questions concern the future welfare of the province. Yet without audacity and creativity, it is unlikely that our leaders will be able to take on these problems before it is too late.
