Wynne Liberals not all bad
In all the excitement of Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party leadership race, one name has been repeated over and over and over: Kathleen Wynne.
While clambering for the leadership, candidates (including Patrick Brown when he briefly entered the race as his own replacement) agreed that after a winner was chosen, they would all get back to the business of taking down Kathleen Wynne. Caroline Mulroney used the term firing.
Vilifying the premier is a sound tactic seeing as Wynne’s popularity is already so low but it is difficult to understand why, in a political system that does not give a lot of power to one person, people may like Liberal policies but not the party leader, according to polls.
This tiny community is benefitting from a number of Liberal programs that seem to help those who need it most.
For example, since the beginning of this year, prescription drug coverage is available to anyone 24 and under who is covered by OHIP, through the OHIP+ or pharamcare program. This program did not get the props it deserved.
We read in the pages of this newspaper recently how provincial funds have been made available to extend early learning opportunities to children under six and their caregivers through the new EarlyON program, which also launched in January.
And then there is the work that has been done to address climate change, which is a priority for many people. We just recently covered ways that subsidies and infrastructure spending are encouraging people to drive electric vehicles, even in rural areas, not to mention other rebate programs for people who are making their homes more energy efficient.
Employees working minimum wage jobs are also experiencing a two-year phased in pay hike, topping off at $15 per hour next January.
Local students are learning a modernized sex education curriculum, which educates them on the different things they may encounter in their youth, including drugs and sexually transmitted diseases. It also addresses changing attitudes toward sexuality and gender. Anyone who believes that knowledge is power and children should be armed with information in order to make good choices will agree that kids these days are well equipped. If the curriculum is being followed, they will all head into adulthood on even footing.
On a lighter note, we can also thank the Liberals for being able to buy beer in grocery stores.
Still, Wynne is not well liked. The partial sale of Hydro One really sticks in people’s craw, some people feel it is simply time for a change and other analysis concludes that she isn’t personable.
It absolutely should be the goal of the Progressive Conservatives to want to oust the Liberals. That is at the foundation of party politics and there is no reason to believe that Simcoe-Grey will ever be anything but Progressive Conservative, and so be it. But hating on Wynne with such a nasty tone and constantly repeating her name may backfire by making some want to defend the work her government has done.
