When The Loser is Really a Winner, according to one pundit.

By Ray Rivers

BURLINGTON, ON.  August 9, 2013.  She only held onto two of the five former Liberal ridings in the Aug 1st by-elections, but I’d have to say Kathleen Wynn was the big winner.  By-elections often go the other way for a governing party, especially after a ten year stretch in office.  And given the smell around the cancelled gas plants and a couple of other legacy issues, she did better than I expected.  The NDP’s Andrea Howarth picked up a couple of seats, no doubt reflective of her party having constructively worked with the minority Liberals to deliver a better budget this year. 

There are many who believe the Conservative win in Etobicoke was a personal win for Doug Holyday and not a win for the party.

And the big loser was Tim Hudak.  Yes, Doug Holyday took Etobicoke-Lakeshore in a no-surprise victory for the popular former mayor, but Holyday won despite, rather than because of, Hudak.  The knives are coming out among the Conservative faithful, tired of Hudak and his Tea Party political platform.  After eight years of Mike Harris Ontario residents are not going to buy that extremist right-wing snake oil again.  And electors don’t have much time for obstructionist and uncooperative leaders, as US Republicans will likely find out in congressional races next year.

A few weeks ago I did an article on legalizing marijuana; that subject is in the news – again.   I had criticized the policies of further criminalizing (2006) and requiring mandatory sentences (2012).  And I provided a link to a YouTube clip showing our PM gob-smacked, unable to coherently explain his reincarnation of this failed policy.  Then Justin Trudeau promised, only a few days ago, to legalize ‘the weed’, confirming a policy endorsed by his party last year, if his third-placed Liberals could form the next government. 

Besides Harper there are others who disagree with legalization.  The NDP’s Mr Mulcair, is only promising decriminalization, if he makes PM, though I’ll bet some of his younger caucus members would go further.  And the Toronto Star columnist Rosie Dimanno argues that legalizing cannabis would be a stupid idea, in an article full of inconsistencies, thus giving the word dope a whole new meaning.  OK, maybe it’s just reefer madness, and she does make a good point about the Mexican model of decriminalizing small quantities of all recreational drugs.

Presumably Harper’s drug policy is about public safety.  But how safe are we in other ways?  What about the floods that hit Alberta and Toronto – and the hurt that, after all this time, is still ongoing in High River?  What about the railway disaster at Lac-Mégantic when we realize that this could have happened to any number of other railway towns?  And what about the two sleeping children, discovered asphyxiated by an exotic African snake, kept illegally above a pet shop in New Brunswick?  With all we have learned about the dangers of introducing exotic species, why did our federal government allow someone to bring this snake into the country?

A one year minimum mandatory sentence for possessing six marijuana plants seems a  severe punishment, hardly fitting that insignificant crime.  Yet, what should be the punishment for a reckless federal minister who made the fateful decision to allow the MMA railway to run with a single operator, knowing full well that the train would have to be unattended at night, while he slept?  Talk about a teflon-coated government.

And finally, there is the threat of global climate change.  It’s true that the PM can’t stop the progress of climate change – it has been developing for far too long and Canada is not a huge emitter of global greenhouse gases (GHG) anyway.  But we are vulnerable because of our geography, and we need to plan how to deal with the next big event. 

It is incumbent on our political leaders to do more than hide from reality, like the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand.  Stephen Harper needs to put his ideology behind him and have an honest conversation with Canadians about our future climate challenges, and what he is doing to help us adapt to them.  And, further, he needs to take steps to restore Canada’s one-time leadership on this issue by promoting global GHG reduction initiatives and embracing home-grown local action – the way the government he replaced was, at least, trying to do.

Ontario has shown national leadership by significantly reducing its greenhouse gas emissions over the last decade.  Perhaps that is one of the reasons that enough voters were attracted to the provincial Liberals on August 1st, and an electoral wipe-out was avoided.  This could be a winning issue for Mr. Harper as well.  It’s better late than never.

Editors note:  We think our columnist may be stretching a bit here.  He is one opinion – there are others.

Ray Rivers was born in Ontario; earned an economics degree at the University of Western Ontario.  He taught in New Zealand and earned a Master’s degree in economics at the University of Ottawa.  His 25 year stint with the federal government included time with Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Agriculture and the Post office. Rivers left the federal government to consult for private sector and government clients.  He completed his first historical novel The End of September in 2012; a story about what might have happened had Quebecers voted for sovereignty association in the 1980 referendum.  Rivers is active with ratepayers groups, a food bank, environmental organizations, community journalism and policing.  He has run for municipal and provincial government offices and  held executive positions with Liberal Party  riding associations.  He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party.