Ontario's main opposition parties feel they've found an important issue in the provincial election campaign, one that they can use to hammer away at Premier Dalton McGuinty and his Liberals. The issue is leadership.
Both the Conservatives and the NDP say McGuinty has failed the test of leadership because of broken promises over the past four years. Pollster John Wright agrees that's where the Liberals could be vulnerable on Oct. 10.
Wright believes leadership is critically important in today's election campaigns because parties focus their campaigns on the leaders. In this campaign, both the Conservatives and the NDP appear to sense an opportunity.
Conservative Leader John Tory's campaign theme is "Leadership Matters" and NDP leader Howard Hampton says McGuinty just can't be trusted. "McGuinty promised all kinds of things, but failed to deliver on most of them," said Hampton.
Wright, a pollster with IPSOS-Reid, says McGuinty could be hurt on this issue since the Liberal leader has never had good leadership numbers. In the last campaign, only 33 per cent of voters thought McGuinty would make the best leader.
"Dalton McGuinty has low expectations. Even against (former Conservative leader) Ernie Eves, they were sitting at best … at about 33 per cent each," said Wright.
For their part the Liberals are trying to reshape the debate. McGuinty says leadership should be about what his government has accomplished. "When it comes to the federal government, think of the historic inequities we were able to address, all the other premiers talked about it," said McGuinty. "We got the job done."
Wright thinks the Liberal tactic might succeed. He says it's not just the public image that's important, but also what leaders stand for and what issues they support.
Ontario Votes 2007 »
- McGuinty wins massive majority, Tory loses seat
- Dalton McGuinty won a second majority government for the Liberals in Ontario on Wednesday night, a triumph for a party that earlier expressed fears of a drop to minority status.
- Ontario rejects electoral reform in referendum
- Ontario voters have rejected a proposed electoral reform that would have seen some provincial legislators chosen based on a party's share of the popular vote, results showed Thursday.
- Ontario voter turnout a record low
- The percentage of eligible voters casting ballots in Wednesday's Ontario election hit an all-time low despite changes introduced in an effort to boost turnout.
- Ont. Green party scores 8 per cent of vote
- No Green party candidates made it to the Ontario legislature in Wednesday's election, but that defeat was sweetened by a swell in their share of the popular vote, which more than doubled.
- McGuinty only leader not facing leadership questions
- Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty won re-election in Ottawa South and NDP Leader Howard Hampton again won his northern Ontario riding of Kenora-Rainy River. PC Leader John Tory was defeated.
District Profiles
More Ontario Votes Headlines »
- McGuinty wins massive majority, Tory loses seat
- Dalton McGuinty won a second majority government for the Liberals in Ontario on Wednesday night, a triumph for a party that earlier expressed fears of a drop to minority status.
- Ontario rejects electoral reform in referendum
- Ontario voters have rejected a proposed electoral reform that would have seen some provincial legislators chosen based on a party's share of the popular vote, results showed Thursday.
- Ontario voter turnout a record low
- The percentage of eligible voters casting ballots in Wednesday's Ontario election hit an all-time low despite changes introduced in an effort to boost turnout.
- Ont. Green party scores 8 per cent of vote
- No Green party candidates made it to the Ontario legislature in Wednesday's election, but that defeat was sweetened by a swell in their share of the popular vote, which more than doubled.
- McGuinty only leader not facing leadership questions
- Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty won re-election in Ottawa South and NDP Leader Howard Hampton again won his northern Ontario riding of Kenora-Rainy River. PC Leader John Tory was defeated.
