Bob Rae may have held office in Ontario under the New Democrat flag, but the former premier is voting for the Liberals on Oct. 10.
After his tenure as premier from 1990 to 1995, Rae left the public eye and the Ontario NDP, then joined the federal Liberals in 2003 and finished third in a leadership race in December 2006.
In a blog posting on his website, Rae said he is supporting Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty for what he calls the "positive and constructive tone" of his campaign.
His decision is based partly on the negativity of both Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory and NDP Leader Howard Hampton during their recent leaders' debate, he said.
Rae said they made McGuinty out to be the "greatest cad, liar and bounder in political memory" and their attacks outweighed their messages.
Rae added he is not backing Tory because public funding of private religious schools "is not a direction Ontarians want to take."
"The retreat to a free vote is just that, a retreat," added Rae.
As for the NDP, Rae said the party is determined to present itself as a party of opposition, not as a party that wants to govern.
"The result is an approach that is less than what it needs to be."
On Monday Ontario NDP Leader Howard Hampton was asked about Rae's support of the Liberals, and said the former NDP premier is now a Liberal.
"What do you expect from a Liberal?"
"There are those of us who worked with Bob Rae who never thought he was a New Democrat," Hampton said at a campaign stop in Oshawa.
Sid Ryan, the former CUPE Ontario president and now running for the NDP in Oshawa, chimed in at the campaign event.
"I can attest to that … Bob Rae was never an NDPer."
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.
