My Letter To The Head Of Elections Ontario.

To; Chief Electoral Officer: Greg Essensa 
Deputy Chief Electoral Officer: Loren A. Wells

CC: Premier Kathleen Wynne, NDP leader Andrea Horwath, Interim PC leader Jim Wilson.
I, as many other people in the province of Ontario, am deeply disturbed by the news there are allegations of bribery thought to have taken place regarding the Ontario Liberal Party and it's appointment of former NDP MP Glenn Thibault as the Liberal candidate and subsequent winner in the ensuing vote. While news of this was troubling, that intensified when it was reported that you have in fact information to believe laws were broken, and that you have in fact sent the file to a federal prosecutor for investigation and the laying of charges against those involved.

 I would like to bring your attention to comments made by the Premier of Ontario on February 19th, 2015 during a media scrum that was televised on most local networks, During that question and answer session the premier fielded questions about the investigation, and stated that members of the opposition parties had approached her with an offer of resigning their seat as a sitting MPP in exchange for a government appointment that would result in a job position. Whether this statement was true in fact or just an attempt by the Premier to deflect away from possible charges and a new scandal involving her government emerging remains to be seen. In another televised interview on February 22th, the Premier again made these same allegations.  I request that you or those acting on your behalf investigate the televised statement made by the Premier, which in and of itself appears to show that violations involving both electoral and criminal law may have been breached.

 As the Premier of Ontario, the highest office held in this province, it is incumbent for the sitting Premier to address these statements made immediately upon request by your office. The Premier's statements have cast a dark cloud on the legislature, and by extension, the credibility and integrity of both the governing Ontario Liberal's and the entire political process.

                                                                      Yours Truly

                                                                       Paul Burling

Twas The Night Before A Kathleen Wynne Christmas

 Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even Chiarelli's mouth.
The pictures of Wynne were dripping with dew,
In hopes that more taxpayers she could screw.

Sid Ryan was nestled all snug in his bed,
While visions of union dues danced in his head.
While the christmas candles continued to burn
He thought of righties like Stephen Harper, he tossed and he turned.
And then Kathleen Wynne heard a knock on the door,
It was the public sector unions, demanding some more.
Away to the window she flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw them taxpayer cash.

While all this happened the opposition wanted to know
What about the billion dollar scandals, forget the damn snow.
That OPP investigation, we've been asking for days.
Who cares says the OPP, we got an eight percent raise.

So Kathleen Wynne smirked, thought she had it made,
Fitch said not so fast, another credit downgrade So Kathleen deflected, blamed her problems on the fed,
Refusing to acknowlegde, it laid in her own bed!

"More taxes! More fees! I want all your cash!
My new pension sheme will create a new stash!
You voted for me, thought I'd be good,
Forty three percent higher electricity!, you'd better burn wood"

So the Liberals put up turbineswith nary a care,
Free from enviromental laws, rural voters they did scare.
But Wynne doesn't care, says rural voters are sour,
It's Toronto voters who keep us Liberals in power.

And then, on Twitter, I read it right then
Another gas plant supbeona, it was happening again.
Ten thousand dollars, your money, your taxes,
Paid to a Liberal to erase emails, they hid damaging faxes.
The auditor general said the the Liberals were fools,
Chiarelli's comments proved that, man what tools.
Union head Smokey Thomas said Wynne was a liar,
And he was right, her pants are on fire.

So with Ontario a basket case, Wynne demands a meeting!
Harper says no, but John Tory I'll be greeting!
So realizing it's christmas and that again Harper said no,
She says "I need twelve billion dollars, and then I'll go.

So when you wake christmas morning, just remember though,
It's peak rate hours. regardless of snow.
And when the holidays are over, and it's all said and done,
Wynne will find a new tax, you might want to run!

Linda McQuaig Ramps Up Her War On Independant Thought.....

  Another day, another  editorial by uber left wing-nut Linda McQuaig over on  i-politics .McQuuaig regurgitates the talking points of the left, that the evil despicable  Stephen Harper is trying to stop independant thought, this time by forcing Canada Revenue Agency, an arms reach branch of the government no less, to audit the Canadian Center For Policy Alternatives. In McQuaig's socialist-addled mind, CRA auditing a think-tank she agrees with must be something nefarious by that Harper dude. Forget the fact CRA audits are routine procedure for think tanks. And forget the fact CCPA was audited twice before under the previous governments of Mulroney and Chretien (McQuaig did). Oh, she makes a flippant remark about how those were "routine audits" and this one has lasted 11 months, never mentioning the first audit under Mulroney lasted in parts of 1989 and 1990.

 And ignore the fact McQuaig dredges up the Fraser Institute as if it gives her argument validity, imaginary though it may be. She cries that the Fraser Institute gets media coverage for it's yearly Tax Freedom day, proving that shows ties between the institute and Harper, while never mentioning the fact the CCAP gets the exact same coverage for it's yearly Alternative Federal Budget, which by the way is simply talking points of the NDP. So now let's take a look at something McQuaig never mentions, nor do any of those accusing the government of using CRA as muscle against organizations that disagree with it's policy.

 I'm talking about this NEWS STORY FROM 1999. It deals with CRA auditing the Fraser Institute, the latest audit of several the right-wing institute was subjected too. In fact, you can pretty much just change the names Fraser Institute and CCAP in McQuaig's editorial and it's the same story. Something very telling in that 1999 story is this excerpt: "Revenue Canada’s 14-page set of written guidelines for think tanks notes that the Income Tax Act does not contain a definition of “charitable” or “charity”. The guidelines state that the courts have recognized four broad categories of charitable activities: relieving poverty, advancing education, advancing religion, and providing certain other benefits to the community, such as hospitals, public parks, or homes for the elderly.

 Notice that part I underlined about "relieving poverty". That's important. Most on the left have complained Oxfam was warned it's goal can't be to end poverty, it must be to relieve poverty. That's right. The courts ruled this almost a decade before Stephen Harper became PM. Yet those on the left, including politicians and media have tried to intimate this is another example of Harper's heavy hand.

 In regards to McQuaig's editorial, she completely overlooks the fact CRA stated that this audit was partially a result of the previous audits done under Mulroney and Chretien goverments. She is also oblivious to the fact the Fraser Institutes main focus is on taxes, business and the economy, while CCAP pushes changes to government policy, again with a left-wing bend, while criticising the current Conservative government. And that my friends, is the key to the CRA audit. Read this quote from the 1999 article, and tell me how it relates to the Canadian Center For Policy Alternatives.

"Revenue Canada’s written guidelines for think tanks state that “political activities must remain ancillary and incidental and cannot rise to the level of an objective”. According to the guidelines, registered-charity status may be prevented if “the organization’s efforts to influence politicians, bureaucrats, media and public on political matters are a constant, integral and inseparable aspect of its mission”.

 This, in a nutshell is why I blog. The McQuaig's, Wynne's, Trudeau's, who all try to get partisan sound bites to draw votes from those who pay little attention to politics. If ignorance is bliss, McQuaig has enough  bliss for every person in Canada.

2015 Federal Election To Be Like None Ever Seen Before...

 With the Canadian federal election now just a little more than a year away, it's already shaping up to be unprecedented in the way any federal election has been played out before it. First up will be ongoing attacks from both public and private sector unions, such as OFL and Unifor, headed by Sid Ryan and Jerry Dias respectively. The heads of all the major unions appear intent in spending millions on attack ads directed at PM Harper and his Conservative candidates in next years election. Forget the fact the Conservative Party is probably the best choice for their members, including policy of finance and debt, the economy, taxation, and trade that opens up new markets across the globe. We've already laid witness to the Ontario election of 2014 where unions openly and viciously attacked PC leader Tim Hudak and PC candidates across the province. More puzzling is the fact they endorsed the Liberal Party led by Kathleen Wynne, whose party has ramped up taxes, user fees, electricity costs, doubled the debt, while at the same time rewarding those same union members in the private sector with lost jobs, crippling hydro bills, and user fees such as license plate renewal that has almost doubled.  The only saving grace for Conservatives is there are actual rules in place capping the amount spent on third party advertising by Elections Canada. Of course unions are more than willing to break both election and municipal rules to get their chosen Liberal leader into power. The illegal signs posted by the Working Families Coalition a perfect example.

 The second part of the 2015 election will be the media's support of Justin Trudeau and hate for anything Stephen Harper or Conservative. Let's be honest, just like Tim Hudak in Ontario, whoever was leader of the federal Conservative Party would be a target of the media. Oh, the media will try and say it's just paranoia by the PM and Conservative supporters, but when you read editorials like the CP's Joan Bryden trying to lay blame for one of Justin Trudeau's chosen star candidates saying the IDF fired indiscriminately at women and children in Gaza at the Tories, while never even taking a micro-second to ask for Trudeau's comments on those outrageous comments, well, if the media says they are non-partisan then they must all get together and ride their magical unicorns after work everyday, cause, in a word, that's just pure fantasy on their part.

 Of course that's just the latest example. We've seen Trudeau state budgets balance themselves, been called a "bozo" by a long term Liberal MP (again twisted by the media to be the Conservative's fault), seen Trudeau campaign in a mosque who donated to Hamas. We've seen Liberal and NDP MP's found to have broken election laws regarding robocalls, with the media again downplaying the fact they were actually found to have broken laws in one sentence, then writing paragraph after paragraph about supposed robocalls made across Canada by Conservatives, despite the judge's decision in the Michael Sona conviction. We have more of the same, mocking Stephen Harper as a control freak, while praising Justin Trudeau for dictating candidates views on abortion, ignoring the fact he boasts of open nominations, while at the same time rigging riding associations to get his chosen candidate named, which has even resulted in Trudeau facing a lawsuit.

 We've seen Trudeau repay money for improper expenses in regards to a limo ride for one of his speaking engagements, with that same "non-partisan" media, the ones who actually even reported it, saying it was no big deal, just an honest mistake. You know, the same ones who wrote endlessly about Bev Oda's $16 orange juice. We've laid witness to relentless attacks about Rob Ford's addictions. How many people know Liberal MP John McCallum, while serving as a cabinet minister, was denied entry onto an airplane becase he was to drunk? Not very many, as it wasn't deemed newsworthy by many in the media. Then again, McCallum was also caught lying about where his car was built at a campaign stop, insisting his car was North American built, when he knew it wasn't. But hey, not newsworthy, right guys.

 Perhaps the most glaring example of lack of media covering for a Liberal was the COURT DECISION on favor of Francois Beaudoin, who won a lawsuit against the government where the judge ruled he was the victim of attacks from Jean Chretien cronies, trying to ruin him both financially and emotionally, due to the fact he outed Chretien's lie that he never contacted the BDC for that infamous Shawinigate loan, the one that ultimately defaulted, sticking taxpayers with the loss. Try googling this subject. Either the internet has been cleansed or the majority of media just never wanted to report on it.

 In respect to everything written above, the re-election of Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party will certainly face attacks from both unions and media never seen before in a federal election. The 2014 Ontario election will be used as a template to get their chosen one, Justin Trudeau, into 24 Sussex to continue the destruction implemented by his father decades before. And while I begrudgingly admit Pierre Elliot Trudeau did have a natural charisma, Justin's is store bought. Where his father thought and believed in his vision, Justin's is store bought, or rather media paid for. Conservatives across the country need to rally against this attack on democracy, before Justin Trudeau follows the lead of the Ontario Liberals, making Canada a have-not Country much like McGuinty/Wynne have done to Ontario.

Catch Me On Sun TV Today

 I will be appearing on Sun TV's Straight Talk with Alex Pierson during the 10 AM segment to discuss the future of the Ontario PC Party, failed policies from the June election, and possible leadership aspirations.

2014 Ontario Election Proves Hudak PC's Were Not An Effective & Acceptable Change Of Government Option

 With the 2014 election campaign, with dreams of optimism for Ontario's future now relegated to a nightmare set to last 4 more years under the Kathleen Wynne led Liberals, the talking point that governments need an effective opposition is now becoming painfully clear. And in my opinion, not withstanding the 100,000 job cuts debacle from the PC platform, it is the main reason Kathleen Wynne is premier, Tim Hudak has resigned as PC leader, and PC supporters are now focusing on the new future leader, whoever that may be. Stephen Harper ousted the Liberal Party of Chretien/Martin, who had ruled from 1993 through 2006, by making himself and the Conservative Party of Canada look like a party voters could see as ready for office.

 Reflecting back now on both the 2011 and 2014 Ontario elections, I just don't see Tim Hudak and his party ever having put in place this strategy, which I think directly reflects in the final results of the most recent election. The million jobs pln was a nice slogan, but it's not something I would have run on as the main plank in my campaign. Yes, jobs are a hugely important issue. However, in my opinion, the issues Ontario voters have been dealing with since Dalton McGuinty first got into office on a lie of no new taxes is being able to afford to live in the province. Every Ontario taxpayer feels the effects of McGuinty's "Ontario Health Levy". Given that most Ontario voters had just done their income taxes this tax would have been fresh in their minds. But I don't ever remember neither Hudak nor Horwath even give passing mention to this tax, which did absolutely nothing for Ontario health care, instead going into general revenues for Liberal boondoggles like ORNGE, E-Health, OLG, Green Energy scams, etc. The tax takes in roughly $3 billion per year, so McGuinty/Wynne's grand take so far is in excess of $33 billion. And yet somehow they still managed to add nearly $160 billion onto the provinces debt.

 Another issue would be the implementation of the HST. Can't say as I remember any PC press releases mentioning the fact roughly 11 cents of every litre of gas was due to the Liberal HST being added. Given sky-high gas prices, the fact Hudak never attacked Wynne on this leaves my mind boggled and confused. Nor did he hammer home the cost of the HST to taxpayers on their home heating and electricity costs. Promising to remove these taxes would have been far more effective than the 10% reduction in personal income taxes, especially given the fact McGuinty has forever tarnished voters minds of tax promises with his repeated lies. Also, given a 40 day campaign, if he led off Day 1 of the campaign with this promise, and reiterated it every day, chances are almost every Ontario voter would have received either a heating or electricity bill during the 40 days of the campaign, giving them a taste of the virtual reality the HST has on them and their families.

 Finally, the number one issue of the election should have been electricity costs. The 42% increase in electricity costs affects both taxpayers, as well as small, medium, and big business. Given the scandal of the gas plants, the fact the PC war room thought the million jobs plan should be the almost entire focus of the campaign speaks volumes of the incompetence of those crafting election strategy, and the reason I call for every person involved to either resign or be fired.  Given the fact seniors and retirees are greatly feeling the effects of Liberal energy policies more than most, and given the fact they are the most reliable demographic to actually turn out and vote, not making this the focal point is, in my opinion, as stupid as stupid gets.

 So with all I have written here in mind, I've decided I might be ready to actually step into politics, either as a PC nomination candidate in the next Ontario election, or once given the financing rules for the leadership of the PC Party of Ontario. While I would be the longest shot of anyone entering the race for PC leader, I think it would be a worthwhile effort to have my voice heard, as well as many who comment here, on both the future of the party as well as future of the province. And being a lifetime union member, I would welcome any personal attacks by the Working Families Coalition that would result in face to face live debates where I could rather easily show Ontario voters how corrupt the upper echelons of many of the major unions have become.  And also show Ontario voters there is a road back to the prosperity once enjoyed by the former greatest province in Canada.

The Campaign Platform Tim Hudak Should Have Ran On....

 With some days now passed since the Epic Fail by the PCPO in the 2014 election, it's glaringly obvious what went wrong, and the reason Kathleen Wynne's Liberals now have majority government. Let me state for the record I think Tim Hudak is a decent guy, but probably not leadership material. There have been many other political leaders who have had distinguished careers, only to feel the wrath of voters as they are unable to appeal to the masses. Preston Manning, Michael Ignatieff, Stockwell Day and Preston Manning are the most recent examples.

Hudak's biggest failure was his 100,000 job cuts mantra. Notice I said cuts? That's because that's what every attack ad stated, regardless if they were to be done through attrition. This was met by candidates and canvassers every day throughout the campaign. At the door, on the phone, via email and text, at local debates, that was what gave Wynne her majority. The other part of the failure was the fact that during a 40-day campaign, Hudak and his war room continued to run this as their main campaign plank. Not really smart politics. When they are bashing you over the head with a bat, why keep giving them a heavier bat?

 In my opinion, this election was easily winnable, with a PC majority a very real possibility. During the campaign I did a BLOG POST in the form of advice to Hudak and the war room that was basically ignored while sticking with the million jobs, 100,000 cuts mantra. I received more positive comments on this one blog post  than any I had ever done in the past, including one of my FIRST BLOGPOSTS way back in 2009 challenging the CAW and their refusal to accept concessions to gain government bail-outs to keep Canadian Chrysler and GM workers jobs from being lost. The pressure put on the CAW made them accept those concessions, saving thousands of Canadian jobs in the process.

 Given the Liberal's record of governing since 2003, there was a virtual Pandora's Box of botched government decisions combined with scandal that should have been enough for the PC campaign team to put together a cohesive and effective platform that would have been a resounding success in voters minds. And here it is:

• Removal of HST on heating and electricity bills (rather than a 10% personal income tax cut, connects much easier with voters)
• Elimination of Drive Clean (promised by Hudak and well received by voters)
• Improving the youth unemployment crisis (which should have been announced hand in hand wth CoT elimination. Instead CoT was another union rallying cry)
• Slowing of public sector hiring ( sounds a lot nicer than 100,000 job cuts, no?)
• Convening a round table of the heads of the auto manufacturers together with reps from Unifor on what can be done to get auto sector back to pre 2003 levels. ( takes any attacks from Unifor off the table, and also puts them in the position of either fighting against good paying union jobs or supporting Working Families Coalition)
• A jobs plan that mentions increase in hiring, noting average yearly jobs created prior to 2003 and the average in 11 years of McGuinty/Wynne. (rather than sticking the 1 million number on it, which might as well have been a bullseye)
• Highlighting the scandals with the accumulated costs ($7+ billion )
• Reinstating physiotherapy, eye exams and chiropractor care (in conjunction with a balanced budget, which would have left Wynne vulnerable on two fronts)

 The fact is given the Liberals record of doubled debt and ongoing massive deficits, combined with Ontario voters outraged over sky-high electricity bills and youth unemployment near or at the top of Canada, a narrow direct and focused campaign was all that was needed for victory. Given that fact and the election results, it's time for the PC Party to do a massive purging of those involved in the campaign  platforms of this and the past 4 elections, as mistakes made have not led to lessons learned. Otherwise you might as well get used to Wynne and the Liberals chanting 4 more years all over again in 2018.