Their lips are moving, hold on to your wallet!
13/09/07 11:15 AM
We are in the throes of an election here in Ontario, and the talking bags of wind are in full throttle, throwing out equal parts of empty promises, ephemeral bags of money and damning accusations in a non-stop orgy of campaigning.
Dalton McGuinty, Liar in Chief of the Liberals, is saying, “ I mean it this time”, “ I am not lying to you now”, over and over hoping that it will catch on and sound like a sincere statement. Not working.
John Tory, who was cruising along towards at least a major role in a minority government or at best, a real shot at becoming Premier, decided that he really did not want to win and announced, a week before the writ, that his government would open up for question and funding the one issue that energizes the old Orange Order base of the Ontario Conservative party, funding for the (Catholic) Separate School System.
Tory has tried to make this all about “inclusiveness” and “fairness”, normally coveted Liberal buzz words, by saying that his plan is to allow government funding for ALL faith based education systems in the Province. He is of course, trying desperately to separate Mr. McGuinty from his cricket playing constituency, the Black Hat Orthodox Jewish voters and the overwhelmingly Liberal and growing like a weed, Chinese ethnic community.
All of these folks now think that if Tory is elected that they will get the same thing the “those Catholics” get, equal funding. They envision gleaming schools, with pools, libraries, and well equipped class rooms, all classes being taught in their native tongues with cafeterias full of nan, or rice or matzo served by properly kosher/ halal educated dietitians.
I see little yellow school buses cruising the neighborhoods, some of them with a Union Jack on the front, others with the Star of David, one over here with a Crescent symbol closely followed by a larger bus with a Papal blue flag flying.
On the corners, flocks of children, all decked out in various uniforms waiting peacefully for their ride. Separated by little chain link barriers to make it easy for the drivers and to avoid anyone getting on the wrong bus. Perhaps the Catholic kids could all wear a large cross around their necks, the Jewish contingent could have little yellow stars on their sleeves. Separate pens for the female members of the hard core Jewish and Muslim sects who insist on such things of course.
Just a heavenly image of peaceful co-existence isn’t it?
Of course, it will never happen, and Tory knows this. His real purpose is to rally to his side all of those old line Tories who were calling for the head of retiring Premier Bill Davis when he extended funding to Catholic secondary schools in 1985. These voters expressed their outrage by staying home on election day and sinking the good ship PC being then captained by the plaid wearing used car salesman from Bracebridge, Mr. Frank Miller. Who was promptly defeated by NDP Bob Rae.
A Workers paradise ensued of course.
Tory has trotted out that very same Bill Davis as his point man on this file, and I am certain that all are convinced that good old Bill will “do the right thing” and recommend abolition of all funding for any schools other then the Public system.
Never mind that under the terms of the BNA negotiated in 1855, upon which our country was founded, Ontario and Quebec were bound to provide equal funding to both a Catholic and a Protestant (read Public) system in their respective provinces. Until 1985, the province of Ontario short changed the Catholic school system at every turn and the Conservative voting base begrudged every last nickel.
John Tory knows all of this, he worked for Bill Davis during that period, and he now seeks to ignite an argument that will force Dalton McGuinty who, as I have read countless times this past two weeks, is a “product of the Catholic School System whose wife is a teacher in that system” . Horror of horrors, the Papists are in charge of the government, where is King Billy when you need him?
All of this is a sickening and transparent bout of pandering of the very worst kind. A whole lot of people are going to be very disappointed and extremely angry when this is over no matter how the election turns out.
John Tory should be ashamed of this and he is not. I predict that there will be a whole lot of shame to spread around when this is over.
Mike Harris must be chuckling in his beer.
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