TORONTO—As Ontario’s provincial election nears, the Epoch Times sat down with Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak to get his thoughts on how the campaign is going and where he wants to take the province.
It’s been a busy few weeks, he said.
“It’s been a pretty intense schedule, travelling around the province, listening to people talk about the kind of change they want.”
Hudak is counting on that desire for change to propel his party from the opposition into government. It’s a word he mentions often, and the namesake of their platform, titled “changebook,” lowercase, just like the popular social network.
While the platform focuses on supporting families, trimming the budget, and cracking down on criminals, campaigns often become about the personalities and past positions of party leaders.
Although Hudak has been in cabinet before and has headed three different ministries, until the election, he didn’t have the kind of profile afforded to Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty. But he rejects the idea that the Liberals are defining him through attack ads before he has a chance to define himself, a campaign strategy the federal Conservatives employed to great effect against Stephane Dion and Michael Ignatieff.
“I don’t buy that, in fact I think it’s the opposite,” said Hudak.
He said his travels across the province, and message about “tax man” McGuinty are resonating with voters.
“What I think is people will face a pretty clear choice on October 6. Do you want four more years of Dalton McGuinty, who will raise your taxes, increase your hydro bills, and waste your money, or do you want a PC government who will give you relief, will stand up for families and play by the rules?”
The Liberals are trying to paint him as a social conservative out of touch with the province’s environmental inclinations, but Hudak said it is the Liberals who are out of touch.
“I worry that Ontario has lost its way, we’ve become a have-not province. The same job opportunities aren’t there.”
His top priority is to change that, he said, and make sure Ontario again creates opportunities for the people and businesses of the province by trimming the budget and reducing red tape.
While the Liberals are promoting the green tech sector and renewable energy as a future direction for the province, Hudak said voters are more concerned about the immediate rise in hydro bills and red tape that restricts business.
“Let’s let business owners concentrate on what they do best, creating jobs, promoting their product, investing as opposed to filling out more government forms.”
He’s expecting a big jump in interest after Labour Day, as families return from vacation and the October 6 election date becomes more tangible. He’s already seen a major change from when he was trying to get interest in his party’s position while opposing McGuinty at Queen’s Park.
“I used to call a press conference and one or two people would show up ... now it is quite the opposite, larger groups of media, bigger crowds. It’s very exciting, it shows hard work pays off.”
For Toronto voters, the province’s relationship to the city is also critically important. Earlier that same day, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was also in Queen’s Park, asking McGuinty for more money to help the city cope with a projected $774 million budget shortfall.
Hudak didn’t have a specific position on that issue, but promised a PC government would improve relations with municipalities.
“We are going to restore more local decision making. Secondly, we are going to make sure every municipality gets a share of gas tax revenue.”
They will be able to choose how they spend it, whether it be bridges or highways, as opposed to current requirements it all be spent on transit, said Hudak. At the moment, only 90 of Ontario’s approximate 300 municipalities get a share of the tax, he added.
Polls have the party in a very close race with the Liberals although the election is in its early stages.
It’s been a busy few weeks, he said.
“It’s been a pretty intense schedule, travelling around the province, listening to people talk about the kind of change they want.”
Hudak is counting on that desire for change to propel his party from the opposition into government. It’s a word he mentions often, and the namesake of their platform, titled “changebook,” lowercase, just like the popular social network.
While the platform focuses on supporting families, trimming the budget, and cracking down on criminals, campaigns often become about the personalities and past positions of party leaders.
Although Hudak has been in cabinet before and has headed three different ministries, until the election, he didn’t have the kind of profile afforded to Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty. But he rejects the idea that the Liberals are defining him through attack ads before he has a chance to define himself, a campaign strategy the federal Conservatives employed to great effect against Stephane Dion and Michael Ignatieff.
“I don’t buy that, in fact I think it’s the opposite,” said Hudak.
He said his travels across the province, and message about “tax man” McGuinty are resonating with voters.
“What I think is people will face a pretty clear choice on October 6. Do you want four more years of Dalton McGuinty, who will raise your taxes, increase your hydro bills, and waste your money, or do you want a PC government who will give you relief, will stand up for families and play by the rules?”
The Liberals are trying to paint him as a social conservative out of touch with the province’s environmental inclinations, but Hudak said it is the Liberals who are out of touch.
“I worry that Ontario has lost its way, we’ve become a have-not province. The same job opportunities aren’t there.”
His top priority is to change that, he said, and make sure Ontario again creates opportunities for the people and businesses of the province by trimming the budget and reducing red tape.
While the Liberals are promoting the green tech sector and renewable energy as a future direction for the province, Hudak said voters are more concerned about the immediate rise in hydro bills and red tape that restricts business.
“Let’s let business owners concentrate on what they do best, creating jobs, promoting their product, investing as opposed to filling out more government forms.”
He’s expecting a big jump in interest after Labour Day, as families return from vacation and the October 6 election date becomes more tangible. He’s already seen a major change from when he was trying to get interest in his party’s position while opposing McGuinty at Queen’s Park.
“I used to call a press conference and one or two people would show up ... now it is quite the opposite, larger groups of media, bigger crowds. It’s very exciting, it shows hard work pays off.”
For Toronto voters, the province’s relationship to the city is also critically important. Earlier that same day, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was also in Queen’s Park, asking McGuinty for more money to help the city cope with a projected $774 million budget shortfall.
Hudak didn’t have a specific position on that issue, but promised a PC government would improve relations with municipalities.
“We are going to restore more local decision making. Secondly, we are going to make sure every municipality gets a share of gas tax revenue.”
They will be able to choose how they spend it, whether it be bridges or highways, as opposed to current requirements it all be spent on transit, said Hudak. At the moment, only 90 of Ontario’s approximate 300 municipalities get a share of the tax, he added.
Polls have the party in a very close race with the Liberals although the election is in its early stages.
