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Ontario provincial all candidates debate, June 3, 2014

What was basically a lackluster debate had some zinger lines and pressing points. Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne was facing New Democratic Party Leader Andrea Horwath and Progressive Conservative Party Leader Tim Hudak. Ethnically this was two Czechs (Hudak and Horwath) against an Anglo (Wynne)

The not yet Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in his line to then Liberal Prime Minister John Turner about the later pardoning people before the election, "you had a choice and you didn't take it," was delivered by Horwath instead of Hudak.
Andrea Horwath - photo by Adu Raudkivi

The first question (by a listener chosen by a panel not disclosed to the politicians) asked “how can people trust the Liberals after the gas plants, e Health, helicopter scandal (and MoD). Wynne said she takes responsibility for the “mistakes” and that she has taken measures to ensure that they don't happen again (not saying what they were).

The second question was one asked of Hudak, “how is he going to create a million new jobs while laying off one hundred thousand civil servants?” Unlike his mentor former Premier Mike Harris who had a detailed plan Hudak simply said “I know in my heart and mind that it can be done.” He said he would resign if he could not fulfill his promise.

When asked about choice Horwath came out with another good line. “I don't disagree with the premier that you don't have to choose between bad ethics (Wynne) or bad math (Hudak).

Some scary facts came from the debate. There are 1,100 persons in the Hydro system making over $100,000 a year and there are 1.2 million civil servants (Hudak wants to reduce that to 1.1 million).

After the debate there was an exit poll that showed Hudak ahead by a strong margin with Wynne trailing at second and Horwath at third.

Remember election on June 12th.

Adu Raudkivi

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