Queen's Park Politics

[vid]

I've gotten it twice on my cell phone now! It's relentless! How did they get my number? I feel bad for the expats in Toronto with 807 numbers who are getting these!

[1overcosc]

I got a call from Forum. One major weakness I spotted in their methodology: they asked if I had a cell phone or a landline, and when I said cell, they didn't double check what region I live in.

Now that Canada-wide free calling (aka free domestic long distance) is a standard feature of most smartphone plans many people no longer bother switching their phones to their new area code when they move. Pollsters can't just assume from the cell number which region the person will vote in. I can't help but wonder if this why so many IVR pollsters have bizarrely shown the PCs leading in the North even though that seems so weird.. The Northern sample numbers could include cell phones in Northern area codes that actually belong to Southern voters.

[vid]

Area code 705/249 does include Barrie and the Muskokas, so that could be a significant part of it. They should at least request the FSA during the poll so they can pin down people's location better. I don't think I've ever done a survey where they didn't ask for that at a minimum. Only a few have asked for the exact city.

Additionally, the north has a lot of people with 905, 647 and 613 area codes (in my experience working at a place that people call to request deliveries of things), and most of the 705 calls I get from people living here are from extensions based in Barrie and Orillia, not Sault Ste. Marie or Sudbury.

We're basically at a point now where phone numbers are just a random string of 10 digits with no logic or consistency beyond their 3-3-4 digit grouping. They might as well randomly dial numbers and hope they get someone in Canada.

[ssiguy]

Considering the Tories are opposed to a party that has been in power for 16 years and headed by a very unpopular leader, it is shocking how poorly they are doing and that goes double for the NDP.

The Tories should have amassed a far greater lead by now but their plateau is competely self-inflicted. Their support is quite solid but Brown's inability to take a stand on anything and the endless political infighting could keep many potential Tory voters home and it certainly will hurt their fundraising.

For Wynne, things really couldn't be looking better.........the economy is booming, unemployment at decade lows, reduced Hydro rates, massive infrastructure spending which the masses are now beginning to enjoy, the fastest population growth in 20 years with people returning to the province, a newly balanced budget, an incompetent leader of the opposition with endless infighting, and an NDP that just can't seem to get traction.

Also, unlike the Tories, the Liberals have a lot of growth opportunity from potential NDP & Green voters who would NEVER vote for the Conservatives. The huge increase in minimum wage, massive transit expansion, cap-and-trade, and carbon taxes are viewed very positively by both NDP & Green supporters and maybe enough to sway some of their vote knowing the Conservatives could cancel or rollback all of those things.

People vote strategically.................just ask Trudeau.

[Loco101]

I don't like Campaign Research polls but here is the latest one for Ontario:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-t...dLVTVCOWs/view

October 14, 2017

Which party are you most likely to vote for if a provincial election were held tomorrow?

PC - 36%

Liberal - 32%

NDP - 25%

Green - 7%

Other - 1%

------------------------

Approval rating:

Andrea Horwath (NDP) - 35%

Patrick Brown (PC) - 25%

Kathleen Wynne (Liberal) - 19%

[vid]

They're all losing.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by vid

They're all losing.

No doubt!! If that's the case then it's good news for Kathleen Wynne.

I can't wait to see what happens with Wynne's lawsuit against Patrick Brown because he said that she was standing trial or something like that when she was only testifying. And pretty bad considering that Brown is a lawyer! I've read that the by-election bribery trial in Sudbury may be on the verge of being dismissed because the Crown's case is so poor according to the defence lawyers. The judge will decide if that happens or not in 2-3 weeks I think.

[vid]

I'm sure Patrick Brown knows all about that trial, having a front row seat from his Northern Ontario riding of Simcoe North.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by vid

I'm sure Patrick Brown knows all about that trial, having a front row seat from his Northern Ontario riding of Simcoe North.

HAHA!!! Too funny.

[vid]

Looks like Patrick Brown is going to spend more time in courtrooms. On the heels of Kathleen Wynne's corruption trial and just before the next election, the riding of Hamilton-Ancaster-Dundas brings us this treasure:

http://pressprogress.ca/hamilton-pol...f-voter-fraud/

The criminal probe comes as Tory loyalists allege vote rigging in more than a dozen ridings across Ontario

Hamilton police have officially authorized a criminal probe investigating allegations of vote rigging and ballot-stuffing at a contested Progressive Conservative nomination meeting last spring.

Vikram Singh, a Hamilton lawyer and the runner-up for the Ontario PC nomination in the riding, filed a complaint with police after launching a civil lawsuit against the party, alleging party officials rigged the vote through the “wrongful insertion of false ballots.”

But in good news for the PCs:

https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-ne...lection-770899

Sarah Campbell opts out of 2018 Ontario election

KENORA, Ont. -- The NDP MPP for Kenora-Rainy River is stepping down from provincial politics after serving two terms in the legislature.

Sarah Campbell announced Monday that she and her partner are expecting their second child in February, so she has decided not to seek re-election when Ontario voters go to the polls in June, 2018.

Greg Rickford is probably now going to win that riding easily, especially with the far north out of the picture.

[Docere]

The police don't seem to want to get involved with the internal workings of parties. But this looks very bad in the court of public opinion.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by vid

Looks like Patrick Brown is going to spend more time in courtrooms. On the heels of Kathleen Wynne's corruption trial and just before the next election, the riding of Hamilton-Ancaster-Dundas brings us this treasure:



But in good news for the PCs:



Greg Rickford is probably now going to win that riding easily, especially with the far north out of the picture.

Yuck! I didn't like Rickford when he was in Harper's cabinet. He certainly does have a good chance of winning now that Sarah Campbell isn't seeking re-election. That really sucks in my opinion. I guess Rickford isn't a sure thing if Patrick Brown fails as PC leader.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Docere

The police don't seem to want to get involved with the internal workings of parties. But this looks very bad in the court of public opinion.

I find that Brown can't even be an effective leader of the opposition! And he is definitely Ontario's spinning weather vane! Can't take a position on anything.

[vid]

The NDP is the opposition. When the PC does act as opposition it's usually from a different MPP, not Patrick Brown. You rarely see him.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by vid

The NDP is the opposition. When the PC does act as opposition it's usually from a different MPP, not Patrick Brown. You rarely see him.

One has to wonder how anonymity's gonna work in his favour...

[Doady]

Patrick Brown has not been premier and yet he is already mired in scandals, which does not help with his "anonymity". He has to give people of Ontario something to associate with his name other than vote rigging and ballot stuffing. He needs more to his image than being a lawyer who cannot tell the difference between someone being on trail and someone testifying for one. Patrick Brown is more corrupt than Wynne, he has even less principles than Horwath, and he is a bigger idiot than both of them.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Doady

Patrick Brown has not been premier and yet he is already mired in scandals, which does not help with his "anonymity". He has to give people of Ontario something to associate with his name other than vote rigging and ballot stuffing. He needs more to his image than being a lawyer who cannot tell the difference between someone being on trail and someone testifying for one. Patrick Brown is more corrupt than Wynne, he has even less principles than Horwath, and he is a bigger idiot than both of them.

I really question how he become leader of the PC Party. But him being leader is the greatest gift the Liberals could ask for. Even though Wynne is not very popular many voters will see that the economy is doing well and not want to rock the boat. Brown is pretending to be a moderate and can't take a position on anything. A lot of Ontarians' first impression on him is "who the f@%k is this guy?"

[Doady]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I really question how he become leader of the PC Party. But him being leader is the greatest gift the Liberals could ask for.

If his leadership is so destructive to his party, just imagine if he was leader of a whole province.

[vid]

The Star has a gushy story about Patrick Brown this weekend. He's a tee-totaling mommy's boy who loves exercise, art and salad. He's also single.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by vid

The Star has a gushy story about Patrick Brown this weekend. He's a tee-totaling mommy's boy who loves exercise, art and salad. He's also single.

Yea I read that article too. It made me wonder whether he would have been better off not getting into politics at all or only being involved at the municipal level. :/