Other than tech, which is heavily subsidized, businesses have already abandoned Ontario, making the one time industrial engine of Canada a have-not province that now depends on transfer payments from other provinces. We have among (if not) the highest electricity rates in the world - nobody is ever opening manufacturing here.
I hope things turn around before they get ugly. I miss Ontario, I loved every minute I lived in Ottawa (although really humid and cold compared to what I’m used to!).
Nominally, yes, Ontario is a “have-not” province. However transfer payments make up like 1% of the budget, so saying they “depend” on that is a bit, um… histrionic? On top of that the amount they are receiving in 2018 is down from 2017, so by your standards that actually means that things are improving.
Not that equalization payments really say much about the strength of a province’s economy. Quebec is experiencing quite good growth with a balanced budget and low unemployment… it still qualifies for the lion’s share of equalization because the the cost of living is cheap compared to other provinces and so average salaries tend to be lower, and thats what drives equalization payments.
Ontario is 4th in GDP per capita, without being completely dependent on oil production, as Alberta and Newfoundland are.
It’s official, Toronto and Ottawa now the most expensive places for energy in Canada, despite producing a vast surplus of energy and having among the greatest resources on Earth: http://business.financialpost.com/opinion/its-official-toronto-and-ottawa-are-now-the-most-expensive-cities-for-electricity
75,000 jobs lost http://business.financialpost.com/opinion/75000-manufacturing-jobs-lost-thats-the-price-of-ontarios-electricity-disaster
Quebec is an artificially supported, corrupt economy that damages industries (like gaming, transportation, financial support) that have significant adverse effects on those industries worldwide. Despite that, Quebec is actually developing some great businesses, particularly in tech and financial services, and those businesses are really now the heart of Ontario as well (in addition to energy). I’m very optimistic about Canada these days - we just have to stop crippling ourselves.
I don’t disagree that they have royally fucked up the energy sector.
Now Ontario just needs to elect Doug Ford so he can shoot the province in the heart.
It really is hilarious how the opposition to the Liberals consistently end up putting up someone who may be even worse than a Premier who had almost no chance of being elected – this is the 3rd time in a row that the opposition has run ridiculously bad campaigns. And I don’t think Andrew Brown would have been better (even aside from the controversies he faced). Or Christine Elliott. They are a bunch of clowns. The one candidate who I think would have actually been a good Premier was Caroline Mulroney, and I balk at spitting that out because I wasn’t a fan of her father and her brothers are worse – but her and her husband are really together, smart professionals like we could use in politics.
As is, I just want a change, so I guess I’ll vote for Ford, even though I have nothing positive to say about him. Even his brother at least had a “common guy” uncensored appeal, despite being a drunkard and a drug addict. All I’ve ever heard about Doug Ford is that he’s actually just not a nice guy, unlike Rob, who at least meant well, and wasn’t a power-hungry reptile.
And under other circumstances, I could actually like Wynne - I think she’s inherited a situation that has become so broken that we just need to hold it to account even for a brief interval to reset things for a couple of years and prove that there are consequences to cynical, corrupt leadership. If she had come in fresh, with her own plan and ideas, she would have been a better Premier, and maybe she can do that at a later time.
The Liberals have been in power for too long, but the alternative seems worse.
You could always vote NDP ;)
At least you don’t have a freak running your country into the ground at the speed of light. I’d take your worst Liberal leaders over our GOP any day.
Ladies and gentlemen, the next Premier of Ontario.
Toronto: We elected a drug dealer as mayor!
Ontario: Hold my beer.
At least you guys haven’t elected him as PM. Yet.
Canada: Hold my beer.
He might be premier first.
Looks like he’s got that one in the bag. Now the big question is: will he be a daily embarrassment or only a weekly or monthly embarrassment? I’m thinking weekly.
Oh no. Do Canadians not see what’s going on in this country (U.S.)? Why would one see this insanity, and then vote to go down that exact same path?
Maybe the NDP and Lib party should combine instead of splitting their votes?
Man that split is crazy.