The Ontario Debate

On Sunday Ontarians had their last chance to see Kathleen Wynne, Andrea Horwath and Doug Ford face off in a debate. I think for those having a tough time deciding it actually might be quite valuable. I think the 90 minutes gives a good portrait of what the three leaders offer our province.

I think it's important for me to put my cards on the table for those who may be reading this without knowing my history. I am a long-time New Democrat, I plan to vote for my local NDP candidate and I hope Andrea Horwath is our next premier.

From my perspective both Kathleen Wynne and Andrea Horwath did well in the debates and Doug Ford struggled. One thing looked pretty clear to me, and I doubt objective observers could disagree - the experience of the leaders really showed. Horwath has a lot of experience in this sort of debate now, she seemed confident and prepared. Wynne has done this all before as well and was generally measured and able to respond. Ford sounded robotic and spouted slogans and rarely seemed coherent.

Wynne was confident talking about every policy area. Our current premier is strong in policy and it shows in a public performance like this. You may dislike her policies, but she has command over them and doesn't get tripped up on details.

Horwath to some would seem aggressive. She needed to defend her momentum and assert herself over her rivals. She seemed assured and spoke clearly about her platform while also pointing out the shortcomings in the PCs'.

Ford. Sigh. Ford appeals to some Ontarians I am sure, but it certainly isn't me. There was no denying that his speaking style mirrors that of Trump's. His declarations that that the 'economy will be great' and 'we'll see prosperity like Ontarians have never seen before' scream the same code. He has a simple message - trust us to cut your taxes and balance the books (somehow) and we won't cut services. A snake oil salesman will find his customers.

There is an intangible quality when watching the debates that you get that is hard to describe. The leaders' personalities come out and you get a sense of the person asking to be entrusted with governance of the province. I can't summarize that for you, but I advise you look into it for yourself.

And for the love of God, someone ban audiences from these things.

It's nine days until the election. Get out there and get informed, Ontarians.