Weekly Digest

John Tory, the leader of Ontario’s Progressive Conservative party has tendered his resignation. Tory’s resignation closes the book on yet another forgettable chapter in the continuing decline of Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives.
Tory took over the leadership from Ernie Eves in 2004 after the party failed to win a third consecutive mandate in the 2003 election. The party’s fortunes did not improve in the 2007 election, they gained only two more seats while the Liberals won a massive majority. To add insult to injury, Tory lost lost in his own riding, and was left to lead his party from outside of parliament. He tried to get back into legislature in a recent by-election but lost again. He resigned the next day.
Ontario’s Tories have rarely known so dark and era. The ‘Big Blue Machine’ reigned over Queen’s Park for more than 40 years from the 40’s until the mid 80’s. Before the 1985 election, the party hadn’t lost three consecutive elections in almost a century.
The party’s star started to fade under Premier Mike Harris. Harris fixed the provinces finances, but enacted deep cuts to social spending in the process. Harris’ Common Sense Revolution was the embodiment of far right neo-conservatism, the specter of which the party has not been able to shed.
Unlike Harris, Tory was a red tory – a truly progressive Conservative. He was open to debate on social issues like same sex marriage commonly taboo in the right wing. His departure will likely mean a more hard line right wing Progressive Conservative party in Ontario.
When Tory took over the reigns of the party, his mandate was to restore its unity. In politics when successive victories are followed by a major loss, dissent becomes an issue. Too much success makes parties blind to internal disorder, and there’s nothing like a catastrophe to bring all of the bad blood to the surface. Unfortunately the party is just as divided now as it was when Tory took over, and with no presumptive leader ready to take over, the disunity will likely continue.
Tory’s farewell was both bitter and emotional. He called on his successor and the to restore “the role and legitimacy of parliament and MPPs,” calling “the institution . unproductive and more about theatre than advancing the public interest.” He went on to call the provincial government’s financial process a farce in which “no one has effective, accountable oversight for the spending of tax dollars.” He also advised the Premier to “stop being politically correct and do the right thing” and to “stop playing politics.”
The outgoing leader showed more personality in the one speech than Mcguinty has over his entire political career. The Progressive Conservative’s problems weren’t Tory’s doing, but despite his best efforts he could not bring the party back. He was a good foil to the McGuinty government, who’s knack for inaction is rarely criticized. Sadly though, he never got a chance to spread his wings. The public sector was never Tory’s game, he’ll likely find success again when he returns to the private sector where he’d thrived for so many years