There is a very concrete rule in Canadian politics: winnable by-elections need to be won by Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.
With the party offering an ineffective candidate in Tony Genco in Vaughan, there was only one true by-election to contest. A riding they were in fact defending.
Tonight, the Ontario PC Party had a very winnable by-election in Kitchener Waterloo. Had the party kept its traditional level of support obtained by Elizabeth Witmer (40-43%), they would have hung on given the fact that the Liberals could get 25-30% at least.
But as it turns out, the PCs dropped 12% and so did the Liberals. The NDP in turn picked up all the Liberal support and almost all PC support. The Greens had a modest uptick.
Tim Hudak campaigned for the by-elections with a message of "Stop McGuinty." Well as it turns out in Kitchener Waterloo, they did. Just not for his party.
The Ontario PC Party continues to suffer from a communications problem that has extended from the last election. In the 2011 provincial election, there was a sense that Tim Hudak felt he could say anything and because he wasn't Dalton McGuinty, that he would coast to victory.
As of tonight, that trend continues. There is no vision in this party. A few tiny policies and anger towards McGuinty. Hardly an inspiring brand.
The Ontario PC Party has not articulated a strong, principled and conservative vision for governing Ontario. Ontario badly needs fiscal conservatism as it continues to dwindle in deficits and corruption.
Paging Mike Harris...
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