Get it right and our best days are yet to come!

Political leadership contests are nothing new to this province – in fact in the past two-and-a-half years we have seen five separate leadership changes. Most of these were the result of hotly contested leadership races engaging candidates in policy debate and grassroots campaigning, concluding in a membership vote.

I say “most” because while this was the format for four of the five leadership decisions – paving the way for Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, Provincial NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, then Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, and now PC Ontario Leader Tim Hudak – the coronation of Michael Ignatieff followed a somewhat different path. Ignatieff was named Liberal Leader following discussions that led his only opponent, Bob Rae, to remove himself from consideration.

Leadership contests, when contested, are often a hotbed for good policy ideas and proposals that form much of the direction a party will follow in the years ahead.

The Ontario PC Leadership race was no different with good ideas coming from all candidates – Christine Elliott, Randy Hillier, Tim Hudak, and Frank Klees alike – covering much of the political spectrum.

Many of the PC Leadership economic proposals related to taxes, specifically the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). Three of the four candidates are calling for a scrap of the tax altogether. Transforming the provincial income tax system with an eight per cent across the board flat tax was also a hot topic of debate. Income splitting, and a $1,000 newborn savings account were further proposals aimed at helping families deal with the impact of the current economic downturn.

Given that Ontario has now lost over 330,000 manufacturing jobs, employment and business support also dominated each candidates proposals.

Platform ideas included:

• Giving Ontario the lowest business taxes in Canada
• Allowing small business start-ups to defer taxes for one year
• Creating a one year payroll tax holiday on new hires
• Modernizing journeyman to apprentice ratios
• Freezing the minimum wage
• Creating manufacturing jobs through tax credits
• Establishing tax incentive zones

Other policy planks included doubling the provincial and charitable tax credits, a crackdown on crime including illegal tobacco, affordable and sustainable energy, elected senators, elimination of the Local Health Integration Network system, strengthening trespassing laws and making illegal occupation a separate offence.

Clearly the leadership process for any party is a breeding ground for ideas and debate that can help invigorate a party, a province or a country for years to come. For this reason I am looking forward to the coming months and years for the ongoing creation and implementation of new ideas and information. We must move forward on the problems that have been plaguing our province.

Given the fact that Ontario is now a have-not province, dead last in economic growth, spending at unprecedented rates while bleeding jobs and services – not to mention the scandal at eHealth Ontario and the harmonized sales tax debacle -  I feel a renewed opposition will help move us in the right direction to recovery.

If we get it right, our best days are yet to come!