Time.
Some like Mick Jagger look at it favorably,” Time is on my side, yes it is.”
Others like Benjamin Franklin view it as precious, “Lost time is never found again.”
To an Ontario politician, candidate or political staffer, time -especially over the next 448 days- must be used strategically, optimally and never wasted.
You may ask yourself, “What’s 448 days?” To a candidate gearing up for a provincial election, it’s time to build a solid campaign team. It’s time to put together a winning election platform. And, it’s most certainly time to craft and sell their message to the electorate.
Without a doubt the date October 6, 2011 is etched in every Ontario politico’s mind. Some would argue that the day politicians start campaigning for the next election is the day after winning the last one. Regardless of whether that is true or not, one thing for certain is that the times at Queen’s Park are a changin’ - to paraphrase Bob Dylan.
With fixed election dates in Ontario, it makes it obvious that all political parties are turning their attention -if they haven’t done so already- to election readiness. What does this mean for the next legislative session? Expect the stakes to be higher than what we’ve seen this past session and more mudslinging as a result. Don’t be surprised if we see an increase in Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. Remember the frenzy in the weeks leading up to Mike Colle’s resignation as Minister of Citizenship and Immigration following the Auditor General’s report on his handling of year-end grants? That came to light only a few months away from the election, and the opposition parties will be hoping to unearth something equally embarrassing this time around.
For politicians and political staffers, it means double duty -governing by day and campaigning by night. If you haven’t seen your MPP for the last three years, don’t worry –he or she will be appearing at every fundraiser, media announcement, community or political event they can get their hands on.
What does this mean for stakeholders? Be patient. If your government ask isn’t attended to over the next few months, my advice is to ‘not put all your eggs in one basket’. Talk to all of the political parties about your ask – in the context of their election platforms. Who knows – it may become a hot issue during the election and draw attention to your cause. At the very least, stakeholders should meet with the opposition parties to lay the ground work for the next term, should there be a major political shake up.
With a mix of two rookie opposition leaders and a veteran Premier leading a party that has never seen three back-to-back wins, the next 448 days promise to be a very entertaining time.
