Post-election moves show disdain for public

Clearly, Premier Kathleen Wynne believes what former prime minister Kim Campbell said during the 1993 federal election campaign — that an election is no time to discuss serious issues.

As NDP Leader Andrea Horwath noted recently, Wynne said nothing in last June’s election about selling off a 60% stake in Hydro One to the private sector.

The public was never consulted about the issue.

Wynne also said nothing about pricing industrial carbon dioxide emissions through cap and trade, which will ultimately be paid by consumers and pour up to $2 billion more annually into government coffers.

Also during the 2014 election campaign, Wynne said nothing about selling beer in supermarkets as the political cover story for imposing a new, $100 million-a-year beer tax.

Ditto about the fact her policies would lead to more turmoil in public education, with more strikes and work-to-rule campaigns by teachers, just as occurred under the previous Liberal government headed by Dalton McGuinty.

In fact, Wynne warned voters during last year’s campaign not to elect then Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak because it would trigger labour strife in the public sector.

Wynne learned not to talk about serious issues during an election from McGuinty, her former boss. McGuinty didn’t talk about bringing in the largest single tax grab in Ontario history — $2 billion annually — during the 2003 election campaign that brought him to power. In fact, he promised he wouldn’t raise taxes if elected, then introduced his health premium post-election.

Wynne and McGuinty aren’t the first politicians not to talk about serious issues during election campaigns and won’t be the last. But they have raised it to an art form.

Wynne vowed during last year’s election race to run a more open and transparent government. But openness and transparency start with being open and transparent about what you plan to do if elected.

Between Wynne not saying what she would do if elected and McGuinty saying one thing and doing another, it’s pretty clear what the Liberals think about the public.

Not much.