This seems like an apropos day for Bob Rae to officially launch his campaign for the Liberal leadership. It's one day after the Conservative throne speech, and it was exactly 18 years ago today, November 20, 1990, that Bob had his own first throne speech as the NDP Premier of Ontario,as the province tried to come to grips with a worsening recession.
Also making news that day back in 1990? Margaret Thatcher was fighting a caucus revolt, talks aimed at ending the Cold War had a successful end in Paris, and Mikhail Gorbachev wanted UN talks on a brewing problem in the Persian Gulf, namely Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
Let's take a stroll down memory lane...
Toronto Star - November 21 1990 -- NDP Throne Speech
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Globe Mail - November 21 1990 -- NDP Throne Speech
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5 comments:
Sigh...This kind of tit for tat is not helpful Jeff. I understand Iggy is having a more formal launch soon, I guess we can expect bloggers to have posts with all sorts of controversial quotes, etc... As I said before it's all very nauseating.
Is this really the kind of campaign Iggy wants to run, ENTIRELY based on stuff over a decade ago? You got ANYTHING on Bob from the PAST 10 YEARS? Because obviously you were fed these newspaper covers from the top, we all know it's not your style to go digging for dirt on other Liberals like this. If Rae's choice is to fight a campaign based on Iggy's past I'd be equally disappointed.
And for the record it seems from the coverage you list here was that business groups were happy with this speech and the only people who were upset (including the Liberals) were arguing MORE should have been promised. And I also understand Rae's approval rating was above 70% after his first year in office before the recession really hit (that's on his wiki profile in case you are wondering where I saw that) so it seems like the first year you are highlighting here was pretty popular, hard to argue with giving the people what they want?
I know the perception is that Rae was horrible, but I would bet Jeff that you can't name a SINGLE policy the Rae government brought down that could be deemed "too left" (or that we haven't seen from other LIBERAL PARTY governments in other provinces) as he is now described in our history books. It's all a distortion that WK and co are now only too happy to feed, who cares what's good for the party, it's all about Iggy now!I'm sure the same would have happened under any Premier under that time, but there's no way we'll see that admission on WK's blog.
But what can we expect next from the Iggy campaign? Does Rae have a questionable preacher in his past that was caught on tape saying "god damn Canada!" or something? Should we start worrying about Rae's "past associations"? Cuz this is getting pretty sad. (And Yes I would have the same criticisms for the Rae and Dom campaigns if they go down that road too)
Mike, I found the anniversary of the throne speech coinciding with his launch, and the similarities of the economic conditions of then and today, interesting.
You say my bringing up this coverage is some kind of attack, that it's dirt, yet you say yourself that the coverage shows business groups were pleased with the speech. You admit I'm highlighting a popular first year. Some attack then, no?
And, I might add, Mr. Rae himself is pointing to his handling and experience of that recession as a positive. Is he attacking himself?
I know we all want to be on guard for unfair attacks in this campaign Mike, but let's not be so vigilant in watching out for them that we go off half-cocked screaming smear without merit.
Jeff, 1990 was a while ago indeed. I was three years old lol.
I would hope that this campaign could be about meaningful ideas, the challenges of the present, and the opportunities to be seized from our future.
Thanks for coming on the call today though, really great question. Look forward to touching base soon.
cheers,
-braeden
You're just a young whipper-snapper though, my Irish friend. I was 12, newly arrived on Vancouver Island to begin grade 7. I don't remember Bob, but I do remember not liking Brian Mulroney.
Anyway, I too want a campaign of ideas. But if Bob is going to bring forward his record as premier as a selling-point of his economic experience to deal with this recession as leader/PM, doesn't it follow that examining that record he is running on would be completely within the bounds of reasonable debate?
Great call today, really liked some of his thoughts on party reform, and my question in particular. Shall blog tonight, after work.
it's sort of a funny thing - to get called out for inter-Liberal mud-slinging on an open forum like this and not with a private email!
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