FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTINUES ATTACKS AGAINST ONTARIO

What Drives Jim Flaherty?

Canadas finance minister Jim Flaherty has become embroiled in a war of words with the Ontario government over taxes and how Ontario has one of the highest rates for business taxes. In the past week alone Flaherty has accused Ontario of creating a 'have not" province, of being a place wjhere no one would want to start a business and a few other choice comments not very becoming of a man who has our economic future at heart.(and who claims to be an Ontarian)

To me it seems like Flaherty is attempting to build himself up for some specific reason, perhaps to take a stab at ontario PC leader, John Tory, or perhaps he's trying to make things "nice" for himself when he retires from federal politics.(where I am sure he cannot be happy working as a messenger boy for Stephen Harper.)

Yesterday another Ontario conservative MP was sent from the hill to continue the condemnation of Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty and his liberal government.

Federal Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre travelled to Toronto to represent the federal government, calling the feds a "major stakeholder."

The Nepean-Carleton MP said he had arrived in a spirit of "partnership" with McGuinty...I bet he did.

As soon as he was finished making that statement to reporters, he began lashing out at the tiny tax cuts offered in the budget, and then stated that he and his government were upset at the budget(as if this guy spoke for the PM)and that McGuinty had to do something about ontarios' "job smothering taxes".

During the budget deliberations yesterday John Tory provided the federal MP Poilievre with office space in order to do some work. I'm wondering if that space was provided at cost to the province or if john Tory paid for it?

To me the entire thing is surreal. In the history of Canada there has never been a time when the federal finance minister would interfere in the operations of provincial government. On top of that we have a federal MP sent from the hill to bash and attack Ontario budget decisions.

To me it looks like someone attempting to usurp John Tory and the authority he has over his party. John Tory could never have launched such an attack on his own against the government. He needed the help of the feds to do it. But to call Jim Flaherty in to do just that is low brow at best, and certainly among Ontarians didn't gain The Harperites a thing which is what the feds were hoping for.

If they head into an election without a substantial increase in Ontario voter support, chances are they'll be in minority terrotory, and if that's the case, Harpers' days may be numbered as the leader of a party that cannot obtain the coveted brass ring.

Ontario voters are cool to the federal conservatives and will remain that way for the forseeable until they lose some of the super right ideologies that seem to be dragging them down. attacking the Ontario liberal from a federal position is dumb and makes John Tory look weak and ineffectual.