I think after the by-election, we can call this for the NDP..

We cant miss you Sylvia if you wont go away. Its pretty sad that after the by-election fiasco in which the entire Liberal party visiting the riding and smear tactics could not win, they would choose the same poor quality candidate again. Besides Kennedy is there nobody else in the riding they can find besides Watson? The Watson who if you visit her personal website today would look like she is still at City Hall. www.sylviawatson.ca

I am a life-long Liberal supporter but I will NOT support Sylvia Watson. She destroyed the green space on the lakeshore and made it into a parking lot, despite the protests of many constituents. She is a Liberal of expediency. Cheri Di Novo is the candidate for me. I hope McGuinty wins but I just can’t vote for Watson. What a disastrous choice!

Bill, I hope you’re voting for MMP - that way you would be comfortable voting for Cheri Di Novo as your representative AND for the Liberals as your party.

Yes, Scott, I will be voting for MMP. I just wish they had it now!

‘Di Novo’ is portuguese for ‘again’ and Cheri will win again. Sylvia and the Libs did not help themselves with the ridiculously negative by-election campaign.

I will go against the grain and say that this is way too close to call. While DiNovo is impressive and has picked up support since her election, this is still a Liberal-leaning riding (in spite all the yuppie influx) and Watson is well known. If she can avoid the negativity that has plagued her last time, this could become very tight.

It is sad the Liberals are running Watson after that campaign imploded last year, and DiNovo’s been very sharp. She’s worked to earn a full term.

That said, I’m hoping DiNovo’s solidly in front so I can vote Green. And I’m hoping MMP passes so I don’t have to worry about such calculus as much in the future.

If this is all the DiNovo campaign and her “white wine socialists” have in its arsenal, Sylvia Watson will have an easier victory than most thought! I knew the NDP were hurting in the volunteer and fundraising areas, but reducing themselves to defacing and burning campaign signs is seriously ridiculous and of concern to this community. This is the most juvenile, puerile smear I have ever seen – the residents, businesses and faith communities of Parkdale-High Park, including 11 Division have taken NOTE!

Trusted and Effective – the residents of Parkdale-High Park speak out in support of SYLVIA WATSON!!!

Whether it’s fighting against the Front Street extension, protecting our green spaces or reducing garbage, Sylvia’s been a great ally of the environment at Toronto City Council. She’s got my full support and endorsement. Glenn De Baeremaeker, Environmental activist, Toronto City Councillor

Sylvia quickly learned to become an effective and independent City Councillor. Her actions showed a willingness to listen, to consider facts, to try to find solutions rather than playing politics, and to do what needed to be done to carry out that solution regardless of outside pressures. Bill Roberts, Lawyer, long time Swansea resident and community volunteer

Sylvia has been rolling up her sleeves to help serve our community for over five years. She is a well-known face at the Parkdale Breakfast Club and even after entering political life, has continued volunteering with us on a regular basis. Ram Ramchaitar, Founder, Parkdale Breakfast Club

Sylvia Watson earned my respect and admiration through her work with Parkdale Pilot Project. Innovative, skilful and compassionate, she brought numerous unregulated and overcrowded rooming houses to safe and lawful standards, thus raising dignity in many peoples’ lives. Abby Bushby, City-Wide Chair of Toronto Committee of Adjustment, 2003 - 2006

Sylvia has been a strong partner with the Toronto Police Service in helping to improve community safety. She is a hard working individual who approaches every task with perseverance and integrity. James Dicks, Former Toronto Police Superintendent, 14 Division

Sylvia Watson was an excellent representative who not only knew the concerns of the people she represented, but was a leader in standing up for their communities. Belle Tumbokon, Owner of Belle Optical

Councillor Watson organized a city-wide community safety initiative that brought together representatives from a diverse array of backgrounds. Over the course of the program I was continually impressed by her energy, dedication and ability to deliver positive results for community safety. Paul Kells, President, Safe Communities Canada

As a City Councillor, Sylvia Watson was very good at providing practical solutions to local problems. She came out to meet with people, listened well, developed a sound plan of action and pursued till the end in a diligent, professional manner. Ed Guca, Chairperson, Bloor-By-The-Park BIA

For many years I have witnessed her distinguished effort on the environment and particularly to the best possible management of our city waterfront. She is indeed someone who has made a difference; is making a difference and who will make a difference in whatever she chooses to undertake. Kirk Wipper, Principal and Chancellor, TAIE International Institute

In my association with 14 Division, Toronto Police Service, I served as volunteer coordinator of the Parkdale Community Police Station where we developed many social outreach programs. Each day I became increasingly aware of the role the City Solicitor Sylvia Watson was playing in making so many improvements to benefit the needy and homeless. Sylvia’s initiative and hard work continued in a much larger scale when she was elected to City Council. Closing illegal bars and rooming houses in substandard shape and finding accommodation for people displaced, obtaining medical care for elderly people and the mentally challenged, working closely with the police re street violence and traffic problems and the list goes on and on. As a Member of the Provincial Government Sylvia’s initiative and hard work would not only benefit the Riding of Parkdale/High Park but the whole of Ontario. It is a great honour and privilege for me to support Sylvia in her campaign. Dorothy Gray, Community Volunteer

With integrity and a cool head, Sylvia takes on tough issues to protect and advance public interests and publicly-owned assets. She has the skills to assess value for money and the courage to speak truth to power. Rene Foisy-Marquis, Board of Governors, Exhibition Place, 2003 – 2006

Sylvia believes that the small local businesses fuel our economy. She’s proven her commitment to creating a prosperous future for small business. I’m proud to have Sylvia representing me. We need her energy and drive at Queen’s Park. Sheldon Feiner, owner of Designer Fabrics on Queen St. W

Sylvia has proven that she is dedicated to serving our community with passion and commitment. She has earned a reputation for getting things done. Jesse Flis, Former Parkdale-High Park MP Sylvia was responsible for the site plan approval for our new patient care wing. Sylvia was great to work with and I found her to be a person of integrity and openness, who is deeply committed to serving her constituency. Kenneth Deane, (former) CEO of St. Joseph’s Health Centre, speaking at a public meeting

Granted, Parkdale is full of people living at the subsistence level, but why is the NDP so strong in P/HP? Don’t rich people live in those grand Victorian houses surrounding High Park? Some of them look like they’re worth more than $1,000,000.

There are a few rich people in those houses, but they don’t make up a large segment of the population. Some of them might have even been converted to rooming houses.

David O.,
The only person I know who’s recently used the word puerile is Warren Kinsella (when he pulled off his little sexist attack on a conservative politician) and you speak as inanely as he does.

Any intelligent person knows the Liberals wrote the book on dirty campaigning. The smear campaign against Cheri DiNovo run by Sylvia Watson, and the McGuinty brass was rightly called by John McGrath (CBC Queen’s Park reporter) the dirtiest smear campaign in Ontario’s memory . To this day Watson refuses to acknowledge how inappropriate her campaign was, and stands on her decision engage in sordid attacks.

But if you want to discuss campaigning, then, there’s, of course, the now infamous Watson ghost vote (abandoned or empty buildings suddenly declaring their support of Watson). There’s the landlord’s for Watson vote (landlords with former ties to Watson who feel it’s democratic to deny tenants in their buildings to have signs on the property supporting candidates other than Watson.

Then there’s the whole handing out cigarettes at PARC to poor Parkdalians hoping to curry favour with them. Or possibly we could point to the time I saw Lakeshore Blvd. flanked by large Watson signs (ironically in the same green area which Watson allowed to be converted to a parking lot when she brokered development deals behind the backs of residents). Anyone on election day may also have seen the brazen contempt for campaign regulations shown by Watson when her campaign plastered the riding with Liberal signs in illegal locations (train tracks, public property etc…) as well as the little red and white parties held very near polling stations just to induce voter to vote red.

The difference between my accusations and yours, however, is mine are all facts of the by-election campaign. Now where you get the reckless temerity to accuse Cheri DiNovo’s campaign of any improprieties, I can’t fathom. Your allegations are serious and completely unfounded. If you had a shred of dignity you would either retract them or prove their veracity.

BTW, bet you a coffee that Watson gets trounced in the election worse than she did last year. Have you noticed you’re the first person to think Watson even has a chance, let alone will have an easy victory. But thanks for comic relief even if your allegations are shameless and twisted. Have you ever thought that Watson has made many enemies in Parkdale and one of them might have defaced the signs??

Wow! I can see from the posts above that The Parkdale High Park Liberal Smear machine is already in High Gear. The sheer desperation and hysteria in the tone of some of these indicates that Watson is in danger of finishing third or fourth. Keep up the good work Liberals, every agonized scream puts another nailin your coffin. I am not normally a highly partisan person, but in Parkdale High Park, I would love to see the Liberals decimated.

Right (sorry) On Derrida!!!! The vast majority of Watson’s signs in South Parkdale (south of Queen Street) are on these Landlord properties (some of which are in pretty rough shape) as opposed to legitimate locations. If Watson was such a great municipal representative for Parkdale (ward 14) why did she get her ass kicked in the by-election? She did better in the half of the riding she didn’t represent(ward 13). By the way, during the last municipal election, four New Democrats ran against eachother for Watson’s seat, gathering 64% of the vote cast. Add another 13% if you include Watson’s former assistant, John Colautti, who at times campaigned as an NDPer. Renowned environmentalist Gord Perks won the seat. Colour our neigbourhoods in PHP ORANGE. Eat your heart out Watson. You too Kennedy.

…and furthermore, BLAH,BLAH,BLAH, while on the topic of the municipal election and to those with a soft spot for the Green Party, who did Ontario Green Party leader Dejong support in ward 14? Not winner, renowned environmentalist Gord Perks, or other progressive choices, but Ted Lojko, considered a “right-wing liberal”, receiving 15% of votes cast. What does this all say about the Green/Liberal/Dion/May Axis…and, finally, (perhaps), what about the scuttlebutt on the street about financial impropriety and the Parkdale Breakfest Club a while back, any info out there?

The Watson fans are out in full force. It would seem from some posts that many people know next to nothing about the riding , or at least the Parkdale side.

Glenn De Baeremaeker, Environmental activist, makes me laugh because Watson is not exactly known in South Parkdale for her strong protection of public and natural space. Glenn you should now better. I had never heard of Watson before she became a councillor and I had lived in PDHP for 23 years and was involved in many organisations and boards.

And please, all sorts of people vote for different parties for different reasons. All this “white wine socialists” (whatever that means) type talk is just petty name calling and inaccurate. I don’t like Watson but I have some friends that do. I just have to respect it and judge on the issues and past performance.

This DiNovo/Watson debate seems to be missing one vital thing: A thorough scan of their respective websites reveals that DiNovo seems to be focused not on Parkdale but on High Park, and grander provincial issues; say what you want about Watson, but she’s been behind initiatives that can only serve to make the P-Dale a safer, stronger neighbourhood (increased police presence, appropriating buildings for affordable housing, focusing on dangerous bars and buildings). I never thought I’d vote Liberal, but here we are. Although I must say that if we had MMP it’d be Watson/Green.

Hey Trevor, I think you were on Sylvia’s city councillor website. Her campaign website can be found at www.sylviawatson.com

Questions, comments, queries - I have found her most responsive to questions using asksylvia@sylviawatson.com or info@sylviawatson.com

Best of luck in your review of the candidates.

Well Trevor, Things always sound great on “paper”, but after three years on council, if she was such a great rep how is it she got her ass kicked, especially in the ward she represented. She was replacing, on Council former rep of decades Liberal KKK, who also did such a great job on Parkdale. And we haven’t heard about the how or whys of the “sordid” relationship between Watson and those Landlord properties. Word has it that it has something to do with her job in the City legal department, just prior to her becoming Councilor, and the legalizing of illegal and nonconforming rental properties in South Parkdale. Like, is it pay back time? Tell me I’ve heard it wrong.

Trevor,
“Although I must say that if we had MMP it’d be Watson/Green.”

Except that by voting for Watson you’d be voting for someone who is on record as being against MMP.

Watson running on an poverty ticket is utterly laughable, as is Gerard Kennedy for that matter. One a lawyer who lives in a multi million dollar house in High Park; the other a private school rich kid who couldn’t complete his BA and thinks sitting as exec director of a food bank is working with the poor.

Watson likes to take credit for the expropriation of 1495 Queen, but we all know that happened under Gord Perk’s watch and that Watson was on record at a PARC meeting as being against the expropriation.

DiNovo, on the other hand, has spent the last ten years serving predominantly the Parkdale community. As an ordained minister she started food banks (and even helped run them, rather than sitting as exec. director where you show up every few months and pose for a few photos), she provided clothing and shelter for the poor year round, she set up and ran a community supper that has supplied tens of thousands of meals for the hungry, poor, homeless, and psychiatric survivors. Moreover, I believe she has lived in Parkdale for 5 of those years, and lives there now.

As an elected official, all DiNovo has done is win widespread acclaim and respect by all parties in the legislature. She works tirelessly on behalf of her constituency. She’s garnered more attention than some Liberal cabinet ministers. She forced the Liberals into their so-called “poverty” budget, although it was more accurately a poverty fudg-it. I remember Watson last year making the argument that a vote for the NDP was a vote for a third party backbencher who would have no influence in the legislature, whereas she would have the ear of the Premier. Was Watson ever off on that one, and continues to be. The last thing we need at Queen’s Park is another whipped vote for the Liberals whose only job would be to lob up questions to cabinet ministers during Question Period.

The Toronto Sun, not typically an NDP friendly paper, in its year end report card for MPP’s gave out only two A’s: DiNovo was one of them. John Tory, on a radio program was asked which of all the MPP’s in the legislature not part of the PC’s he would like to have on his team. His answer, although usually he praises Smitherman, this time was Cheri DiNovo.

As for DiNovo’s “grander” concerns like raising the minimum wage, amending human rights code to protect gender identity, regulating pay day loan companies, trying to make sure new Canadians can get faster professional and trades accreditation, working toward housing and rent control promised by McGuinty, and exposing McGuinty’s abysmal record on building desperately needed affordable housing, working to strengthen status of the artist legislation to meet ACTRA’s demands, etc. Yup, no bearing on the lives of residents of Parkdale. This clearly displays a neglect for the concerns of residents of Parkdale in favour of catering to High Park and Swansea residents. Could you be any more grossly disingenuous and reckless in your remarks?

LMAO! Traditionally folks don’t get to hyped up about a by-election. There was less than a 40% voter turn-out in Parkdale-High Park. If you frequent several venues in the hood’, the talk for months was how people regretted not getting more politically active … thinking Watson would get naturally win given her sterling track record. If Derrida even lives in the riding (and not one of the Manitoba ‘Dipper imports), and values fact rather than fiction, she would know that Sylvia was the only city-councillor who kept all her campaign promises.

David,
I think it’s time that you got back on your meds. I do live in Parkdale, and have done so for 12 years. I mustn’t have the understanding of the inner workings of our neighbourhood that you obviously have, since I’m not able to call it “the hood”.

I’d rather say that Watson’s track record is one of concrete and asphalt, rather than sterling. She did keep her promises to developers and landlords and ignored residents, tenants and the poor along the way.

I’m not sure what a Manitoba Dipper import is, but if its associated with the NDP (the only political party that cares about the disenfranchised, the poor, and average working families) I’ll take it.

BTW, haven’t heard back on that friendly wager I made. A cup of coffee at Salvador Darling says Watson gets trounced worse than she did a year ago. Are you on?

Scott, the posting from “Glenn De Baeremaeker” and others endorsing Watson were clearly posted by David Ontonovich cutting and pasting from somewhere (see his garbled posting following it). David, true?

By-elections tend to benefit parties like the NDP for a number of reasons.
1. They are in the opposition, and people tend to have reasons to be mad at the opposition, not the government.
2. The NDP has minimal resources - in a by-election they can focus their entire Toronto (or Montreal) efforts on one riding, and compete on an even plane with the Liberals.
3. Lower turnout means that those voting are likely more ideologically extreme voters - favouring a party like the NDP.

I think this will add up to a much closer race come election day, but I still think the NDP will pull through.

As always the people on this forum are debating the merits of the candidate (probably because a lot of them are doing so from the campaign offices of said candidate), even though that is not a large factor in elections.

MJL,
I think you meant in #1 to suggest that by-elections typically are protest votes against the government or the would be incumbent. I generally agree with your comments. But…

But interestingly, in the PHP by-election there wasn’t much anger (although I believe there should have been) at Gerard Kennedy for bailing on our riding to pursue bigger and better things. This is further proven by the fact that Kennedy has decided to run again in this riding.

So how to account for the massive turnaround in voting from the 2003 election? Kennedy won almost 58% of the vote. Remember too, that turnout was almost 40%, much higher than many by-elections, probably owing to the sordid smear campaign waged against DiNovo. Voters have not forgotten!! The Liberals were not wise to run Watson again.

I think there are several factors. First, demographic shifts which have brought more progressive voters into the riding. A progressive voter clearly is better served at Queen’s Park by DiNovo. Second, the poor and working poor also saw themselves better served by DiNovo, who has a decade long record of fighting in Parkdale for poverty and social justice issues. Third, the merits and qualities of the candidates has historically played a large role in voting behaviour in this riding. On that score, DiNovo too holds a large advantage. She is high profile, liked by constituents and media, she works tirelessly and is fearless. She has made an undeniable impact at Queen’s Park.

Incidentally, isn’t our system designed such that candidates should be a large factor in elections? Are we each not asked to decide which of the available candidates will best take our voice and our concerns to Queen’s Park? Thus, until we have electoral reform, I can’t think that anyone who is progressive or interested in the environment could be better represented than by DiNovo. Anyone, who is concerned with social justice and poverty similarly couldn’t be better served at Queen’s Park than by DiNovo. On the issues of education and health care, ditto. On the issues of the economy (things like property tax and employment), DiNovo and the NDP would too better serve the interests of PHP and Ontarians generally.

I drove through the entire riding on Sunday on personal business and walked around South Parkdale on Friday. Wow it was pretty hard to find a Watson lawn sign. In fact I saw more (about 15) signs for Hutchinson (who runs every time I think). I’m amazed and honestly pleased.

I stand corrected, I saw 4 Watson lawn signs today.

Actually, if you take a close look there are more than 500+ signs in south parkdale alone. Not including the 75+ signs either defaced, taken down or burned by the dippers. And yeah, lots of folks have taken DiNovo signs - it will be interesting to see how many vote for her … she’s pissed off loads of people.

Jamie- Those supposed 75 signs, supposedly destroyed by the NDP, belonged to who? Certainly not Watson. She doesn’t have and never did have that many locations unless you count the stores on King and Queen Streets,which also have DiNovo signs, or those landlord apartments at the request of the landlord, not the tenants. At the best Watson has no more than 20 legitimate locations in South Parkdale. There are many people down here, not necessarily political, who really hate her, so don’t blame the NDP. Those DiNovo signs were requested by either the resident tenant or owner. A thank you note is left when the sign is erected providing a phone number in case the request was a mistake,the sign would then be removed. So, those 500+ signs are mostly DiNovo’s?

Just to avoid any confusion, Derrida with a capital “D”, I’m glad you’re still voting for Cheri, she’s the obvious choice for any reasonably intelligent voter.

Now derrida with a lowercase “d” is not impressed in the least by Watson. She’s cold and mechanical, can’t think on her feet, and “lacklustre” as Ian Urquhart(Toronto Star reporter) contends. DiNovo has completely outperformed Watson at the all candidates meetings I’ve attended. All said Watson is a mediocre candidate, with no proven experience in provincial politics (other than getting trounced in last year’s by-election, handing the Liberals a hugely humiliating loss of a cabinet minister’s seat) and a very suspect record as a councillor. As a person, Watson is nothing short of reprehensible. Out of desperation, she emptied herself of any shred of dignity or integrity when she ran what was widely reported as one of the vilest smear campaigns in the history of Ontario politics.

Carol & Rita:
I’m a member of EHP. I have been for the better part of ten years. For you to come on here and defame DiNovo in this way is just so typically Liberal. Cheri’s impact and her legacy at EHP is beyond reproach. Period! Thousands have been touched by her ministry. Thousands have been fed. Hundreds have bee married. Hundreds have been buried. EHP is only still operating because Cheri went there. Period! Thousands will gladly testify to this. And as someone whose life was changed in that ministry, I cannot allow two resentful shrews to defile that legacy.

Funny, I have been member of various committees at the church, a regular attendee and don’t even recognize your names from the members’ list. Something tells me your card carrying status in the NDP is similarly suspect.

As far DiNovo having any ties to the legal mess at EHP, not only are your accusations patently false, that the church was unfairly attacked by the city of Toronto might have something to do with a former councillor not too thrilled to have lost a by-election in the riding. I urge anyone who wants to know the true and full story to actually speak to the the person involved (S. Robinson of the Village Healing Centre).

How surprising, a little more than a week left in the campaign, Liberal polling numbers in the riding are showing a loss, so the desperate smears begin. Pretty predictable tactics and ending to this story. DiNovo resoundingly win election.

Btw, it’s quite ironic that one of the organizations that has benefitted from Cheri donating her MPP salary increase back to the community was EHP to help offset its costs from having to fend off the city of Toronto. As she used to say “No good deed goes unpunished!”

Carol and Rita, do you really know your commitments? Be honest with yourselves and replace that DiNovo sign with a Watson, and tell your other “NDP friends” who feel the same to do the same. I’ll take your/their signs down tomorrow when I finish work… email jackjaapje@yahoo.ca. or in the phone book, same address since 1981. I’m in the open, are you? I certainly wouldn’t want you as a neighbour . And Jamie, if they’re such good Liberals?? why don’t they support Watson with signs… still down by 500+… and this is tiring, but why did she get her ass kicked last time? Well…. Answer Me.. Jamie, Trevor, Ram, David Ontonovich, and you other Liberal hacks.

Carol & Rita, what’s more, if you exist, and you are “partners”, you should be doubly ashamed for coming on here with this scurrilous crap. No one has done more in this city to defend and promote the rights of queer communities than DiNovo through both her activism and academic work.

Vote Watson if you want regress! She claims to stand for progress, and claims to understand poverty, but is a wealthy lawyer who caters to landlords and developers. She’s against progressive politics like MMP and thinks social activism means cutting backroom deals with developers to pave green space or falsely taking credit for the expropriation of 1495 Queen St. (which wouldn’t have happened without a great deal of community activism from PARC, residents, people like Cheri DiNovo and Gord Perks). For Watson to have taken credit for that is crassly arrogant.

So yes, if you want a whipped vote in the legislature, then vote Watson. If you actually want progress and someone who’ll stand up to injustice and broken promises then think again and vote DiNovo.

LMAO! So much for this being an informative blog for exchange of information. Notice when the the NDP read things on this blog they take a confrontational approach, skirt the issue/s and don’t accurately represent the facts. If anyone is paying close attention to the polls locally and provincially, the LIBERALS will back at the table where they belong. Park and Parkdale-High Park doesn’t want “white-wine socialists” representing them at Queen’s Park.

But I will commend the DiNovo campaign for the many signs that have been posted throughout the riding - the tireless efforts of dedicated and committed volunteers. I guess the bus from Winnipeg arrived after all.

DiNovo is going to have to do better that a lawn sign and she hasn’t demonstrated herself as a competent leader. LOL - many of the folks on my block are still laughing hysterically at how DiNovo used the Keele Street Pool as nothing more than a “PHOTO-OPT”. If she was credible, well connected and had the capacity to influence, negotiate and build strong and thriving community partnerships, the pool would still be open. Still waiting to see some of those “FRESH IDEAS” she keeps yapping about.

As for the community meetings, Watson has DiNovo down pat! At the past two meetings participants had to yell out to Cheri to answer the question … which she couldn’t.

The residents of Parkdale-High Park will speak out on election day!

I live in this riding and I can tell you that Cheri Di Novo signs out number Watson’s in the residential High Park area by at least 2 to 1. Sylvia is not even competitive in the more affluent part of the riding. Di Novo will easily beat Watson.

LMAO! Yes - perhaps, but after the DiNovo aresenal of last year the majority of residents choose NOT to have a sign … many of them card carrying Liberals.

DiNovo had a good following and was well represented at this evenings all-candidates meeting. The room was packed and more than likely the extent of support she’ll receive in Parkdale-High Park.

As for the more affluent part of the riding, most of those sign-less folks are key Watson volunteers, donors and supporters. The voters will speak out on October 10th.

I too was at last nights all-candidates meeting. DiNovo had a very good following of support, and I have to agree that about the extent of the support she will get in this riding. She never really gives a STRAIGHT answer and from what I hear has pissed off a lot of people.

Sylvia Watson on the other hand would not be my first choice, but there is no other option. Watson spoke well, she addressed the issues, remained after the meeting to answer additional questions, and gave me her phone number and email if I had further questions. DiNovo and her team were distant and unkind after the meeting.

Sylvia Watson definitely has my vote as she cares about the future of this riding.

I’m sorry I wasn’t able to make the all-candidates meeting and see things for myself, but I find the comments on here less and less believable.

David, are you David Ontonovich? The same one who is part of Watson’s campaign team?

Dear Curious, no I’m not. Try to get out to one of these meetings. You may find the outcome believable.

Sarah & Elliot:
You may find it helpful to learn that Cheri DiNovo a minister and social activist, a tireless and loved advocate of the poor and the marginalized, was on the receiving end of what was widely reported as one of the worst smear campaigns in Ontario memory. Sylvia Watson took politics to a new bottom in the by-election and the campaign was endorsed by McGuinty, numeorus cabinet ministers, Bob Rae, and Gerard Kennedy.

If DiNovo doesn’t look terribly pleased to be in the same room with the woman who scurrilously and cynically attempted to destroy her reputation and good work, and who in turn insulted each and every voter, I can’t say I blame her. Watson doesn’t even deserve to be up there sitting with her. I find Watson a heartless bureaucrat who has shown no regret for her attacks even though Liberal finance minister, Greg Sorbara, has called her campaign a mistake. Don’t be fooled, Watson’s only playing nice because being herself destroyed any chance she had of winning last year’s by-election.

Another whipped vote in a Liberal majority government. No thanks! And thankfully, not a chance!

It is with the greatest regret that we are forced to remove all comments by “David” and “Sarah & Elliot” in the comments sections of Parkdale-High Park. These are from the same person. Likewise for “Jamie”, “Carol & Rita” and “Derrida”. We consider this a blatant attempt to subvert genuine debate by fabricating multiple identities in an attempt to amplify their voice and creating the impression of consensus. We are committed to free speech, but such abuse will not be tolerated on DemocraticSPACE. We hope our readers will understand our position.

I really hope the referendum is passed. I have voted in just about every election since 1988, and I have thrown away my vote 99% of the time on a losing candidate.
I want to vote for the Liberals, but I am more impressed with diNovo, as a candidate, than with Watson.
If the referendum proposal was in effect now, I would be able to vote for diNovo AND the Liberals. I could vote with both my conscience and with my brain - the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, as the rules stand now, I will have to choose one or the other, and I will not be 100% happy with either choice.
I’m going to try to convince at least five people to vote for the referendum proposal. Everyone who’s in favour of it should try to do the same.
A similar referendum in B.C. failed by less than 3% a few years ago
These people in the newspapers who are afraid of the referendum don’t make sense to me. If we get more minority governments, that’s good! Then, the government has to work harder to please people and make wise decisions. Whenever a party wins a majority, they spend the subsequent 4 or 5 years becoming fatter, lazier, greedier, and less responsive and cavalier with their public responsibilities. They reward their friends with business contracts, they ram unpopular legislation through, they take half the year off, they drop bags of money out of helicopters flying over Quebec, etc.
Look at the federal Conservatives. With a minority, they are under control. We have a leash on them. Without the leash, they would be ripping our institutions apart, just like Mulroney did.
Or look at when Paul Martin was in the process of overthrowing Chretien. For over a year, the Liberal Party of Canada was basically functioning as two separate parties - Chretien Loyalists vs. Martin Rebels. During that year, both sides promised voters everything they could think of. Money started flowing out of Ottawa for the first time since the early ’90s.
And when Martin finally seized power, his pathetic reign was thankfully cut short because he only had a minority. While he was one of the greatest finance ministers in history, he was not an effective national leader. It is good that he was put out of his misery after only a year or so.
Personally, I want more of the same in the future. More minority governments = more power in the hands of voters.

Watson and her team are collapsing like a house of cards. We never should have allowed her to run again.
David Ontonovich and all of his aliases are identified and chastised by this sight. It’s embarassing.
It seems that when this Liberal team is losing they become desperate. I was going to vote Liberal but not now. Learn from this mistake Watson team. Stick to the issues and stop the nonsense. You alienate intelligent Liberal voters. David you lost my vote.

Watson’s team seems invisible to me. I met a canvasser for the Liberals in the elevator of my building yesterday. To this point, no material from the Liberal campaign had arrived at my door or in my mailbox. Dinovo’s campaign had sent several brochures (is that what they’re called?) since the campaign started.

The canvasser said she was going door to door. But when I checked later, no brochure was left in front of my door or my neighbors. I am on the second floor from the top and she started on the top floor. Maybe she got a mouthful from residence fed up with the unpopular Watson and decided to give up. It wouldn’t surprise me. According to the current projection on this site, Dinovo is ahead by 5+ points. This one was over before it began.

I’ve had campaign literature from both Watson and DiNovo (plus annoying robocalls from DiNovo for some reason), but nothing at all from the perennial loser Hutcheon or any of the others.

I didn’t realize Sylvia Watson had such incompetent idiots steering her campaign. They’ve just been caught red handed perpetrating the same kind of cynical and disingenuous politics they resorted to last year. Luckily nefariousness is no guarantee of intelligence.

David Ontonovich, campaigner for Watson, presuming that’s who you really are, you’ve yet to answer my request for a friendly wager over the results of this election. I know previously I wagered a cup of coffee, but sounds like your predilection might be for a different beverage. At least you sound drunk every time you post. So how about it? A beer at Cadillac Lounge says DiNovo wins by at least 10%?

Please note this comment is in a series of comments by me. I’m doing a prediction for every riding. For this riding I’m predicting the NDP will win.

Greetings! For the record I have have 4 postings on this site - so get your facts straight! I can see the NDP are scared and desperate (they should be) … pulling down signs, defacing them, misleading residents at community meetngs, using blogs inappropriately … guess the buses from Winnipeg haven’t arrive yet. Looks like we will be opening a “NEW” MPP office.

David Ontonovich,
I understand that the traditional Liberal strategy of underestimating the intelligence of the electorate has worked in the past, but your party should begin to understand that it can’t take voters for granted any more. When Watson’s campaign went shamelessly negative, it cost her any hope she had of winning the by-election.

Any intelligent reader of this comments section would have immediately realized that when your people came on here impersonating me, trying to make it look as though I was gradually becoming disaffected with DiNovo and leaning towards Watson, the posts were clearly not from the same person. The style and the diction in the comment by Derrida was vastly different from what I’d written previously. And if that wasn’t proof enough, Watson’s people were not smart enough to copy my name properly.

Now interestingly, there’s also a case to be made that you and David have some things in common. You and David (10.01.07 @ 9:05 am) have a penchant for beginning your posts with LMAO!, and you both also use a fairly uncommon word “arsenal” in your comments. Possibly you’re both just fans of English soccer or possibly you’re the same person.

Now these wild accusations of mine would be grossly misplaced had not the owner of this blog caught Watson’s team, in his own words, in a “blatant attempt to subvert genuine debate by fabricating multiple identities in an attempt to amplify their voice and creating the impression of consensus.”

So David O., please stop. You’re making yourself look like a complete ass. I understand you might be working on Gerard Kennedy’s campaign as well. Bodes well for Peggy Nash. On behalf of NDP’ers everywhere, we thank-you for handing us another election. See you at Cadillac Lounge Oct. 11, where you can buy me a beer and we’ll reminisce about old times.

David Ontonovich, not to muddy the waters, but you state that you only have “4 postings on this site”.

Are you claiming you didn’t post the Watson endorsements from Glenn De Baeremaeker, Ram Ramchaitar, and James Dicks which come immediately before the first post under your name which contains other, similar endorsements and was posted only minutes later?

We have removed the comments by “Glenn De Baeremaeker”, “Ram Ramchaitar”, and “James Dicks” as they were posted by the same person as “David Ontonovich”. If those individuals want to come to DemocraticSPACE and post their own comments, that’s fine. But we do not allow people to post under multiple identities.

What I can’t figure out is why Sylvia Watson is even running again after she was humiliated in the byelection and her reputation was demolished by all the dirty tricks her campaign resorted to. The only explanation i can think of is that maybe the Liberal hacks promised to appoint her a judge after the election as long as she was willing to carry the flag one more time.

My feeling is that the Liberals knew they couldn’t beat the popular DiNovo. So they threw Watson back in there as a subtle way of conceding the race and focusing their attention on ridings they had to defend from 2003.

As for Watson, she is full of herself and foolishly believes her lose to DiNovo was a fluke. Or she is smart enough to secure a job with the Liberal party in return for suffering another embarassing defeat.

Then again, maybe I am wrong and Watson will shock everyone by winnning on Wednesday. But I doubt it.

I came home from work today early to vote, around 2:30, and found a Watson sign planted in my front lawn, which happens to be right across the street from a polling station. When I telephoned the Watson campaign to ask how this could have happened, I received an apology and an offer of a letter from Watson herself. I accepted the apology but explained that I had been enormously embarrassed by being identified as a supporter of Watson, and that the sign had only confirmed my worst suspicions regarding the ethics of her campaign. I offered to post the letter of apology on my property when it arrives. I won’t wait.

In case anybody is interested,
I worked as a poll official for the election. I won’t say which poll I worked at, because it might be against regulations, but diNovo cleaned Watson’s clock, getting more than twice the number of votes as her main opponent. The Greens were third, followed by Hutchence or whatever his name is.
Also, MMP decisively defeated FTPT in the referendum.

Will sylvia finally get the hint ?

Congratulations to the Ontario Liberals… I had hoped the New Democrats would have done better, this province and country is well served by them (for the most part). One final comment about Parkdale/High Park, until the next time. In the most arrogant display of disrespect to the voters she tried to entice in her (hopefully) final scene, in total desperation, attempting to manipulate/fabricate a surge of overwhelming support for her (”What, you don’t like me!”), on election eve, clock ticking twelve, more Watson signs appeared in P/HP than during the entire campaign—on private property without owner’s consent,on public boulevards, on high-rise apartment lawns, in sidewalk flower planters, on, across, beside polling stations. Alas, Sylvia, you lost by a larger number than during the by-election…with a provincial trend in your favour….NDP’ers would love 29 per cent of the vote (but not in P/HP)!!! Let this be a caveat to your sidekick G. Kennedy. Hope those signs are removed as quickly as they were put up…City by-law…unless you still have connections. Wondering.