Although his party is leading in popular opinion polls, and has been for quite a while, Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown hasn’t had the smoothest of rides. During the leadership campaign — and after — he was painted by those on the left as a scary far-right ideologue. More recently, however, he’s been criticized by some on the right for not opposing the new sexual education curriculum presented by the Liberal government; he’s also been criticized for his support for putting a price on carbon. There has even been a splinter party crop up — the new Trillium Party is currently being represented by MPP Jack McClaren, who was turfed from caucus by Brown earlier this year.
We don’t think these sideshows are enough to derail Brown — at least, they shouldn’t be.
During his visit to Napanee on Monday, Brown offered a bit of insight into his broad strategy to get the PCs elected to government in nine months’ time. It’s a strategy that makes perfect sense.
Brown was asked by an audience member how — given that the PCs have had rural Ontario ridings largely sewn up over the past few elections — he planned on broadening support in those urban areas that have been reluctant to vote PC since the days of Mike Harris.
Brown then explained that he’s been trying to spend as much time as possible in those urban areas of the province in order to make connections there and broaden the party’s appeal among urban voters. It’s something he’s been doing since he was chosen to lead the party back in May 2015.
It’s not as much a smart play as an obvious play. These are the ridings the party needs to win if it hopes to form a government by this time next year. And it’s not as though the Ontario Liberal Party is making inroads in rural Ontario — between unwanted wind turbines and shuttered rural schools, the Grits are going to have another tough go outside the GTA.
Further, the issues that are most troubling to the province aren’t restricted to just urban or rural areas. Voters want to see their hydro rates to stop increasing at a record pace. They want to see the provincial government’s spending habits brought under control and see the staggering provincial debt go down instead of up.
The Liberals are all but gifting the next provincial election to the PCs. Brown is positioning the party as a sensible, centrist alternative to the scandal-plagued Liberals. Both former leaders Tim Hudak and John Tory found ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Brown appears to be determined to avoid the same fate.
His former boss in the House of Commons, Stephen Harper, had a pragmatism that served him well during his time in office. Undoubtedly, Brown was paying attention. He has the blueprint; all he needs to do is execute it.