Got nothing better to do today? Want to revel in the four previous years of Toronto politics and relive the glory days of Ford Nation? Want to support a provincial politician that doesn’t know when to quit? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you may want to head out to Woodbine Banquet Hall in Toronto for a campaign event with Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Monte McNaughton, and former Toronto Mayor and gossip magnet Rob Ford later today.
It was a busy week in the PC Leadership race. Both Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli and Nepean-Carleton MPP Lisa MacLeod withdrew from the race this week, leaving only McNaughton, Whitby-Oshawa MPP Christine Elliott, and Federal Conservative Party MP from Barrie Patrick Brown to scuffle over who will replace Tim Hudak. Both Fedeli and MacLeod endorsed Elliott when they withdrew, and Elliott has led in all polls, both of PC members and of Ontarians in general, since the race began. So where does that leave McNaughton? Well, he’s got Rob Ford on his side.
Ford endorsed the second term MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex last month. “I’m supporting Monte McNaughton because he’s a family man — he’s the conservative in the PC leadership race,” Ford said in a statement. “He will help the little guy and defend the taxpayer.”
McNaughton responded that he was, “excited to welcome Rob Ford to the campaign,” which is in stark contrast to last spring’s general election where Ford was persona non grata. Of course, Ford was in rehab at the time, burning whatever residue of political worth he might have had left after a second crack smoking video emerged, so he wouldn’t have been much help anyway .
So what does Ford see in McNaughton. Well, they’re both legacies. Before politics, McNaughton was the co-owner and general manager of the McNaughton Family Shopping Centre in Newbury, ON, which was been in the family since 1948. A correlation to Ford and his family’s business, Deco Labels and Tags, can definitely be made.
As for McNaghton, he’s in favour of balancing the budget, cancelling Ontario’s wind energy strategy, dismantling the LCBO and putting the kibosh on Kathleen Wynne’s Ontario Retirement Pension Plan. So nothing too complicated for the notoriously complexity shy Ford.
Here’s the blurb that was posted with the above photo on Facebook:
Monte McNaughton & Rob Ford – The Right Way Forward!
Please join Monte McNaughton & Rob Ford for an important campaign event THIS SATURDAY, February 7, 2015 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Woodbine Banquet Hall, 30 Vice Regent Blvd, Toronto. ALL ARE WELCOME! No charge. Cash Bar.
The Ontario PCs choose a new leader on May 9.
Open Sources Guelph 