TBA The Biotechnology Initiative

The Voice of Bioscience in Ontario



September 28: Ontario Political Update breakfast

The presentations at the TBI Ontario Political Update breakfast given by political analyst and president of the Devon Group Bob Richardson and Angus Reid Strategies vice president public affairs Craig Worden 10 days before the Ontario election proved accurate with the Ontario Progressive Conservatives paying a heavy price for taking a controversial stand on funding for faith-based schools.

The final results of the election saw the Liberals take a majority winning 71 of a possible 107 seats, while the Conservatives managed just 26 seats, validating both Richardson’s and Worden’s forecast of a Liberal victory and in the Richardson’s case, a Liberal majority.

“There are two likely outcomes on October 10, either a Liberal majority government or a Liberal minority government,” said Richardson at the breakfast basing his prediction on data collected from 15 public opinion polls taken since July 2. The driving factor for it all said Richardson was the opposition on faith based schools from 58% of those polled coupled with the Conservatives inability to focus on a key winning issue (faith based schools, tax promise, doctors, lost manufacturing jobs).

The Angus Reid poll presented by Craig Worden at the breakfast suggested the same result, that the Liberals would take a 40% share with the Conservatives taking 35%, leaving 16% for the NDP.

In the end, both men were right, and not surprisingly, the Angus Reid predictions weren’t far off the mark as the Liberals took 42.2%, and the Conservatives 31.7% of the vote share.

Asked how a Liberal majority might affect biotech in Ontario, Richardson stated a stable majority government could prove to be a blessing for the industry locally.

“A stable majority government plays right into biotech’s hands, whether its liberal or conservative it gives them the opportunity to lobby people for policy changes or policy focus for four years as opposed to an unstable minority government that won’t be in power for long,” said Richardson. He added that upon a Liberal majority, the Premier should be pressured to finally make good on a promise to address the need to appoint a new minister for the file.