Over the years, there have been only a few Union Governments where two or more parties have come together to run the affairs of state. The most famous was the Union Government headed by Robert Borden in 1917 during the latter days of World War One.
But do you happen to know the most recent example of this?
If you guessed this year’s Ontario Election … you’d be absolutely right.
The two parties which came together in victory were the Unions of Ontario’s Public Service and the Liberal Party of Ontario.
And is it not ironic that the term Union Government in our most recent example, contains just that – Unions.
If you are as old as me, you will recall a time when Unions really represented the over-worked and under appreciated – those who often worked under dangerous conditions and for the honour were paid a very modest wage.
Today though, Big Unions represent those who they would once have ridiculed – the overpaid and most privileged civil servant.
You might quibble with my contention that a Union can join forces with a political party and form Government but of course this is exactly what has happened.
Unions are not restrained by nuisance election laws that limit or cap spending and indeed spent multi millions in assisting the Grits to victory. Even the police union piled on against the hapless Tories.
And speaking of the Tories – do you really think anything will change with a new leader. Look at the numbers: there are 1.5 million on Ontario’s payrolls. Add spouses, adult children etc. and that number quickly turns into over 3 million all of whom have a vested interest in seeing the current arrangement prevail.
Juxtapose that to the number with the number who actually voted this past June – some 4.5 million or roughly half of the 9 million who were eligible to vote.
So if you start off with 3.5 million bureaucrats and their families in your pocket all anxious to preserve their entitlements - it becomes virtually impossible to affect the status quo.
It reminds me of the days when the Liberals federally won election after election since they started off with virtually all 75 seats in Quebec along with those ridings in francophone eastern Ontario and northern New Brunswick.
But the real issue here or should I say issues, is the fact that all of this support is most undemocratic:
- first, why should Unions be able to vote for one party when their membership is made up of voters who support numerous positions.
- but even more sinister, is the fact that when Public Service Unions support tax and spend they are thumbing their collective noses at the voters who are also the Province’s Taxpayers who end up paying the freight.
So what to call this coalition Government?
What about the Liberal / Union Party of Ontario?
Or better yet, the Union / Liberal Party.
And even better, the Union Party of Ontario since that dear reader - says it all.
As I see it…
‘K.D. Galagher’
