i want to be clear: the ontario liberals have really been a pretty good government. they've made errors around energy policy (they overprojected electricity demand, and underprojected carbon demand). but, they've broadly upheld my own interests, at least.

it's just that this premier has this tendency to pander to the right. it's unusual, right - governments usually pander to the left. this one panders to the right, as all liberals in canada end up doing. and, they do it in ways that are horribly unpopular  - every time.

if you want to pander to the right, let's talk about lowering taxes for working people, or something. that's some good pandering that doesn't put you on the other side of the culture war. but, when you start pandering about privatizing (and actually do it) in order to pay off the debt, you trigger this reaction in an overwhelmingly left-leaning province that, if anything, wants to renationalize the energy sector, and couldn't give a hoot about the debt. and, then the conservatives don't vote for you, anyways.

this family values approach to pot is going to do the same thing.

i mean, maybe it's the immigrant vote. maybe it is. it's a great irony, right - immigrants don't vote, but they flood their representatives' offices. so, the mps are reacting to what they see in front of them. this is the reason you see so many visible minorities running in canada - the parties are reacting to demand, as reflected by calls to their reps. it's not always an accurate reflection of the diversity of the riding on the ground, though.

and, whatever they're getting flooded with at the mp office, it's not accurately reflecting a broader voting public. the data is consistent and clear on this and what they're doing is going to turn them into a joke.