VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - MCGUINTY LIKES SOUND OF "DALTON DAYS"

Jeez, it’s bad news all around these days, eh? Back at Queen’s Park, or, more correctly, Niagara on the Lake where he was speaking to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Premier Dalton McGuinty played the latest communications card on the notion of public sector belt-tightening to deal with the staggering provincial budget deficit. I noted some weeks ago how McGuinty didn’t rule out the possibility of unpaid leave or other such Rae-esque concessions from the public sector – which could have been called a Fumble, were it not as strategic as it now appears to be. This week, when asked about the possibility of “Dalton Days,” he answered “I like the alliteration, but we are going to have to sit down with our public-sector partners.” He would get no more specific than that, but in practically embracing the concept, he is preparing the ground for a coming battle – and getting all of us used to the idea, one step at a time, in the process. One of the cardinal rules in political communications is that voters and Press Gallery reporters alike do not react well to surprises. By gently and consistently revealing his cards on this one, McGuinty is laying groundwork, and positioning it carefully by talking about the “sheltered” and “privileged” position of public servants amid an economic collapse. The question is, will the end result be what he is suggesting, or is he preparing his audience for a high bar in hopes of being able to clear something somewhat lower when the time comes? I love a mystery …