Adam Radwanski lays out the challenge and opportunity facing Tim Hudak this week as Dwight Duncan presents the Ontario provincial budget as follows:
"Under Mr. Hudak, the Opposition has gotten much more disciplined - planning out strategy weeks or months in advance, and sticking to plan.
But the Conservative leader also needs to show that he can think on his feet, providing smart critiques of new government policies, and this will be his best opportunity so far to do so. "
While I agree with Adam's assessment that Hudak and his team are doing a better job than his predecessor at the art of political tactics, Hudak's role on Thursday is surely more than "thinking on his feet" and coming up with some snappy one-liners and criticisms.
That's in fact all Hudak has done for a year as leader. It is now time for Hudak to starting laying out what he would do differently if he was Premier.
The deficit is too high? Ok, so what are you proposing you would do to bring down health costs? Would you sell any assets?
Do you disagree with Premier Dalton McGuinty that creating thousand of new post-secondary spots are a good idea and would you thus cancel the spots as Premier? While we're at it, would you cancel Ontario's new early-learning program?
The vapidness of Hudak's first-year - I'm opposed to the HST, which my party used to support but I wouldn't do anything to overturn it if elected - is starting to brand Hudak as someone who isn't up to the job of Premier. He risks being seen as some that has no idea what he would do if he ever found himself in the job.
Thursday is an opportunity for Hudak to start dispelling this perception but in order to do so, it will take more than more empty quips and instead screams out for specific alternatives.