Former Ontario premier and Nipissing MPP Mike Harris takes a swing at Osprey Links this morning. Photo by Phil Novak. ___________________________________________________________ Mike Harris’s past treatment of Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman may be one reason why the North Bay Regional Health Centre will likely soon receive the green light to go ahead, the former premier implied today.
Harris is in North Bay today for the Bell Charity Golf Gala, a fundraising event for the new hospital project.
Kind way Following a cheque presentation Harris told local reporters he’d spoken to Smitherman recently about the yet-to-be built facility.
“He assured me we would be at the top of that list because of the kind way I treated him in the legislature through all those years,” Harris said.
Smitherman could not be reached for comment.
Good thing Before scrumming with the media Harris laughingly said he wouldn’t talk about politics and the Ontario Conservative Party leadership race.
But he did give his views on what sort of golfers Tory contenders Jim Flaherty, John Tory and Frank Klees are.
“I played with all three of them and I don’t think any of them are that good at golf, which means maybe they’ll spend more time on the job, so that’s a good thing,” said Harris, known to take the odd golf vacation or two as premier.
“They’re all three good candidates I think the party is obviously, as you know, down and has to learn from mistakes, has to rebuild, has to refinance, so I'll be there supporting whomever wins the leadership in that endeavor.”
Identify mistakes Harris said there’s “renewed” interest in the Ontario Conservative Party, which he called “a good positive sign.”
“They’re interested in who the new leader is going to be,” Harris said.
“I think it’s important, though, for the party, to reassess what went wrong, obviously something went wrong, to identify mistakes, admit those and lay out an agenda for the future.”
Bunch of promises It’s “entirely possible” too, Harris said, that an increase in Tory memberships could be related to the fortunes of the provincial Liberal government.
“I don’t think it’s a secret the public voted for a whole bunch of promises, most of which have been broken, so that may have contributed to renewed interest in the party, in who the new leader will be and what he’ll stand for,” Harris said.
“I’m a big believer, though, that you have to earn and deserve to get elected. I think if you wait to get elected by default or if they’re mad at the previous government, I don’t think that’s good enough for politics anymore.”
Honour its commitments Returning to the subject of the hospital, Harris said he was sure it was “a top priority” for Nipissing MPP Monique Smith.
“Of course it is for all of us. The government and the Health Minister have to give the final sign-off and approval on all of these expenditures,” Harris said.
“We’ve been assured we’re at the top of the list, and I would tell you this much, it wouldn’t matter whether the Conservative Party had a leader, if this party doesn’t honour its commitments to hospital redevelopment across the province they’re not going to last very long, so I feel pretty good about that.”
Quite well When he’s not on the greens, Harris said he’s busy “raising kids, trying to make a living.”
He has his own consulting company, and works with the Goodman’s law firm, in Toronto.
Harris is a fellow of the Fraser Institute as well, and said he's currently collaborating with former Reform Party leader Preston Manning on a new publication.
He’s also involved with a number of charities including Sick Kids hospital, the University Health Network, the Vince Carter Embassy of Hope Foundation, and the Tim Horton’s children’s camp foundation.
“I serve on a number of charity boards,” Harris said, “and hoping companies will reimburse me enough so I can donate some time to charity too, and both are working out quite well.”
