Duncan Leaving Provincial Politics

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Published: February 7, 2013 09:19 am EST

Ontario's Minister of Finance and Government Services Dwight Duncan officially announced that he will resign his role as member of provincial parliament on February 14.

Following Premier Dalton McGuinty's October announcement that he would be resigning, Duncan had indicated that he would not seek the leadership of the Liberal party or serve in the new Premier’s cabinet. On Thursday, he announced his resignation is effective three days after new Ontario Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne is scheduled to be sworn into office.

"I am proud and honoured to have been part of all of Premier McGuinty’s cabinets and I believe history will judge our record favourably," Duncan wrote in a statement posted on his Facebook page.

"For me, on a deeply personal level, it’s time to move on," wrote Duncan. "Spending more time with family and friends is at the top of my ‘to-do’ list. My son Sean’s entire life has been spent with his dad in elected office. He has supported that in every way imaginable. We both love to travel and plan to do a lot more of that.

"There are other personal developments, including my next career, which I will have more to say about in the days and weeks ahead," he added.

According to a report in the Windsor Star, Duncan said he has left he door open for a future in federal politics, but is not sure he will go through that door. An article in the Toronto Star states that Duncan is resigning for a Bay Street job.

As a result of Duncan's resignation, a by-election for his Windsor-Tecumseh riding will be held within six months.

Duncan was Ontario's Minister of Finance when the Liberal government announced one year ago that it would review and subsequently end OLG's partnership with Ontario's horse racing industry, and was a central public figure in calling the government's deal with racing a "subsidy" rather than a partnership as well as disputing both the numbers of Ontarians affected by the decision and the economic impact of the industry.

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Everything that Dwight Duncan ever touched turned to @#$%. He was involved as executive director at the Brentwood Rehab Center in Windsor and damn near bankrupted it before they got rid of him. So McGuinty made him the Finance Minister so he could bankrupt Ontario too and he's done a good job of that. He couldn't run a popcorn stand and make money but I'm willing to bet that he won't have to after the deal with US casinos was made. Anybody that hires this guy with his dubious track record is either stupid or crazy. It would appear that the Liberal "empire" is beginning to crumble and it won't be soon enough to suit me.

Can any one tell me what the little Tax payer, who contribute's his hard earned dollars in taxes to the province must do to get a law adopted so that the tax payer is protected from these greedy, corrupt and slimy people. What every province should have is a law,that stipulate's, if a politician is caught in ANY DEALINGS, INVOLVING (BRIBES, FAVORS, MIS-HANDLING OF TAX PAYERS DOLLARS, ECT,)be immediatly dismissed and brought to justice,and all pensions, ect, be cancelled. We all knoow that these guys make their own laws FOR THEIR PROTECTION, SO IT'S ABOUT TIME THE TAX PAYERS MAKE A FEW LAWS FOR THEIR PROTECTION, what do you think, TAX PAYER?????? You have a couple or 3 or 4 big SHARKS on the hooks, don't let them get off. Have a good day.

Well thats just lovely. Dalton McGuinty and Dwight Duncan run Ontario's economy into the ground, and then scheme and lay the ground work for new casinos to come in and supposedly help to stimulate the economy that they've made a mess of. In the process, they simply disregard the thousands of pleas from the horse racing and agriculture industries, to reconsider this terrible mess that they have created. Conveniently, now that they've created this horrific mess, they both decide to get out of politics so they won't have to answer for the damage they've done. Undoubtedly, they have had the casino ideas up their sleeves for some time, and waited to drop the bombshell until such time as they could ride off into the sunset, no doubt with nicely padded bank accounts and very handsome pensions that the very people they are attempting to sabotage will be expected to pay. Lets hope people have better sense in the next election to vote for a party that won't make such selfish decisions.

Dont let the door hit you on the way out.Anyone that would hire this man is either corrupt or stupid!

I can't help but wonder what Windsor folks think. He killed their future first
and he intends killing the rest of Ontario as well...YES GOOD RIDANCE to McGuinty,
Duncan, Bentley and hopefully Wynne because she does not seem to want to help anyone. She wants to follow in McGuinty's footsteps.....

Part of a government that is (was?) the most divisive this province has EVER had. Healing the rural/urban split will take generations.

Wake-up and smell the coffee!!! A new career in the Casino business?

A quote from the above article.

"There are other personal developments, including my next career, which I will have more to say about in the days and weeks ahead," he added.

I say who cares!!!!!! Just leave

I will make a point when visiting Toronto, (Bay Street) to watch for the that slimy little SOB and fill him in with a few choice words from the horse owners in Grey-Bruce

As a standardbred horse owner I*m at a loss for nice or kind words! As a taxpayer the only words I can think of are unprintable- even RAT would be printable, but uncomplimentary to the rats.

I wonder if anyone has investigated Mr.Mcguinty or Mr. Duncan's bank accounts since they set out to ruin the horse racing industry?? Someone must have gained from all this . I suspect there is more to this than meets the eye.

Bill

Guarantee he ends up with Larry Tannenbaum and his bingo empire. What a crook.

So here we are Parliment is porogued when it goes back Iam without a MPP. Democracy at its best. Classic case of all the rats are deserting the sinking ship. Check out Mike Garstons Cartoon in wednesdays Windsor Star.... plus all the comments..... This mans legacy ...killed several industries with one decision to cull SAR. Then being fianance minister must have endorsed the gas plants, air ambulance debacle, smart meters, E health mess oh and the local Grace hospital fiasco awarding millions $$$$$$ of extras to a project where the contractor could never fullfill the original contract ... a much needed hospital that is being torn down as we speak with no replacement for years and a nieghbourhood devestated by a derilict building. Certainly a hard act to follow. Bay st will be jumping ship pretty soon by the sounds of it .....

In past emails that I sent to him personally, which I'm sure he did not read,
I asked him each time if he had ventured onto main st Windsor. After all the
devastation that he & the Lying Liberals have caused he & his family might consider moving...hopefully NOT to a community near me ...

Good riddens to bad rubbish. I hope that this dosen't mean that he and his band of thieves will not be held accountable for all of their corrupt dealings. Just because they retire should not mean that they will be forgotten. They should be dealt with accordingly. I think jail time would be appropriate.

In reply to by peggy-p

Donut Duncan was also energy minister and brought the meters everyone hates and is responsible for the current state of our hydro. Need I say more, future employment on board of directors for MGM. Welcome to Sorrio I mean Ontario.

I've always detested seeing this man's smarmy, smiling face come up on my computer but today it is more than welcomed. The Globe and Mail reported that he was taking a job with a law firm on Bay Street as a senior adviser. They are more than welcome to him. As to his claims that his time in government will be looked on favorably, I somehow doubt it.

According to Andy Radia @politicalpoints on twitter:

"....critics argue that McGuinty and Duncan are leaving behind a big mess: the province has the worst debt-to-GDP Ratio in the country and the second highest per-capita debt burden. Last week the Fraser Institute reported that Ontario even has a higher debt-load than the much-maligned State of California.

[ Related: Former Ontario air ambulance chief accused of charging taxpayers for lavish ski trips ]"

CBC has suggested that more "rats" will be leaving the sinking ship. That's going to leave Wynne in a pretty weakened position as leader I should think.

A note from retired track announcer, Frank Salive:

so, Dwight Duncan is announcing his retirement on thursday.

for any of us that grew up in Essex County, because of the devastation he took part in causing to Ontario horse racing in the Drummond Report, McGuinty, and Godfrey era, he will not be going down in history with Herb Gray and Paul Martin as being among the great Liberals to emerge from the southwest corner of Ontario...Duncan's mentor, former Windsor-West MPP William (Bill) Wrye must also be appalled at what transpired during Duncan's watch, ie obliterating a world class horse racing industry and unprecedented Provincial deficits.

for any of you receiving this, it might also be useful to contact Bob Duff and Kathy Rumleski to seek comment from Duncan on this. (his stonewalling of Marty Adler's questions were widely viewed on youtube.com)

though i am now retired in the Caribbean, it is shocking just how many despondent folks back home are writing to say 'things can't get much worse'...

certainly not the ontario i left behind in 2009...

miss you all
keep up the good fight
frank

I hope the people of Ontario realize they are going to be giving this man a subsidy for all his "hard work" when he leaves. He and his party overspent by 14.5 Billion in 2011 and he is chasing after his subsidy before the 2012 overspending is discovered and made public. After they spend Billions to build new american run Casinos and distroy an industry that circulated 2 Billion every year into the economy he and his coleagues will be viewed in the proper way.

In reply to by major hugs

Must be nice. Lets make a complete mess of a province, kill a very profitable indusrty,kill the lives and livelyhoods of thousands in our industry, not to mention the horses aan then just walk away. TELL ME WHERE THE JUSTICE IS?

Like Mr. McCann, I too will wait to see what his new job is. For a guy who wants to spend more time with his family, he was sure in a hurry to find a new job. Working on Bay Street doesnt give you the entire summer off last time I checked. Of course if you work as a lobbyist for a casino interest, the pay is much better. One big difference-The Private Sector demands results.

Georg Leber-ICR Racing

Very cowardly, Mr Duncan ought to hang his head in shame instead of using family time as a scapegoat for the mess his party has created in Ontario. Very typical of many politicians to be so very arrogant and unwilling to admit to any mistakes they've made. I hope that you are not so callous and disrespectful to those who pay your future salary, hopefully it won't be the taxpayers again.

i cant believe he had the guts to say `history will judge our record favourably`say what????i just read the article in the windsor star wich is his riding and the comments there speaks for itself!!not one comment thank him thats say a lot about THE MAN!

Two Down and One To Go!
We Need To Get Rid of GODFREY BIG TIME!!!!

What a coward ! Doesn't want to face the music just like his boss. Decimate a industry, not to mention all the other fiasco's like E health, orange, green energy etc etc. He should be behind bars, in any other country he would be !

Well well......another hatchet man runs out the door. Gotta love these guys, they make decisions that will most certainly kill an industry and put thousands out of work and then they throw in the towel. How in the heck do they sleep at night, I've got it, they were born without a conscience.

Bang on Kerry. History won't be quite as kind as he hopes, either for himself or the Liberals as a whole. The SAR disaster isn't the only garbage this bunch of public freeloaders will drag with them when they leave. He should take some of the remaining rats with him.

No loss.

Seems to me that any politician who "quits" part way through their term of office for reasons other than failing health should forfeit some or all of their pension. As one who contributes to that pension through my taxes, perhaps Mr. Duncan should have made "spending more time with family and friends" a priority BEFORE the last election. That said, don't let the door hit you on your way out!

anyone want to bet his new job will be with-------a US casino chain or with his buddy in bingo operations
you guys need an RCMP investigation into all of the governments dealings that ----just don't make common sense ---

I would dare to say that they are ALL bailing out , knowing quite well that their future was doomed anyway. They just didn't want to go down with the ship!!

No great loss

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