The Monster You Know

Illustration by Brett Lamb/Torontoist.

With his intention to shove the Ontario PC party back to the right, newly hatched leader Tim Hudak demonstrated that he is the true heir to Mike Harris. But what kind of son will he be? Will he fit the mould of the creature in the Toho studio's Son of Godzilla film or will he be like the comical sidekick, Godzooky, from the animated US Godzilla TV series? In a city that never recovered from the "Common Sense Revolution," the answer to that question will suggest future perils for Toronto.

If Hudak is like the creature from the Toho film, we can expect him to be his father's son. That monster quickly learned how to use his atomic breath to help destroy other monsters. One could imagine Hudak eventually stomping on urban municipalities with Godzilla, which was also a favourite pastime of Mike Harris. Hudak loved the Common Sense Revolution so much he married it, so this option seems likely.

On the other hand, if Hudak is like Godzooky, he'll have Harris-like qualities, but stand as his own beast. Godzooky was Godzilla's nephew and not a direct descendant, so he had different abilities, such as flying. Hudak and Harris also have different abilities: Hudak has an economics degree; Harris has an alleged sixth toe. But Godzooky's primary role was comic relief—a role better filled by John Tory.