It’s been a good week for:

* CTV cameraman George Stamou who likely had no idea of his influence. Premier Dalton McGuinty said he prorogued the House at least partly because the atmosphere there was “more poisonous than it has been in 40 years” – and cited Stamou as the source of that assessment.

* NDP Leader Andrea Horwath – simply on the assumption that no news is good news. There's an old maxim that says: "While you're an anvil, hold you still; while you're a hammer, hit your fill." Horwath is now the anvil of Ontario politics.

* Health Minister and potential leadership contender Deb Matthews who had a chance to build her personal brand in a non-controversial way with announcements on cancer screening and flu shots.

* Ontario drivers who saw gas prices dip to $1.13 a litre in many parts of the province before rising slightly toward the end of the week.

* Finance Minister Dwight Duncan who will step down from the post once a new Liberal leader is chosen and won’t be accountable for balancing the budget by 2017.

It’s been a bad week for:

* Energy Minister Chris Bentley who said Thursday he won't run in the next election. Bentley took the heat for the cancellation of two power plants even though he had nothing to do with the decision.

* Tory MPP Rob Leone who will have a hard time validating the concepts contained in his PhD thesis on ministerial responsibility. Leone introduced a contempt motion against Bentley over the handling of documents related to the cancelled power plants.

* Toronto City Councillor Ana Bailao who reportedly spent time in the company of at least one casino lobbyist on the same night she was arrested for impaired driving.

* Premier Dalton McGuinty who was the target of mounting criticism over his decision to prorogue the legislature. Nary an encouraging word was heard from columnists, letter writers, tweeters and even some caucus colleagues.

* Tory Leader Tim Hudak who was pushed out of the limelight by a combination of the Liberal leadership and the suspension of the legislature. Meanwhile, two Tory “attack ads” aimed at the Liberals turned out to be pretty lame.

They said it:

“My job is to figure out when the water is getting a little too rough – you blow the whistle – ‘All right, everybody out of the pool, everybody out of the pool, let’s allow things to settle.’”

- Premier Dalton McGuinty explained his reasons for proroguing the legislature to host Steve Paikan on TVO’s The Agenda.

“The people I represent could put salt and pepper on this and try and eat it but it’s not going to do anything for them.”

- John Clarke of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty on the need for government action following the long-awaited release of the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario's report.

“I always thought I might like to serve in the federal house. I wouldn’t rule that out at this point in time.”

- Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said he won’t run for the Ontario Liberal Party leadership but that a stint in federal politics was still on the table.

"I am just a country lawyer from London, Ontario."

- Chris Bentley speaking at a Friday press conference after announcing he is leaving politics.

“All we’ve heard from the OPP is a lot of claptrap and drivel, and very little action. And that I find very disconcerting.”

- Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin calls on the government and the OPP to help officers suffering from occupational stress injuries.

“I think if you see ministers effectively dropping like flies, and I don’t think Bentley’s the last guy to go, the credit rating agencies have to ask a question about who is at the tiller of this listing ship.”

- Tory finance critic Peter Shurman reacting to the news that Bentley is not seeking the Liberal leadership and is quitting politics

The week – for better or worse

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