In January, great things were foreseen for Patrick Brown, including the possible premiership of the country’s largest province.
But as of March, he is but a dot on
Depending on where you sit, Brown’s decision Thursday to withdraw from the race, after the Progressive Conservatives declined his nomination in Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte (BSOM), is cause for either mourning or relief. There was, of course, also the possibility that he could have run as an independent.
Former PC riding association president Scott Macpherson tells Barrie Today he’s saddened by Brown’s departure, but understands he “had to move on with his personal life and get into new ventures.”
Macpherson, now an Oro-Medonte Township councillor, admits it won’t be easy for a man approaching 40 who has spent half his life in politics to find a new path.
Macpherson also took time to speculate on who would jump into the political arena, including former MPP Rod Jackson, a “parachuted” candidate in former leadership hopeful Tanja Granic Allen, and – before all this was made clearer shortly before noon Friday, longtime MPP Garfield Dunlop.
The party will hold a nomination meeting within 14 days, and Dunlop has indicated he wants the seat.
Macpherson also noted it could be historic if Dunlop ran and won here, while his daughter, Jill, took
“It would be the first parent-child (combination) sitting in the legislature at the same time.”
But as far as former MPP and newly crowned Liberal riding president Bruce Owen is concerned, good riddance.
“In light of all the circumstances and issues, the PC party had no alternative but to refuse Patrick Brown’s candidacy,” he said.
Owen also said his party will soon nominate a candidate in BSOM, and extolled Premier Kathleen Wynne’s improvements to the province, “in infrastructure, environment, GO train. We now have clean air to breathe. Young people are now better helped with education and needed medicines.”
Two candidates have officially declared in BSOM. Darren Roskam is the candidate running for the None of the Above Party and Keenan Aylwin is running for the Green Party.
Aylwin says the Brown controversy points up the need for a different approach to politics.
“People are fed up with Liberal scandals and they don't want a PC government that fails to grasp the challenges of the 21st century,” Aylwin said.
“Unlike the other parties that seem only to be concerned with personal attacks and political games, (Greens are) committed to talking about the issues that matter,” he added.
Election day is Thursday, June 7
