At the conclusion of a polite and tame two-hour all-candidates forum at city hall Thursday night, Simcoe North NDP candidate Elizabeth Van Houtte posed a question to the citizens packed into the council chambers.
“We have had 15 years of Liberal government. We have had 100 years of the Progressive Conservatives in Simcoe North. Is life getting better for any of you?” she asked.
Amid grumbling and a chorus of no’s from many, she said the upcoming provincial election on June 7 represents a chance for change. She positioned herself and her party, under the leadership of Andrea Horwath, as a viable option.
“We shouldn’t have a health-care crisis,” she said. “We shouldn’t have an affordable housing crisis. We should not have people hungry in this riding – that is wrong. It’s atrocious.”
Van Houtte, Green Party candidate Valerie Powell and Libertarian candidate Cynthia Sneath each stressed it was time to choose a party other than the Liberals and PCs.
But Liberal candidate Gerry Marshall said he was proud of his party’s track record. He cited the creation of Orillia Secondary School, the construction of the new OPP Central Region Headquarters and investments in high-speed internet and local businesses as reasons Kathleen Wynne’s party deserves re-election.
“I’m proud of our Liberal government’s investments in Simcoe North,” said Marshall. “(PC leader) Doug Ford simply doesn’t understand small-town rural Ontario and he doesn’t understand the economy is booming.”
PC candidate Jill Dunlop said Ontarians “cannot afford another Liberal government” and lamented that the average income for an Ontarian fell below the national average for the first time under the Liberals.
“My plan has three key pillars: respect for the people of Ontario, better jobs and a thriving rural economy,” said Dunlop. “Over the past 15 years, under a Liberal government, we have seen an erosion in respect for people. The Liberal government acts as if they know best how to spend your money with decisions being made that we not only disagree with but result in money lost from our households.”
Powell said voters are tired of the traditional parties and their empty promises. “I will not promise to put money in your pocket – a false promise that will leave a large debt for your grandchildren,” said Powell. “We (have a) fully costed plan to lower hydro bills, to unlock affordable housing so everyone can afford a home and to make mental heath services affordable and accessible for everyone.”
One thing is certain, Powell said: “The status quo isn’t working.” She urged electors to “vote for what you want not what you don’t want.”
After each candidate was given five minutes to introduce themselves, they had a chance to answer three business-related questions posed by the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce, which organized the forum that was co-sponsored by the Lakelands Association of Realtors.
The candidates then were asked questions by the media. OrilliaMatters asked those vying for office – each of whom has never served as an MPP – how they would overcome their inexperience.
Marshall city his two terms as mayor of Penetanguishene and his two terms as warden of Simcoe County and touted his lobbying “in the halls of Queen’s Park” as evidence of his experience.
Dunlop noted there “is no job description for an MPP” and said she has observed, over the last 16 years, as her dad, Garfield, served as the region’s MPP; that provided her with a sense of the commitment needed.
Van Houtte said everyone starts with no experience and noted it’s important to know the community and its constituents. Sneath, a long-time educator in York Region, said she would “call upon (her) experience as a principal for this role.”
But it was Powell who had what might have been the best line of the night.
“I think experience at Queen’s Park could be a detriment,” she said to laughs and a hearty round of applause. “The status quo does not work. Greens would do things differently.”
OrilliaMatters also asked candidates how they might reconcile their own beliefs and approach with that of their leader’s – a question targeted to Dunlop and Marshall.
Marshall conceded he is “not always enamoured” with decisions made in Toronto, but he said it’s vital “to disagree in an agreeable fashion.” He did not comment on Wynne’s plummeting popularity.
Dunlop, with a smile, said she expected this question was mostly for her. She stressed she “was loyal to my leader (Patrick Brown) right to the end” and lauded his efforts to build a “very diverse and inclusive party. I’m proud of that.”
And though she backed Christine Elliott in the contest to replace Brown, she said she supports Doug Ford, who has dropped into the riding twice “on the way to other areas.” Dunlop said Ford is a “down-to-earth person” who has already “shown he’s listening to the people of Ontario. I will be loyal to him and working hard for the riding here.”
In their closing comments, each candidate made a plea for support.
“My fear is Doug Ford and Ford Nation doesn’t have a clue about small-town rural Ontario,” said Marshall, who has been developing a Small Town Rural Ontario Act for about two years. “We need someone to stand up for small-town rural Ontario.”
Van Houtte urged voters to get behind the surging party and Horwath, whom she predicted would be Ontario’s next premier. “Our plan is to help make life more affordable for all of you in every way shape or form,” she said, vowing to help citizens “feel a sense of hope and optimism.”
Dunlop cited a host of statistics – the loss of 300,000 manufacturing jobs, the 380,000 regulations “choking business” – and lauded the PC plan to reduce hydro rates, lower tax rates and cut red tape. “As a lifelong resident of Simcoe North, I’m appalled the Liberal approach to rural Ontario is to shut it down and move it to the city ... this is unacceptable.”
Sneath said it’s time send a message “to our government: We want our freedoms back. Our mission is to defend you from what we call government creep – unchallenged and relentless government expansion.”
Powell stressed the important choice facing voters.
“As populist politicians gain power around the world, we have lost something: the truth and our values,” she said. “I implore you to look at each party, platform ... and leader you may be electing and ask yourself is this the person you want to make decisions that will (impact your family).”
Did the debate sway local voters? OrilliaMatters reporter Nathan Taylor spoke to many people after the debate. See what they thought in his story, which will be published later this morning.
