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Wynne rallies for change in Simcoe North

Liberal leader tries to generate support for Gerry Marshall in Midland

MIDLAND — Premier Kathleen Wynne remains confident Simcoe North will soon be painted red.

Despite her stunning weekend acknowledgement that her party won’t win Thursday’s provincial vote, the Liberal leader sounded emphatic Monday that local candidate Gerry Marshall will win the riding that has long been a Tory stronghold.

During a campaign stop in Midland, Wynne said her government has always done what it felt was best for the province — from the earlier addition of all-day kindergarten to the recent minimum wage increase and up to her weekend speech.

“What I did on Saturday was about getting more Liberals into Queen’s Park,” she said. “It was in no way about giving up. It’s an honour to do this job. We have built something so amazing here.”

In a room full of Liberal red, Monday’s Midland stop felt like a cross between a pep rally and a wake, with loud cheers for both Marshall and Wynne as well as plenty of praise for the potentially departing premier.

“We’re sorry to see you go, but please know we now have a better province,” Liberal supporter Roxy McDonald told Wynne at the start of the event that attracted about 100 supporters to Marshall’s Midland campaign headquarters located a stone’s throw from Georgian Bay. “You represented all of us no matter what the challenge was.”

Wynne said she was enthused after learning Marshall wanted to carry the party’s fortunes in Simcoe North.

“I could not have been happier,” Wynne said, adding she was impressed with Marshall’s determination and passion when she first met him in 2011 while serving as a minister in former premier Dalton McGuinty’s government.

“Gerry has always advocated for rural Ontario, small-town Ontario,” she said, noting Marshall has also strongly voiced support for Francophones and the building of a new French university in the riding.

“Gerry knows what it takes to have a strong community.”

Marshall credited Wynne and her government for doing what he said were some great things throughout the riding over the past several years. He said the province has not only helped build important infrastructure with new schools, health-care facilities and other major projects, but has also continued to serve as a leading employer with “recession-proof jobs” at each end of the riding, with the OPP general and central region headquarters in Orillia and the Waypoint mental health facility in Penetanguishene.

Since winning the nomination, Marshall said he’s been getting a lot of positive response throughout the riding, with the local election campaign receiving more donations and lawn-sign requests than it garnered during the 2015 byelection.

“People understand that I’m a small-town, rural Ontario champion,” he said.

MPP Deb Matthews, who has served in the cabinets of both Wynne and McGuinty, said Wynne’s weekend announcement should pay dividends for local candidates like Marshall and showed a leader not afraid to commit selfless acts for the good of the party.

“We’ve been talking to lots of candidates and the response is terrific,” Matthews said shortly after exiting the campaign bus in Midland, after an earlier stop in Newmarket.

“Kathleen accepts that not everyone likes her and that someone like Gerry would make an outstanding candidate,” she said. “She really wants to highlight our strong candidates and have a strong opposition.”

Former federal Simcoe North Liberal candidate Liz Riley agreed.

“She has been very courageous,” said Riley, who is serving as Marshall’s volunteer co-ordinator during the campaign and noted those canvassing for the Liberals had been hearing from people who like Marshall but weren’t keen on the leader. “She doesn’t deserve that, but she’s become that lightning rod.”

Riley said only time will tell whether Wynne’s gambit will pay dividends at the ballot box.

“That’s the million-dollar question. It could go down as one of the best campaign strategies of all time.”

Wynne, meanwhile, certainly didn’t sound like someone who has given up, telling supporters it’s essential that they continue working hard to ensure neither the Progressive Conservatives nor New Democrats attain a majority government Thursday.

“(PC Leader) Doug Ford will be cutting education and health care,” she said. “I’m in provincial politics because of what (former premier) Mike Harris did in the 1990s to education.

“It’s not over. We need to get the vote out. There are still doors to knock on and calls to make.”

Added Marshall: “Be proud out loud; be visible. We need you out there. In our area, change is red … not blue.”


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Andrew Philips

About the Author: Andrew Philips

Editor Andrew Philips is a multiple award-winning journalist whose writing has appeared in some of the country’s most respected news outlets. Originally from Midland, Philips returned to the area from Québec City a decade ago.
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