QUEEN’S PARK—On Tuesday, May 3, Ontario’s 26th Premier Doug Ford made the journey to Government House to request that Ontario Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, call a June 2 election.
There were four declared candidates seeking the Algoma-Manitoulin seat in the legislature at Queen’s Park: incumbent Mike Mantha, New Democratic Party (NDP); Cheryl Fort, Progressive Conservative (PC) Party of Ontario; Tim Vine, Liberal; Maria Legault, Green Party (a request for bio and contact information had not been received as of press time Monday); and New Blue Party of Ontario, Ron Koski (The Expositor has not received information on Mr. Koski as of press time Monday).
There are two new registered parties in the June 2 contest, the social conservative Ontario Party of former PC MPP Derek Sloan and the New Blue Ontario Party led by lawyer Jim Karahalios (former Conservative Party of Canada leadership contender).
The Expositor sent each candidate a request for a brief statement that encapsulates their campaign.
“Doug Ford has shown that his party is out of touch with the priorities of the north,” said Mr. Mantha. “His last budget, which is standing in for a platform, made no new investments in northern healthcare, education, public services or Northern infrastructure. The Conservatives failed to deliver for the North during their four years in office. An NDP government would focus on fixing what matters most to northerners in this election. That is the commitment l bring to the people of Algoma-Manitoulin.”
“Opportunity is knocking at the door for Algoma-Manitoulin, the Ontario PC Party has a plan to rebuild Ontario’s economy, invest in key infrastructure, work for workers, commit to keep costs down and to stay open,” said Ms. Fort. “This is exactly what we need in Algoma-Manitoulin. Elect Cheryl Fort to work alongside Premier Ford and the Ontario PC Party to ‘Get it Done!’”
“We can no longer ignore the gaps in Northern and rural healthcare (including long term care and home care),” said Mr. Vine. “With my background in healthcare I believe I can be an effective voice for Algoma-Manitoulin at Queen’s Park, as a voice at the table with a party that can win government. But more than this, I have the experience and will to work across party lines and with community and local stakeholder agencies to close as many of these gaps as possible. We start with repealing Bill 124, by putting people before profits in long term care and expanding home care access,” states the Liberal candidate.
The Ontario Party touts “freedom, family and faith” as its key principles, announcing this election is “the fight of our lives, the fight we can’t afford to lose.”
The New Blue Party contends that the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario has lost its way, asserting that “The Ford PCs and their left-wing ideologues and lobbyists are determined to leave Ontario ‘woke’ and broke, just like their predecessors.”
As has been its tradition, The Expositor is hosting an all candidates’ night at Manitoulin Secondary School next Wednesday, May 18 at 7 pm.
