You hear the hawkers when going into any major sports event: Get your program here. How else would you know about the players and their statistics? We need the same for political events. The federal Liberals in Barrie-Innisfil electoral district have finally been allowed to call for nominations and the date is set for Saturday, May 30.
The first pages in the program would deal with the creation of Barrie-Innisfil riding from the south half of the city of Barrie and the Town of Innisfil. The riding had been held open by the Conservative Party for MP Patrick Brown who has wandered off to try to lead Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party. This means the Conservatives will reach into their second string candidates and either Councillor John Brassard or former councillor and MPP Rod Jackson is expected to get the official nod to be the candidate.
Another Barrie City Councillor is also vying for the Liberal nomination. The first question from most Liberal Party members is: “Are you sure he is a Liberal?” That is Peter Silveira whose ward is in the north of Barrie which is part of Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte, a riding that has already chosen its Liberal candidate. The unique offer in Mr. Silveira’s candidacy is that he is willing to pay as much as $40,000 for the municipal by-election required in his ward if he is elected as a Member of Parliament.
The problem with a political program is that the players write their own curriculum vitae and tend to leave large gaps in areas that might interest the voter. The second candidate for the Liberals in Barrie-Innisfil is Jane Dewar a school teacher. Judging by some of her other affiliations, it appears that she teaches art. It seems she also lives in North Barrie and teaches in Innisfil, so she certainly drives through the riding frequently.
The third anointed candidate for the Liberals in Barrie-Innisfil is Colin Wilson. The former candidate in the previous Barrie riding and active in the newer Barrie-Innisfil riding, Wilson is a federal government employee who works in support of Canadian industry. A paraplegic since his student years at Georgian College Wilson lives in South Barrie where he is raising his teenage daughter.
The race is likely to be between Dewar and Wilson but it is no slam-dunk for either candidate. Dewar seems to have the support of Barrie’s old-guard Whigs while Wilson has built strong relations throughout the riding and is well-liked by the younger Liberals. Liberals attending the meeting in Stroud at 1 pm at the Innisfil Community Centre might stick a few candy bars in their pocket. It might be a long afternoon with two ballots.
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Copyright 2015 © Peter Lowry
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