[RCO]

( be an interesting race , i have no idea who is going to win them yet , its way too early and we don't even have any candidates yet in Vaughan . a riding where the candidate can often be more important than the party )


McGuinty calls two Ontario byelections for Sept. 6


By Jonathan Jenkins,Queen's Park Bureau

First posted: Wednesday, August 08, 2012 11:01 AM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, August 08, 2012 12:13 PM EDT



MAPLE - Voters in Vaughan and Kitchener-Waterloo will vote in twin byelections on Sept. 6, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Wednesday.

McGuinty’s Liberals could reclaim the majority they lost in last fall’s general election if they win both.

McGuinty made it clear his party would run on its record of investing in education, saying the Progressive Conservatives would rather put money into horse racing than fund full day kindergarten.

And the NDP are “running away” from the harsh fiscal realities that have forced his government to try and freeze teachers’ wages.

The two byelections will have as their backdrop a dramatic showdown between McGuinty and his former allies in the teacher unions. He has threatened to recall the Legislature before Sept. 1 to force a wage freeze on them if one isn’t negotiated by then.

But the premier also conceded he doesn’t expect either the Tories or NDP to support any bill he proposes.

The Vaughan byelection is needed to replace veteran Liberal MPP Greg Sorbara who retired last week.

In Kitchener-Waterloo, Tory MPP Elizabeth Witmer resigned in April to become the chairman of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.

None of the three major parties has nominated a candidate in Vaughan but both the Tories and NDP have candidates already campaigning in K-W. The Liberals nominate their candidate on Thursday.

The government has been getting hammered over the summer on the Ornge air ambulance scandal and the $190 million cost of moving an unpopular gas plant in Mississauga, in the middle of the last election


http://www.torontosun.com/2012.....for-sept-6

[cosmostein]

Wow;
McGunity seems to be in a rush to get Vaughan settled?

He enjoyed his majority with the empty seat in KW, but I guess he is concerned that if Vaughan doesnt get squared quickly he could lose them both.

I would imagine that McGunity knew the Sorbara resignation was coming, and the ground forces in Vaughan already have an idea as to who will run.

I would imagine the PC's may just opt to give Tony Genco another kick at the can as he should still have a lot of the infrastructure in place he did for the 2011 run.

As for KW, the Liberals appear to be playing fast and loose;
The election is in a month and they haven't nominated anyone yet?

Tracey Weiler has been working the riding for weeks, and with school just ramping up the Liberals wont exactly get a boost from on campus support.

As I see it the Liberals best chance is Karen Scian who is already a known commodity in the community but their lack of getting started leads me to believe they may not have the organization they need to be a threat in the riding.

[RCO]

( vaughan is tied according to this small poll , and a possible liberal candidate is mentioned , no word on the pc's )


Adam Martin-Robbins
|
Aug 08, 2012 - 10:07 AM

.
Vaughan byelection hot race to watch: poll

Vaughan, traditionally a Liberal stronghold, could turn from red to blue if the provincial byelection was held today, according to a new Forum poll.
That poll, taken by telephone late last week, shows 41 per cent of voters would choose the Progressive Conservatives, 40 per cent would vote Liberal, while only 15 per cent would vote NDP.
The local byelection, estimated to cost between $500,000 and $1 million, was touched off by Liberal MPP Greg Sorbara, who stepped down last Wednesday after representing the community for more than two decades.
Mr. Sorbara said he is leaving elected office to devote more time to his family, his business and a looming provincial election. But he isn’t completely walking away from politics.
He’ll stay on as campaign chairperson for the Ontario Liberal Party and as head of the party’s fundraising body, the Ontario Liberal Fund.
Premier Dalton McGuinty retained his popularity in the local riding, according to the 452 Vaughan residents that Forum surveyed.
While Mr. McGuinty’s credibility with voters provincially has suffered recently, he had an approval rating of 32 per cent in Vaughan. New Democratic Party Leader Andrea Horwath’s approval is highest at 33 per cent and PC Leader Tim Hudak sits at 24 per cent.
Forum, however, found that Tories in Vaughan are more likely to say they are “very enthusiastic” about voting for their party at 42 per cent as opposed to the Liberals at 39 per cent and the NDP at 37 per cent.
The results show the Vaughan byelection won’t be a walk in the park for the Liberals, said Forum president Lorne Bozinoff.
“There are a belt of ridings around Toronto that have kept the Liberals in office. This is where the battle will be in the next election,” Mr. Bozinoff said.
“The riding does tend to go Liberal. But if it’s this close, it could be very surprising,” he added.
A similarly tight race in the November 2011 federal byelection was won by the Conservatives, represented by now International Co-operation Minister Julian Fantino.
There are two byelections set to take place, one in Vaughan and the other in Kitchener-Waterloo.
In April, former Tory MPP and cabinet minister Elizabeth Witmer resigned her seat to become chairperson of the Workplace Safety Insurance Board.
A date for the byelections, which will be held concurrently, could be announced as early as this week.
If the Liberals manage to pull off a victory in both contests, the party would gain the majority it narrowly missed out on in last fall’s election.
The Liberals hold 51 seats in the Legislature, excluding Speaker Dave Levac, versus a combined tally of 53 seats for the Progressive Conservatives and the New Democrats.
Steven Del Duca is hoping to ensure that Vaughan remains a Liberal riding.
The longtime Vaughan resident formally announced his intention to seek the local nomination last Friday.
“I think the accomplishments that this community has achieved over the last little while have been phenomenal,” said the 39-year-old father of two. “But I think there’s still a fair bit more to do so I wanted to throw my hat into the ring because I believe I bring the skills and the energy and experience to the table that will help me be the strongest, most effective representative for the community inside Queen’s Park.”
Mr. Del Duca is director of public affairs at the Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario and has been active on the political scene for many years.
He has worked on Mr. Sorbara’s various campaigns since 1999 including serving as chair of the veteran politician’s re-election campaign 10 months ago.
And, up until last week when he resigned, Mr. Del Duca was president of the Vaughan Provincial Liberal Riding Association.
He was also involved in efforts to secure the approvals for the Vaughan hospital and chaired the 2008 Annual Vaughan Hospital fundraising gala, which raised more than $1 million for the project.
Mr. Del Duca helped establish the Greater Toronto Region Economic Summit and was recently appointed to the board of the York Region United Way.
Mr. Del Duca has never held elected office.
He failed in his attempt to capture the Woodbridge East seat in the 2010 municipal election, but said he learned a lot from the experience.
“There are about 15,000 households in that particular ward ... I think I got to about 90 per cent of the doors including some doors I got to twice and I really, really enjoyed that part,” Mr. Del Duca said. “I think that’s probably the most important thing when we it comes to the way we tend to our democracy these days. It gets a little bit lost in the shuffle. But that direct contact, giving voters a chance to see their candidates and their aspiring elected officials (to) hear from them directly and ask them questions is something that, I think, is of vital importance.”
Mr. Del Duca said, if elected to represent Vaughan, he would make job creation and easing traffic gridlock his top priorities.
Former Thornhill MPP Mario Racco is another potential contender whose name is being batted around for the Liberal nomination.
There is no word yet as to when the local Liberal riding association plans to hold a nomination meeting to select a candidate.
Neither the local Progressive Conservative nor NDP riding associations have announced nomination meetings to select candidates, either. But Vaughan PC riding association president Nick Pinto said a decision could be made as early as this week.
There are rumblings that former city fleet co-ordinator and failed mayoral candidate Paul Donofrio may step up to run under the NDP banner, once again.

http://www.yorkregion.com/news.....watch-poll

[cosmostein]

I still can't wrap my head around why there is a rush to head into these by-elections?

McGuinty had a bit of time to call the Kitchener-Waterloo by-election and had a ton of time to call the Vaughan by-election.

For a party that has been pretty politically savvy I can only chalk this up to two potential conversations being had;

1) The OLP thinks they can land both ridings, they have know of Sorbara's resignation for a few months (or weeks) and have the groundforce in place and are looking at the numbers and feeling pretty good about their chances at a majority.

2) The OLP's internal polls are showing that KW is a lost cause, and figure their popularity isnt going to get much higher then it is now, so cede KW to the PC's and hope that a snap by-election in Vaughan will result in an OLP MPP returning to Toronto as the NDP and PC's were not expecting to contest it and now have a month to do so.

Consider the OLP didn't even have a candidate selected in KW before the by-election was called and the PC and NDP have been working the riding for weeks I am inclined to believe that option 1 is less likely.

If I am in Tim Hudak's camp I am on the phone with someone well known in the riding (perhaps former mayor Michael Di Biase?) and trying to drop a star into Vaughan as quickly as possible.

[RCO]

( Tony Genco back for the pc's in vaughan , a relatively safe and easy choice to make . depending on who the liberals run it could be close , polls also have the ndp alot higher than normal in vaughan so that could be a factor , they have no shot at winning but if they get more than 10 % alot of that must be coming from liberals )


Tony Genco Running for Ontario PCs in Vaughan

Thursday, August 9th, 2012


The Ontario PC Party is pleased to announce candidate-of-record and experienced community advocate Tony Genco will be our candidate in the Vaughan by-election called for September 6.

“This unnecessary by-election is a testament to the arrogant ways that the McGuinty Liberals are handling our money,” said Genco.

“Ontario is headed in the wrong direction with nine years of reckless overspending by the McGuinty Liberals that has dug us into a deep financial hole,” said Genco. “Only the Ontario PC Party understands the need for urgent action to get our economic fundamentals right so we are able to have the health, education and infrastructure we need and fund local priorities like a new hospital in Vaughan.”

“Prosperity is disappearing across the province with half a million unemployed. The decisions made by this Liberal government over the last nine years have led to record overspending, a record debt and a credit agency downgrade – all of which put everything we care about at risk,” explained Genco.

“The good news is that the voters of Vaughan can stop the Liberals from continuing to make it worse by supporting me and sending the message that the government is on the wrong track and must stop overspending and focus on job creation,” said Genco. “It’s time to send the McGuinty Liberals a message they can’t ignore with strong decisive leadership.”

He concluded he would work tirelessly to champion ideas to create the right environment for a more prosperous future, including:
Stopping government overspending
Freezing public sector wages
Creating 200,000 jobs in the skilled trades by allowing employers to take on more apprentices
Reducing the cost of doing business by lowering taxes
Treating affordable energy as a cornerstone of economic growth

Genco currently works as a consultant in business development and public affairs, and has extensive executive leadership experience in the private and public sector. His community involvement includes previously serving as the Chair of the former York Central Hospital Board (now Mackenzie Health). Genco has lived in Vaughan for close to 15 years. He and his wife Lea are the proud parents of Marilena and John.


http://www.ontariopc.com/news/.....n-vaughan/

[RCO]

( not really convinved the liberals feel they have a chance at winning this riding , i was expecting a much higher profile candidate than the one who lost to witmer last election )


KITCHENER, Ont. -- The Liberals have nominated lawyer Eric Davis to run in next month's provincial byelection in Kitchener-Waterloo.

A long-time area resident, Davis previously ran for the Liberals in the October 2011 election.

The byelection, to fill the seat vacated by Progressive Conservative Elizabeth Witmer, is set for Sept. 6.


Read more: http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/libe.....z239LHFzTA

[cosmostein]

[cosmostein]

[Bugs]

[cosmostein]

I think that catching the PC's and NDP off guard during a summer campaign certainly is a motivation in Vaughan.

What will be interesting to see is how motivated Liberal voters are to come out in Vaughan and KW?

NDP and PC voters should be willing to crawl naked over broken glass to get to polling stations to stop a potential majority.

[RCO]

[cosmostein]

I don't think the lack of time to prep was meant to throw KW into a mess, I think the goal was to do so in Vaughan.

KW appears to be a PC retain, and at present the Liberals are not overly popular in the 905's (Polling in 3rd by some estimates)

I think having a snap election in Vaughan gives the Liberals the best chance to retain it.

[RCO]

a new poll is out from forum , not sure how accure these by elections polls are , they do focus on specific ridings if nothing else . but just last week they said vaughan was tied so who knows .

anyways they show a very close 3 way race in KW
34 pc , 30 ndp , 30 lib
liberals lead in vaughan
47 lib , 36 pc , 9 ndp



http://www.thestar.com/news/ca.....polls-show

[cosmostein]

Genco is likely exactly what the Liberals were hoping for.
Vaughan was going to be a tough nut anyway, but it speaks more to the fact that Hudak really needs to do something to appear to the 905 belt and fast

Forums Research tends to under-poll the Tories to the actual result, so I suspect KW is a safe retain with a strong candidate however Vaughan will likely be retained unless something changes soon.

[RCO]

( hasn't been alot in the media about these by-elections , my feeling is that mcguinty is not going to get his majority . provincial by elections here usually favour the opposition . i would also expect a much weaker liberal victory in vaughan if they hold that seat . i expect kitchener waterloo to remain with the opposition )

McGuinty has faith in voters ahead of byelections

6:26 pm, September 4th, 2012



Ontario Liberal Premier, Dalton McGuinty

Credits: DARREN BROWN/QMI AGENCY


ANTONELLA ARTUSO AND JONATHAN JENKINS | QMI AGENCY

TORONTO -- The voter is always right, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Tuesday, two days before a pair of byelections that could provide him with a majority government.
"I have an abiding confidence in the collective wisdom of voters and whatever they decide, we will respect," McGuinty said after visiting students at a west-end French school.

"Win, lose or draw, when it comes to the upcoming byelections, we'll respect the mandate we receive from Ontarians, from Ontario families in particular."

The two byelections -- set for Thursday -- could reshape the minority legislature voters delivered in October 2011, with the governing Liberals held just one seat shy of a majority.

Voters in Kitchener-Waterloo and Vaughan could give that majority back if they both send Liberals to Queen's Park.

Few expect the Grits to lose their hold on Vaughan, vacated by the retired former finance minister Greg Sorbara, but the fight to replace 22-year Tory MPP Elizabeth Witmer in Kitchener-Waterloo has turned into a tough, three-way race.

PC Leader Tim Hudak downplayed his party's chances in Kitchener-Waterloo but vowed to work hard to regain the support of its voters.

"There's no doubt Elizabeth Witmer was a very popular member there for a long time," Hudak said of his former caucus colleague. "It's more of a Witmer seat than I'd say a Tory seat or a Liberal seat or an NDP seat.

"But we take it very seriously and we'll be fighting each and every hour until byelection day to get our message across," he said.

Whatever the outcome, Hudak said the day after the byelections will be the "same for me as it is today."

Hudak said if he had a "mulligan" on the 2011 provincial election, he would spend more time emphasizing the conservative alternatives to the McGuinty Liberal platform.
Voters in the byelections shouldn't be fooled by the premier's get-tough message with the public sector, he said.

"There is a transparent phoniness to Dalton McGuinty's message that after nine years of opening the floodgates to runaway spending that somebody's going to turn off the taps," he said. "It's almost like he walked into the office after election day and said, ‘My God, who spent all this money.'"

New Democrats have basked in the limelight since last fall, as the third party used its balance of power to squeeze concessions from the Liberal budget -- influence they would lose if the Liberals win big Thursday.

"Ontario is facing some real difficulties if Dalton McGuinty gets his majority," NDP MPP Peter Tabuns said.

"I don't think he deserves a majority -- he deserves to be defeated."


http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/s.....82630.html