Provincial Party Leaders Visit Barrie
Schreiner and Wynne on Thursday, Ford on Friday, Horwath on Saturday
PC Leader Doug Ford came to Barrie Friday evening following the Northern Debate in Parry Sound earlier in the day. The loudest applause from hundreds in attendance at the Holly Community Centre came after Ford promised to scrap and replace the Liberals’ sex ed curriculum updates.
Ford also zoned in on the Liberals handling of Hydro One salaries and Kathleen Wynne’s appointment as Agriculture Minister – saying he would “make a farmer Ag Minister.” Ford also promised to “turn the health-care system around.” Local candidates, Doug Downey, Jim Wilon ,Andrea Khanjin and Caroline Mulroney joined Ford on stage for the opening of the rally. Ford declined to speak to reporters after the rally.
Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne was in Barrie Thursday evening rallying campaign workers and showing support for local candidates Ann Hoggarth and Jeff Kerk.
She took issue with Conservative leader Doug Ford’s pledge to cut taxes for middle-income earners, suggesting it would be a bigger break for those in the higher end of that range. That, she said, would not help deliver healthcare nor mental health support nor education; that those services would have to be cut in order to deliver the tax break.
She also defended increasing the deficit to ensure long-term prosperity, noting it is not an unprecedented move. She increased the deficit in 2013 to help deliver more of what Ontarians said they wanted – 800 schools, 24 new hospitals, roads and bridges have been built, Wynne said, adding they were able to balance the budget this year.
NDP leader Andrea Horwath is expected to attend the campaign office opening for Simcoe North NDP candidate Elizabeth Van Houtte at 425-427 West St. N, Orillia 3:15 pm and at Casa Cappuccino in downtown Barrie around 4 o’clock Saturday afternoon.
Live from the bus! We checked in with @AndreaHorwath yesterday just after she received the @ETFOeducators endorsement. She has a message of thanks for the educators of Ontario 🍎📚 #Change4Better #ONpoli pic.twitter.com/RvhXfjcTpZ
— Ontario NDP (@OntarioNDP) May 11, 2018
Green Party leader Mike Schreiner was also in Barrie Thursday, greeting party faithful with candidates Keenan Aylwin, Bonnie North and Valerie Powell; and meeting voters in the Mapleview/Bryne area and downtown.
With files from @jonMeyer_