Huron Expositor, 2014-06-18, Page 1414 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Horwath has no regrets
about forcing election
Shawn Jeffords
QMI Agency
lithe NDP regretted toppling a Liberal
minority— apparently paving the way to a
majority government — they were putting
on a brave face election night
As the results paved the way for a Liberal
majority, the atmosphere was subdued as
the party faithful quietly watched at the
Grand Olympia Convention Centre.
Asked whether she had any regrets about
toppling the government, NDP Leader
Andrea Horwath insisted she had none.
"It was the right decision to make at the
time andpeoplenowhave had their choice so
we wffi workwith that choice and make sure
thatwe deliver for them," said Horwath.
She also defended her tenure as party
leader.
"I did a good job as leader of our party
and taking our message to the people," she
said. "We did increase our popular support.
We grew in other parts of Ontario, which I
thinkis extremelyimportant But ultimately
the work starts when the legislature
resumes':
Horwaths re-election as MPP for Hamilton
Centre was never in doubt and was met with
cheen from the small crowd. But the moment
of joywas quickly overshadowed when the
first TVnetwotics began to dedare the Liberals
the victors. Soon news of a Liberal majority
ge
Ontario NIP
Party leader
Andrea Horwath
addresses
supporters after
the provincial
election held on
Jhurs., June 12. A
further quieted the crowd.
Party spokesman Alex Callahan said it
was too soon to speculate on how the party
would react to Ontario's fourth consecutive
Liberal government. At doors throughout
the long campaign, the party was hearing
that people were tired of both the Liberals
and afraid of the Progressive Conservatives,
he said.
"We heard a lot of people who were frus-
trated by what they saw with the Liberals
and they were disappointed by scandal
after scandal;' Callahan said. "Tim Hudak
managed to make things look scary by talk-
ing about firing 100,000 people. That had an
impact on the campaign':
Asked if the Liberal appeals to NDP vot-
ers to defeat Hudak worked, Callahan
couldn't comment
"New Democrats are New Democrats,"
he said. "If you want to vote for a progres-
sive party, you can vote for New Democrats.
People did that in ridings across Ontario:'
7--Za#rZ
aet
Thank you to the following businesses and spon-
sors who helped make the Columbo ClassicSpring
Scramble a huge success on Saturday, May 3 at
the Seaforth Golf & Country Club. Thanks to your
gener ous donations we were able to give $1,000
to the Heart and Stroke Foundation and $3,500 to
the Seaforth and Area Food Bank. Thanks Again.
The 120 Golfers who took part
L. McGrath Plumbing & Heating
Progressive Turf Equipment
Seaforth Chiropractic Centre
Seaforth Food Market
B.J.M. Financial
Seaforth Legion
Dick Burgess Photography
Seaforth Golf Course
UPI Energy LP
C.I.B.C.
Intermodal Transport
Olympia Ice Resurfacers
Sofina Foods
Box Furniture & Floor Coverings
Smith Peat Roofing
Smith Packaging
Vanden Heuvel Structures
Sills Home Hardware
KMM Drainage
Seaforth Automotive
Seaforth Jewellers
Rona Cashway
TD Canada Trust
Total Image II
McLaughlin Chev. Ltd.
SuccessablesInc.
Advanced Equipment Sales
The Lawn Master
Devereaux Murray Law Office
Blooms 'N Rooms
Seaforth Animal Hospital
Seaforth Signs
MGM Townsend Tire
McGlynn Family Funeral Home
Smith Construction
Seaforth Freeze King
Coca Cola Refreshments
Culligan Real Estate
Map Art
Paul Haley
Brad Finlayson
Carolanne Doig
Mary & Kevin Bennett
West Coast Distributing
Huron Tire & Auto
Seaforth Eye Clinic
Irwin Physiotherapy
Primitive Creek
John A.M.Norris
Staffen's Lawn Care
West Harbour Ins.
Keatings Pharmacy
Tim Hudak waves
to supporters after
announcing his
resignation as leader of
the Ontario Progressive
Conservative Party
after the provincial
election on Thurs.,
June 12.
Tim Hudak steps down as leader of Ontario PC Party
Ray Spiteri
QM! Agency
Ontario Progressive Conserva-
tive Leader Tim Hudakwon his rid-
ing, but won't lead his party into the
next election.
Hudak, after helming the Tories
to back-to-back losses against the
Liberals, told supporters Thursday
night he was proud of the Tory
campaign but that's it for him as
leader.
"I will not be leading the Ontario
PC party into the next election," he
said.
Hudak not only failed to knock
off a scandal -plagued Liberal gov-
ernment but his Tories appeared to
be losing about one-quarter of their
seats Thursday night falling to 27.
Hudak comfortably defeated his
Niagara West-Glanbrook riding
opponents to win his own seat, but
had been aiming higher.
Many expected the Tories to at
least challenge for a minority
government
A subdued crowd of about 100
people gathered to watch the
results come in at Hudak's cam-
paign headquarters at the Moun-
tain Ridge Community Centre in
Grimsby.
'We just don't understand. How
can you believe that people in
Ontario can forgive (the Liberals)
for the billions of dollars that they
cost us," said Pat Coulson, of Fen-
wick, Ont., who came to show her
support.
"I am extremely surprised and
shocked. That's politics. You never
At the start of the 40 -day cam-
paign, as was the case leading into
the 2011 election, many pundits
believed it was Hudak's to lose.
Some political observers
believed the outcome of this elec-
tion would prove vital to Hudak's
future as head of the Tories: Win
and be Ontario's next premier, lose
and the calls for his resignation
would undoubtedly grow loudet
Hudak pledged to cut Ontario's
1.2 million-member public service
by 100,000 of the 300,000 positions
the Liberals have added since 2003.
He said it would have been done
using attrition, while protecting
frontline workers in health, educa-
tion and public safety.
Various economists took aim at
Hudak's eight-year, Million Jobs
Plan, questioning its numbers and
math.
Hudak has been leader of the
PCs since 2009.
The Fort Erie, Ont., native has
been a Niagara -area MPP for 19
years. He was first elected in 1995 as
part of Mike Harris' PC
government
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