The Citizen, 2011-10-13, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011.Mitchell says little after Thompson defeat
Riach ‘blindsided’ by
call for resignation
Continued from page 1turbines.”The start of the changes
Thompson hopes to affect will begin
at the grassroots.
“I plan on starting with talking to
the stakeholders,” she said. “I’m
very much a ground zero person and
I want to be where the changes need
to be made to see what has to be
done.”
The final election results, both in
Huron-Bruce, and across the
province, showed Thompson that
people want a real change
throughout the province, she said.
“We have heard the people say
that there is a real need for change,”
she said. “This has shown us that
there is still a strong PC movement
both here in Huron-Bruce and across
Ontario.”
Thompson concluded her
triumphant evening with a speech,
stating that she would be a strong
voice for southwestern Ontario and
that people would know the issues
here.
“I’m going to be the best darn
voice Huron-Bruce has had at
Queen’s Park,” she said. “People are
going to know that rural Ontario
matters.”
Thompson thanked her supporters,
including family, friends and those
who worked hard on her campaign.
Locally, thanks were extended to
John Elliott and his family, who
helped Lisa with both office space
and support as well as the Sparling
family who supported Thompson’s
campaign. Thompson also thanked
Marguerite Thomas of Brussels for
her support.Thompson explained that DavidSparling and Thomas were two of
the three people who spoke on her
behalf at the Huron-Bruce PC
nomination meeting prior to last
week’s election.
Mitchell arrived at the Clinton
Legion shortly after 11 p.m. to a
smattering of enthusiastic applause
from her tight group of supporters,
among them Goderich Mayor Deb
Shewfelt and North Huron Reeve
Neil Vincent.
Mitchell stated she would make a
short statement for the numerous
members of the media present and
would answer no questions.
In her statement, Mitchell thanked
her friends, volunteers and
supporters for their hard work on
this, and her two previous
campaigns. She made no mention of
Thompson or any of the riding’s
other candidates.
“We’ve done so much together,”
Mitchell said. “I’m proud of all the
hard work. We were able to get so
much done.”
Mitchell then asked members of
the media to leave so she could
address her volunteers and
supporters privately.
Mitchell, who was the Minister of
the Ontario Ministry of Food,
Agricultural and Rural Affairs
(OMAFRA), was one of many
Liberal incumbents to lose their
riding, including the Minister of the
Environment from neighbouring
Perth-Wellington John Wilkinson.
Voter turnout for last week’s
provincial election was the lowest it
has been since 1867, the year of thefirst-ever provincial election.The Oct. 6 election was the first
time voter turnout in the province
has dipped below the 50 per cent
mark. According to preliminaryestimates, just over 49 per cent(49.02 per cent) of voters cast a
ballot last week.
Last week’s election broke the
dubious 2007 mark of 52 per cent ofvoters turning out, breaking a recordlow set in 1923.
With files from Shawn
Loughlin
Continued from page 1
resignation was the only acceptable
action for Riach.
Riach, while unprepared for the
accusations, said that he believes he
hasn’t overstepped his boundaries.
“I was blindsided by it,” he said in
an interview after the meeting.
“However, I will not be resigning.”
Knott stated that, on Sept. 9, Riach
was in contact with his employer.
Knott alleged that Riach, who
identified himself both from Davara
Studio and North Huron council,
called Knott’s employer and
expressed dissatisfaction with
products he had bought from the
company through Knott. He stated
that Riach had said he would throw
the shirts out.
Knott stated in a letter to council
that Riach had violated several rules
under the yet-to-be-implemented
North Huron code of conduct for its
councillors, including Sec. 4, which
states all people should be treated
with dignity, understanding and
respect and free from harassment
and Sec. 8, which states a position
on council should not be used to
influence or for any purpose other
than official duties.
Knott said that Riach’s call was
one of two, and that he wasn’t aware
of who the second caller was.
Riach, however, tells a different
story about the phone call, and sheds
some light on the events that lead to
it.
“I did call Mr. Knott’s employer,”
Riach said. “I identified myself as
the owner of Davara Studios and I
indicated myself as a member of
North Huron Council.”
Riach said that he identified
himself as a member of council
because his actions were related to
both his personal experiences and
his municipal position.
“My reasoning for call was two-
fold,” he said. “I was calling
regarding Knott’s behaviour when
he was making a sales call in my
studio. It made my wife
uncomfortable.”
The second issue was a very
public message that Knott had made
regarding the character of council
and its members.
Riach said that he bought several
shirts which were delivered and paid
for and that he had decided he would
not be comfortable wearing them.
“His column on the Blyth Free
Press made very uncomplimentary
remarks about myself, and about
council, I took exception to the
remarks” he said. “Those two issues
made me uncomfortable wearing
those shirts. They reminded me of
him.”
The column in question was a
tongue-in-cheek reaction response,
according to Knott, to an article
posted by one of the blog’s
contributors.
Riach stated he did not throw the
shirts out, but instead donated them
to the Salvation Army.
“Knott’s employer apologized and
said she would bring up the issue to
him,” Riach said. “She said she
wouldn’t identify me.”
Riach believes that Knott’s
employer didn’t mention his name,
but that Knott guessed who was the
caller. He also stated he had no idea
who the second caller would be.
“I have apologized to the other
members of council if I have
embarrassed them or brought any
discredit to the council,” he said.
Riach said that it is not an
uncommon occurrence for him to
call or write letters when he finds a
Continued on page 20
One Liberal to another
Former Huron-Bruce MP Paul Steckle was in Clinton on Oct. 6 to wish defeated Liberal Carol
Mitchell well after her loss to PC Lisa Thompson. Mitchell was emotional after the loss making
just a short statement for members of the media and answering no questions that night at the
Clinton Legion. (Shawn Loughlin photo)