HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-08-17, Page 9nal -Star • Wednesday, August 17, 2011
the provincial elections just seven weeks away, the
igning began in earnest across the province and in
ing of Huron Bruce last week.
le the wit calling for the dissolution of parliament
be dropped until September 7, candidates in the
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Huron Bruce riding have been active
opening campaign offices and issuing
opening statements in what promises
to be one of the most contentious and
hard-fought campaigns in recent
memory.
Liberal MPP, Carol Mitchell, the
Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Affairs in the Dalton McGuinty govern-
ment, was first elected in 2003 and is
seeking her third term in office.
Mitchell's main political opponents
are Conservative Party candidate Lisa
Thompson, who is from the Teeswater
area and was General Manager of the
Ontario Dairy goat Cooperative.
Grant Robertson, who ran as the
NDP candidate in the May 2011 federal
election will represent the New Demo
crats in the October provincial elec
don, his fourth time running. The Pais-
ley area farmer finished second to MP
Ben Lobb in the federal election.
In the rural riding that covers a sub-
stantial piece of geography in the prov-
ince, agricultural policies and imple-
mentation of the province's Green
Energy Act, which has led to the estab-
lishment of a number of industrial
wind turbine projects in the region,
will form the basis for debate and voter
interest.
Most recently Premier McGuinty has
been touting the value of the number
of jobs attached to the Green energy
initiatives claiming that up to 20,000
sustainable jobs will be established in
Ontario through its green energy initi-
atives and projects.
Conservative leader Tim Hudack has
promised to rip up contracts put for-
ward by the Liberals as part of their
green energy strategy. Reeently the
government revised its deal with Sam-
sung moving up the timetable for job
creation. A 300 -job wind turbine blade
plant in Til)sonburg operated by Sie-
mens Canada is among those
promised. •
In opening her central campaign
office in Goderich Friday, Mitchell
lauded the effort of her campaign team
Ontario Minister Of Agriculture and Food, and Huron Bruce Liberal MPP, Carol
Mitchell, opened her central campaign office in Goderich Friday evening and spoke to
supporters about the upcoming seven -week campaign.
she said. *There is a lot at stake and
rural Ontario is a critical piece of the
province of Ontario. The agriculture
sector is now the largest economic sec-
tor in the province, surpassing auto.
Stand with me. This is your community
and it's worth fighting for. I will work
hard, burn up the roads and knock on
doors."
With wind energy opponents taking
a strong stand in the riding, Mitchell
suggests that people's perspective on
the issue is changing.
"People's perspectives are changing
about wind energy and they realizeme
have to get away from coal: she said.
"Our options are nuclear power and
solar and wind energy. And to put it
into context, over 400 farmers have
signed up for turbines."
Public meetings featuring the elec-
tion candidates will be announced. in
the coming weeks.
in the previous two elections but
admonishing supporters at the same
time that the election presents a formi-
dable fight.
"Our communities are strong but the
conservatives want to take us back to
what we had before with cutting and
slashing of services," she told support-
ers. "The NDP wants to destroy the big-
gest the employer in the riding and rip
the heart out o the conununity.
"This election we will.set the course
for Ontario, a province that is already
leading Canada in the recovery. We
have a strong leader In Dalton
McGuinty who has a strong vision and
I am proud to be part of the team."
Acknowledging that the election
campaign will be hard-fought battle,
Mitchell called on a proven record of
hard work and results as a basis for
support.
"I ask you stand with me and fight:
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