HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2013-02-06, Page 12Wednesday, February 6, 2013 • Lakeshore Advance 11
Huron's Liberal delegates happy with Wynne's win as new leader
but Huron -Bruce MPP calls Wynne 'much the same' as McGuinty
Susan Hundertmark
The Huron Expositor
While 1Inron Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson
sees new provincial Liberal leader Kath-
leen Wynne as "much the same" as her
predecessor, !futon delegates for the local
Liberals are saying Wynne is the woman to
solve the problems facing Ontario.
"Oh, goodness. Isere we go again" said
'Thompson of 11('r reaction to both Wynne's
televised speech when she said she was
lekmud t0 carry on outgoing Premier Dalton
cGuinty's legacy and to her first media
scrum when she slid not list the economy
as her first priority.
"I think we're still going to see the same
old and tired government that we did with
McGuinty. I'm afraid it's going to he more
of the same and we can't afford that," she
said, listing cancelled gas plants, ORNGI:,
ellealth and the Green Energy Act as
111c(uinty's legacy.
"'The P(; Party of Ontario is really focused
starting Feb. 19 On accountability and
We're going t0 be pressing our new Premier
to see what kind of plan she has t0 reinvig-
orate Our economy and bring confidence
hack to this province so people will invest
in it again and ultimately we have jobs,"
said Thompson.
Thompson said she wants to hear jobs
and the economy as Wynne's top priority
when the province has a $4 1 1 billion debt
and an over $10 billion deficit, not on
social justice, which Wynne has identified
as one of her top issues.
Thompson added that while Wynne has
been expressing concern about the (;r('l'il
Energy Act while campaigning for the
Liberal leadership, 'Thompson heard from
Toronto consumer advocate Dale Gold -
hawk that Wynne told him nothing would
change concerning the wind issue.
„One of her messages was we need to
• ' c't listening to people in rural Ontario
Jtl sting the wind development as an
'xample. And, Dale (;oldhawk told me on
live radio that when he pressed her about
that, her answer Wa15 110, things aren't really
going to change,' said 'Thompson.
The choice is a good one.
She's an experienced
politician with several major
portfolios under her belt and
I think she'll rise to the
occasion. She's going in
during tough times but I
think she'll handle it well."
1Vhen asked if she predicts it provincial
election this spring, 'Thompson said, "Let's
get the doors to Queen's Park open again
and let's talk about some of the craziness
that happened behind closed (ours during
prorogation and hold them accountable:'
A Kathleen Wynne supporter from the
beginning, Nick Whyte, of Seaforth, said he
was happy t0 see provincial Liberals
choose Wynne as their leader when he
attended the leadership convention in
Toronto as a delegate last weekend.
"I think she will reach Out to the other
two leaders in both the Conservative and
NI)P parties in an attempt to find as much
common ground as she can. She doesn't
want another election right now and I
don't think the people of Ontario want one
right now either," he said.
Whyte said he thinks the liberals lost the
Iluron-Bruce riding in the last election
because of the issues of industrial wind
turbines.
"Overall, the Green Energy Act needs
fine tuning and I think she (Wynne) knows
that," he said.
Ile added that he thinks jobs and the
economy across Ontario are priorities for
Wynne.
"We all have to realize we have it deficit
and that's a tough thing to deal with," he
said. "I Iopefully, she can help all parts of
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them.'
1Vhytt' said he thinks Wynne can help end
the labour discord in the education sector
since Wynne has a background as Minister
of Education, it conciliator and a trustee.
"If anyone has a chance to solve it, she
(ices," he said. "'This lady wants to work with
people rather than engage in partisan
infighting."
Fortner l luron MIT and Ontario Agricul
tune Minister Jack Riddell, who also attended
the recent Liberal leadership convention as
a delegate, said that while he initially
supported Eric 1loskins, he thought 1Vynne
gave the hest speech.
"I think she'll do a good job. She's got a
little bit of baggage with (ler sexual orienta-
tion, hut she's a smart lady," he said, adding
that while the older generation has "been
trained not to accept that type of thing," he
said he believes sexual orientation is not an
issue for the younger generation.
"The choice is a good one. She's an
experienced politician with several major
portfolios tinder her belt and I think she'll
rise to the occasion," he said. "She's going in
during tough tinges but I think she'll handle
it ve'Il"
Riddell said Wynne will win support in
the rural regions of Ontario by pledging to
handle the agriculture portfolio herself for
the first year.
"'That's 5(1111' indication she wants t0 d0
what's best for rural Ontario. She knows the
rural community used to he a Liberal strong-
hold and 1 think she'd like to gain that hark,"
he said.
1Vhile the Green Energy Act alight have
lost rural votes for Liberals, Riddell said he
thinks \'Vvnne IS the leader 10 convince rural
('0115(1tlll'11ts 111(' necessity Of (IS1I1g (110re
green energy.
"She's the type of person who will sit
clown and talk common sense to people one
on one," he said.
Riddell added he hopes the provincial
opposition doesn't "pull the plug on her in
the early stages,'
"'The NM' is adamant to have it public
inquiry into the so-called gas plant scandal
and (Conservative leader li111) Iludak has
no qualms to get the Liberals out of there
and advance himself. But, people looking
for alternatives are going to (NDP leader
Andrea) 1lorwath not 1ltidak," he said.
SPOTLIGHT ON WOMEN OF LAMBTON
The Lambton Heritage Museum is seeking nominations
of women who have played important roles in shaping
their communities for its upcoming 2013 exhibition.
Anyone can nominate someone they admire from the
past or present. For guidelines and to submit your
nomination before March 15, 2013 visit
tinyurl.com/LambtonNominations or call 519-243-2600.
t eats Geromette and daughter Adelaide fishing on the Ausahle Riv y
t .t
COUNTY OF
LAM BTON
LAMBTON HERITAGE MUSEUM
10035 Museum Road, RR 2
Grand Bend, ON NOM 1TO
Telephone: 519-243-2600
Fax: 519-243-2646
www.Iclmg.org