By Sean Delaney
On June 2nd, we will go to the polls for Ontario’s 43rd general election.
Voting is more than just electing a candidate; it’s choosing the right policies and people who have your best interests in mind when making decisions that will affect our community. When you vote, you are taking an active role in deciding issues regarding health care, employment, transit, education, housing, affordability, neighborhood safety, taxes, and more. At this moment in Ontario’s history, municipal and provincial issues have converged in a way they rarely have before.
After more than two years, the pandemic has left us with a set of unique problems and perhaps, opportunities. Among the top of the list of challenges sits senior’s care, health care, education, and home affordability.
It’s commonly agreed that traffic gridlock is a regional issue whose solutions will require a new level of cooperation and coordination among the region’s municipalities and Queen’s Park. Since the last provincial election, we have a shiny new LRT being built along the Finch Corridor, one that has needed considerable expenditures to complete. Similarly, our municipalities’ need for increased fiscal capacity, a common refrain from city hall in Toronto, and elsewhere, will not be possible to resolve without a political will at the provincial level.
As voters, it is our responsibility to get to know what the important issues are, choose a party or candidate that we feel best has the will to create positive change, and please, exercise your right to vote.
Of all the advice that can be given before one head to the polls, the best remains the core classics. Get to know your candidates, look for someone who shares your ideals, and on June 2nd, look for someone who will battle for what is best for you.
The Emery Village Voice reached out to each of the candidates from the four major parties and asked them some general questions to provide you with a start.
Of note, responses were received from three candidates, with information for Paul Nguyen, PC Ontario candidate, taken from his official campaign website.
Look to page 10 and 11. Responses were edited for space.