Although he’s disappointed in the ultimate choice Ontarians’ made in last week’s election, Progressive Conservative Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson says he’ll still get things done at Queen’s Park.
On June 12, the Liberals were promoted to a majority government after taking 38.6 per cent of the popular vote and increasing the number of their representatives to 59. The Conservatives lagged behind with only 27 seats and 31.2 per cent of the vote, while the New Democrat Party took 21 seats and 24 per cent of the vote.
However, in his own riding, Wilson swept to victory in with 47.14% of the vote (26,238 votes), holding on to a position he has defended since 1990.
“I was disappointed on a province-wide basis, but elated on a local level,” Wilson said.
In Simcoe-Grey, runner-up Liberal party candidate Lorne Kenney took 31.24 per cent of the vote (17,385 votes), followed by the NDP’s David Matthews with 14.08 per cent (7,837 votes). The Green’ Jesseca Dudun garnered 7.54 per cent, with 4,198 votes.
“I’ve been in this position before,” said Wilson, who represented the Simcoe-Grey riding in Queen’s
Park under Bob Rae’s NDP government from 1990 to 1995. “We are still able to do good things.”
First on Wilson’s to-do list is putting a halt to the wpd wind turbines.
“We need to convince the Liberals immediately not to put windmills near the Clearview or Collingwood Airports or there will be deaths,” Wilson told the Echo. “This is urgent!”
Affordable hydroelectricity will be another major concern for Wilson when he reconvenes at Queen’s Park at the beginning of July.
“I hope the Liberals steal our ideas for affordable hydro,” he said. “They keep signing windmill and solar contracts, but they need to change that and get on with getting out of the Green Energy Plan.”
Wilson will also be working on the redevelopment of the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston.
“Over the next four years we will be working on getting the planning grants,” he said. “We need about $4 million for each hospital and it will take a long time to raise community funds. If we don’t come forward in the next four years, the quality of services and the deaths of patients will be on the Liberals’ consciences.”
The MPP added that he will also fight for funds for hospices in both Collingwood and Alliston.
According to this House Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, it was the unions that let the Tories down in this election.
“We were defeated by 20 large unions that didn’t necessarily tell the truth,” Wilson said.
He explained that the Conservatives’ “Million Jobs Plan” to cut 100,000 management jobs within the government didn’t include nurses, police officers, physicians and other front-line workers. However, the campaign was harmed by publicity from groups such as the Ontario Nurses’ Association.
“I think 20 unions beat us and we shot ourselves in the foot to reduce the cost of government and get the deficit under control,” Wilson said.