NDP picks Hackelberg as Thornhill candidate
Hopes to carry on party's recent byelection success

YorkRegion.com
January 18, 2014

If experience counts, Cindy Hackelberg may have an inside track to winning the Thornhill riding in the provincial byelection next month.

And she could do worse than ride on the New Democratic Party trend of success in recent byelections.

It is a combination Ms Hackelberg, who received the NDP nomination Sunday afternoon at the Hilton Garden Inn, hopes to parlay to wrest the riding away from the Conservatives in the Feb. 13 byelection.

Not surprisingly, the general sense in the room during the nomination process is that the people of Ontario are discouraged with the scandal-plagued Liberals and the inept performance of the opposition Conservatives.

"The riding of Thornhill is full of New Democrats that don't even know it yet," Ms Hackelberg told approximately 30 supporters in her acceptance speech after receiving the nomination. "I'm proud the residents of Thornhill will have the opportunity to vote for a candidate who will work for them."

Ms Hackelberg will face off against newcomer Gila Martow, who follows Peter Shurman on the Conservative slate, while the Liberals will send Sandra Yeung-Racco into the fray.

Ms Hackelberg ran unsuccessfully in 2011 after she replaced Barry Weisleder, a controversial party choice, whose anti-Israel views were considered too inflammatory in a largely Jewish riding and non-disclosure of an article he wrote critical of, among other things, NDP provincial leader Andrea Horwath.

"In 2011, I was incredibly inspired by Jack Layton and his message of hope and inspiration." said Ms Heckelberg. "I'm the only candidate that has run before in the riding of Thornhill. This time I want to build upon the success of the first election."

In her address to the party faithful, NDP leader Andrea Horwath delivered an enthusiastic message of hope for her party which has won byelections in the past 18 months in Kitchener-Waterloo, London-West and Windsor-Tecumseh.

"You're here because you believe change is possible," she said. "You believe this riding can turn NDP. I'm feeling the energy across the province and I am ready. You're ready to elect New Democrats, people willing to put you first.

"We're going to do something incredible in this riding and give it the government it deserves."