Who will get your vote in the Thornhill byelection?
Vaughan Weekly
February 5, 2014
By Angela Gismondi
The Thornhill byelection is quickly approaching. A byelection was called in the riding in January after MPP Peter Shurman stepped down and left the seat vacant in December.
In an effort to assist readers to make an informed decision before heading to the polls on Election Day on Thursday, Feb. 13, The Vaughan Weekly caught up with the candidates and asked them three questions: What background or experience do you bring to the table, what are your top three priorities and why should people vote for you?
Cindy Hackelberg
New Democratic Party
What background and experience do you bring to the table?
“I ran in the 2010 provincial election in Thornhill. I doubled the vote count for the NDP at that time and I am looking to build on that success. I am a president of the NDP riding association and a member of the Ontario NDP executive. I was born and raised in York Region and currently reside in Thornhill”
What are your top three priorities?
1. Transit - “I am a commuter who travels to Toronto for work every day. I take the GO train to and from Langstaff station in Thornhill everyday and I know that the frequency of the trains is a big issue. Thornhill is only 20 kilometres from Toronto but my daily commute to and from work is two-and-a-half hours.”
“The NDP believes Ontario needs a transit plan that is fair and effective. Families shouldn’t be burdened with new taxes they can’t afford. We think there are tax dollars within the government that we can be using to fund public transit.”
2. Better healthcare - “Many Thornhillers don’t have a family doctor and wait times in the emergency are really high. We need a healthcare system families can rely on. We need to reduce wait times and make sure loved ones are getting the services they need.”
“I would like to see more investments done. The money is there - $1.1 billion was wasted by the Liberals in the gas plant cancellation. We need to be more accountable and transparent.”
3. Affordability of everyday life - “The cost of living is going up. The NDP wants to reduce hydro costs and auto insurance. Auto insurance is mandatory and we need to make sure there is a product that is affordable and meets people’s needs.”
“We also want to build affordable housing units. Many people get the sense that Thornhill is a wealthy riding. That’s true but there are a lot of less fortunate people in Thornhill as well and we want to make sure they don’t feel like they’re getting squeezed. We want to let people know that there is a party who is looking out for the needs of all the citizens and that is the NDP.”
Why should people vote for you?
“I bring to the table skills, experience, education, passion and optimism. I really know we can make things better in Thornhill. I will be a strong advocate for this community at Queen’s Park. For positive change to happen it takes working together with people, for people.”
Gila Martow
Progressive Conservative Party
What background and experience do you bring to the table?
“I have served on the Peter Kent executive and was the past president of the Thornhill Progressive Conservative Riding Association, for two terms. I am also the current president of the Beverly Glen Ratepayers Association. I have been involved with a number of committees and task forces for the City of Vaughan.
I have lived in Thornhill for 25 years. My husband and I run an optometry practice beside Markham-Stouffville Hospital. ”
What are your top three priorities?
1. Getting transit moving and ending gridlock - “The PC party has a record of for keeping campaign promises. We are committed to extending the Yonge subway into York Region and we will deliver it without raising taxes.”
2. Job creation - “The Hudak government has a plan to create one million well paying jobs. We want to help youth and workers get the skills they need to get jobs and grow.”
3. Economy - “Jobs and the economy are tied together. We need to have a strong economy. Only with a strong economy will we have the revenue to do everything the people of Ontario want and need. ”
Why should people vote for you?
“Thornhill needs a strong, clear voice at Queen’s Park and I look forward to being that voice.
Teresa Pun
Green Party
What background or experience do you bring to the table?
“I ran in the 2010 provincial election in Manitoba. I like the Green Party because they are a small, grassroots organization and I didn’t feel like there was a lot of bureaucracy and red tape ... I am a physician and I can comment on a lot of health care issues because I’ve seen them first hand. I’m hoping that if I’m elected, because of my experience in healthcare, my opinion will be taken more seriously.”
What are your top three priorities?
1. Dedicated funding for public transit - “Funding for a subway is great but I find we get too focused on an object and then we don’t know how we’re going to pay for it. What I am suggesting is dedicated funding for public that will be there from year-to-year and that can be used for any transit project we need it for. The amount of time Thornhillers are wasting in congestion is ridiculous.”
2. A more efficient healthcare system - “When there is a problem with healthcare, its easy just to throw money at it or say ‘let’s build a hospital.’ We have hospitals in Toronto that are closing down their operating rooms because of budget cuts. So why spend that money to build a brick and mortar hospital? We should be increasing community and home-based support services.”
“We don’t have enough support in place to keep the elderly at home. There is nowhere for them to go so they stay in the hospital. Unfortunately, to voters, funding for home care is not as sexy as building a new hospital. But it would solve a lot of problems. The longer you are in the hospital the more likely you are to develop complications.”
“I think publicly funded healthcare is part of our identity as Canadians but I think we could learn a lot from the for-profit sector in terms of business management skills. That’s what we need.”
3. The eradication of poverty in Canada - “You have to give your fellow person a helping hand. People don’t think it’s sexy to help the poor in Canada - they would rather give money to the poor in foreign countries ... Nobody can live on minimum wage and the only way out of that is to get people the money they need to get an education so that they can support themselves.”
Why should people vote for you?
“If they want their voices heard and they want to send a message to Queen’s Park. I am interested in working with other members of other parties – you do need that opposition. I am willing to listen to both the voters and my colleagues if I’m elected. I want to celebrate the successes of the government and make a difference one small thing at a time.”
Sandra Yeung Racco
Liberal Party
What background or experience do you bring to the table?
“I have been a City councillor for over 10 years - I was elected three times to represent Ward 4 (which includes all of Concord and part of Thornhill). I have been a resident of Thornhill for 20 years. I have been involved in the community since 1993, helping Mario (Racco, former Liberal MPP and husband) with his campaign. I was the president of the ratepayers association and sat on a number of committees. I have been quite involved with the community and have worked very closely with residents in Thornhill.”
What are your top three priorities?
1. Transit - “I will fight to bring the Yonge Street extension to Thornhill and Richmond Hill. I, along with my colleagues, lobbied to bring the subway to Vaughan (near the western part of Thornhill) and we were successful in getting a significant investment from the Liberal government to make that happen. I think we need that same type of investment on the east side of Thornhill.”
“The subway extension is a huge part of fixing traffic gridlock but the subway alone is not good enough. We need to expand the rapid transit system to connect people right across the city so they can connect to the subway.”
2. Investing in jobs and opportunity - “The Liberal government believes in investing in people. We will keep the Youth Job Strategy strong and create jobs for youth. We will give them the tools, skills and preparation so that they can become self sufficient in our society. If we don’t invest in tomorrow we wont have a tomorrow.”
3. Strengthening pensions - “In Thornhill, we having an aging demographic. We have to make sure we have a secure retirement for themselves, their kids and grandkids. We know that people spend a lot of time worrying about this and we want to make sure that when they are ready to retire they have that security.”
Why should people vote for you?
“I have a proven track record and experience. I am open and straightforward. I’m a hard worker and I fight hard for the community. I will continue to advocate for the Yonge subway extension and I won’t back down. I will be a strong voice at the provincial level.”
