Ontario Votes: Vaughan
Liberal incumbent Del Duca wins by landslide

YorkRegion.com
June 12, 2014
Adam Martin-Robbins

“Thank you Vaughan and thank you Ontario.”

That’s how Liberal incumbent Steven Del Duca, his wife and daughters at his side, summed up tonight’s election victory for his party, which won in a landslide locally and secured a majority provincially.

Del Duca captured 29,860 votes to best runner-up PC Candidate Peter Meffe, who grabbed 14,628 votes at press time with 298 of 321 polls reporting.

NDP candidate Marco Coletta pulled in 6,520 while Green candidate Matthew Pankhurst garnered 1,203 and Libertarian candidate Paolo Fabrizio earned 1,171.

Del Duca, who was fist elected in a 2012 byeletion, attributed his win to the big-ticket infrastructure investments the Liberal government has made in Vaughan over the past decade such as the hospital, the Hwy. 427 extension and expanded GO train service.

“I believe that over the last two years, because, I’m part of a government that’s led by someone like Premier Kathleen Wynne, that I’ve been able to demonstrate that we have the best plan,” he said. “(And) that I’ve been able to deliver those positive results, more than $900 million in investments. ... The people of Vaughan spoke very loudly and very clearly, they want us to keep moving forward in the same direction.”

Local Liberals celebrated at Supreme Banquet Hall on Weston Road with hundreds of supporters who clapped, cheered and danced to Bill Haley and His Comets’ Rock Around the Clock, when word of the victory in Vaughan and across Ontario was announced around 10 p.m.

Del Duca entered a short while later to Pharrell Williams hit song Happy.

Among the hundreds there to congratulate him were a number of Vaughan city council members including Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, Deputy Mayor Gino Rosati, Regional Councillor Deb Schulte, Maple/Kleinburg Councillor Marilyn Iafrate and Woodbridge West Councillor Tony Carella.

“I’m very happy with the outcome. I think it’s the best thing for the province of Ontario and certainly for the city of Vaughan and municipalities throughout the province,” said Bevilacqua, who served fro 22 years as a Liberal MP before being elected mayor in 2010. “The message relayed by Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals was one of hope and optimism and it was a stark contrast with what other parties were offering. And for the city of Vaughan this has been a government that has been true to its word whether related to the (Hwy.) 427 extension, the subway, the hospital. This fits very well with the city’s agenda for a bright future.”

At press time, the Liberals were project to end up with 58 seats out of 107 seats to return to a majority government after being reduced to a minority following the 2011 election. The PCs were expected to wind up with 27 seats and NDP with 22.

A lot of people chalked that up to PC leader Tim Hudak’s million jobs plan that would have cut 100,000 public sector jobs in a bid to stimulate the economy.

Many people felt that approach smacked of the cuts made by former PC premier Mike Harris.

“In every single corner of this riding, virtually every house I went to, people were absolutely dejected and disappointed because Tim Hudak put forward a very reckless and dangerous plan that would have moved Ontario backward,” Del Duca said.

Teachers and education support workers echoed those comments at the polls tonight.

“I’m worried about it. We’re all worried about it,” John Bencardino, who works as an elementary school custodian, said outside St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy in east Woodbridge.

Hudak resigned in the wake of the defeat.

Tory campaign filled with too many mistakes, supporter says

By Jeremy Grimaldi

The lack of volume on the television at Peter Meffe's campaign wrap wasn't the only thing driving his supporters crazy, people were also upset with the election that went so desperately wrong for the PCs.

Although some were resigned to the loss, most were bemoaning the debt, deficit, what the future will look like for their children and the Ontario voters who continue to vote Liberal despite the "scandals and corruption".

Carmello Butrico said there were many mistakes in the PC campaign.

"I think the mistake he made was when he said he was going to fire 100,000 people," he said. "My daughter is a teacher, she asked me not to vote for him."

Despite these hiccups though, he remained astounded that people would re-elect the Liberals.

"Look at the power plant, people never learn," he added.

Meffe also said his daughter was a high school teacher.

"She'll be telling her friends, 'Hey, you got a majority now, you happy?'," he said.

Afterwards he was also gracious in his remarks about Premier Kathlenn Wynne, saying he was happy she got a majority so she could implement her plan.

As for his plans for next election or the upcoming Vaughan elections, he said he will be taking some time off before he makes any decisions.

"It's too early to discuss that," he said. "I want to reconnect with my family, they have taken a back seat. I want to get back together them."

He added that he will also spend some of his time off helping his daughter plan her wedding.

By Jeremy Grimaldi

Courting the Tim Horton’s voter is always at the top of any modern-day politician’s agenda.

Gauging the response from that establishment’s Weston and Langstaff roads location, two things remain painfully obvious: this should be a tight race and many voters, regardless of voting intention or political stripe, really don’t like Tim Hudak.

During an evening trip to the Vaughan doughnut shop, voters were happy to share who they voted for and why.

Although Brian Borts and Steve Cardwell disagreed on their party of choice, they concurred in regards to their dislike of the PC leader.

Borts, who voted Liberal, said he remembers the days of former PC premier Mike Harris and said a vote for Hudak would be a return to Harris-style policies.

“He’s not the right guy,” he said. “I would think about voting for the PCs if he was not there. We all remember Rae days, we all remember Mike Harris, that was a fun time,” he added sarcastically.

“Then we have the Liberals who spent a billion dollars to buy four seats,” he said, referring to the last election. “I held my nose and voted on this one.”

Cardwell agreed that the field this year was sub-par, but added, he always votes PC and wouldn’t change that vote, not matter how he feels about the leader.

“I have been voting PC since I was 18,” he said, sipping on his coffee. “I don’t agree with his plans to cut nurses and teachers, but I’m going to vote for him. He’s promising to create jobs in the private sector, but that’s a place he has no control over. I mean he’s not going to win here (Vaughan), anyway.”

Mahendra Singh, who has lived in Vaughan for 13 years, said he voted PC as a point of principle.

“It was more so for discontent with the Liberals and their disregard for taxpayers money, eHealth and ORNGE and these are the things we know about,” he said. “To reward them with another four years would not be right. As much as I don’t like Tim Hudak as a leader, I do believe we need to tighten our belt and get the deficit under control.”

Rob, who refused to give his last name, said despite always voting PC, he voted Liberal today, because of his dislike for Hudak.

“The way he presents himself, it’s very insincere,” he said. “As for [Kathleen] Wynne, she’s alright.”

He said although the gas plant cancellation was not to his liking, he said he doesn’t believe the scandal was the fault of then premier Dalton McGuinty rather than than cabinet minister Wynne.

“I don’t know if anyone else would have been different when it comes to the gas plants,” he added. “Let’s be honest, you’re going to do what your boss tells you to do.”

Samir Shlimon, who has lived in Woodbridge for nine years, never misses a chance to vote, considering he was never allowed to cast a ballot in his homeland of Iraq.

“I lived under Saddam Hussein,” he said. “Everyone had to vote for him because of fear. I was always scared. This is democracy, freedom, I never miss a vote.”

He added that he voted PC to usher “change” into Ontario.

Vaughan voters predict Del Duca win

By Adam Martin-Robbins

John Bencardino didn’t vote for the Tories today because he’s concerned about losing his job.

“I’m worried about it. We’re all worried about it,” Bencardino, who works as an elementary school custodian, said outside St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy in east Woodbridge as voters streamed in to cast their ballots.

A central plank in Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak‘s platform is to cut 100,000 public sector jobs, including about 9,700 non-teaching positions in schools.

Bencardino wasn’t the only one driven to vote against the Tories tonight for fear of losing his job.

A handful of teachers, who declined to give their last names, echoed his comments.

Daniella said she recalls the cuts to education funding that happened under former PC premier Mike Harris and she doesn’t want to see that happen again.

But for Corrado Meli it wasn’t the threat of job cuts or concerns about health care or spending scandals that drove him to the polls this evening.

“I vote because it’s my duty,” he said.

Meli thinks it’s going to be a close race across the province, but he said Liberal incumbent Steven Del Duca will likely be re-elected in Vaughan.

Stephanie, another teacher who declined to give her last name, agreed with that assessment.

“The riding should go to Steven Del Duca,” she said.

Del Duca is facing off against four other contenders: PC candidate Peter Meffe, NDP candidate Marco Coletta, Green Party candidate Matthew Pankhurst and Libertarian candidate Paolo Fabrizio.

Stephanie said she came out to vote because she‘s concerned about low voter turnout, which she blames, in part, on “too much mudslinging” during the campaign.

Polls close at 9 p.m.