The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party is engaged in a leadership race which is getting more interesting by the day.
In my considered opinion, Whitby-Oshawa MPP Christine Elliott is best suited and qualified to be our next leader, and eventually, premier of Ontario. It has been my pleasure to have worked with Christine for the past nine years, and I supported her when she ran for Leader in 2009.
Christine is a professional who had a distinguished career as a lawyer before she was first elected to the Ontario Legislature. She has been a strong leader in her riding, within our Caucus, and in the House.
While she is a resolute defender of conservative principles, including the need to balance the budget and ensure a competitive business climate, she is not a rigid ideologue. She is sensible, she is practical, and she looks for what works.
In the Legislature, she has always been prepared to reach across party lines, if that is what it takes to get the job done.
By taking that approach, you can get a lot accomplished, even if you are in opposition.
Christine showed the way, with her work on all-Party Select Committees of the Legislature that she pushed to establish. These committees engaged in exhaustive consultations and developed thoughtful recommendations on addictions and mental health, and later on improving developmental services in Ontario.
She showed her compassion, her sense of responsibility that we all have to those less fortunate, and she showed her heart.
In a recent speech, she summarized her political philosophy, stating, “Good economic policy enables good social policy. And, fiscal responsibility and social compassion can, and must, go hand in hand.”
That, to me, is what it means to be a Progressive Conservative.
All of us in provincial politics need to show Ontarians that we are listening, that we understand their concerns, and that we are speaking for them in the Legislature. They need to see that we are worthy of their trust, and that we have the best ideas to lead this province back to greatness.
To be effective in the House, we need to be sensible, credible and truthful. And for our party to succeed in the next election, we must be able to effectively reach out to voters across the province, not only rural and small town Ontario, but also urban Ontario and the GTA.
We will need to show that we have lived, we have learned, and we are ready to govern again.
Christine Elliott is respected and her integrity and ability have been proven. She wants to move Ontario forward while working with everyone, and in doing so make our province stronger and more prosperous.
She is the leader that Ontario needs.
Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott welcomes comments. He can be reached at 1-800-265-2366. His website address is www.tedarnottmpp.com.