With drifting snow and school closures, this feels a lot like the old days.
Howling winds brought on neighbourly deeds, as people helped each other combat storms we haven’t seen in years. After the winds died down, a chill settled in, but like most storms it will eventually pass and the sun will rise again.
The lingering chill gave way to a sinking feeling that we are witnessing the passing of grassroots democracy. The most puzzling part of that is good people are joining in on the decline for blindly partisan reasons.
Before descending into that discussion, we want to thank organizers in Perth-Wellington for hosting a candidate event in north Wellington. The Minto Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with chambers in Mount Forest and Mapleton, recognizes the importance of such events. We also want to recognize and congratulate PC candidate Matthew Rae for bucking PC head office orders and meeting with residents.
We believe, and nothing would indicate otherwise, that Ted Arnott would attend such events in Wellington Halton Hills if he were running again. The Puslinch Optimists will do an admirable job giving residents and candidates a chance to know each other, as will the Wellington Federation of Agriculture, albeit online. Thank you, hosts.
A week back, when news hit that Joseph Racinsky’s handlers won’t let him attend public events, we contacted the campaign office as well as his campaign chair’s work address and personal emails.
It seemed mighty odd to us that a chief of staff at Queen’s Park would manage a local campaign. So, we asked that question, along with whether or not he lived in the riding and took a leave from his government job to help his buddy’s campaign.
These seemed fairly easy questions to answer, but a full week later, not a word. Other emails on other subjects were answered.
As Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green party mused at the leader’s debate on Monday night, their party sends their candidate to Queen’s Park, not the other way around, referencing Ford’s predilection this cycle to appoint candidates and muzzle their voice.
A recent survey of publishers across Ontario confirms this dire situation, foisted on Ontario voters, is commonplace. Considering the competition and current polling, Ford stands to win big, so why all the secrecy. Why?
Most disappointing to us is the number of partisans happy to go along – in fact embracing this anti-democractic moment facing the voters of Wellington Halton-Hills.
Bill Baxter, well known in Conservative circles as a great organizer and good guy, has apparently swallowed this malarkey whole. In the very pages of this publication, the local riding association announced four potential candidates who had been vetted with one withdrawing prior to the nomination meeting.
That left three to vote for, and before that vote could happen, Ford appointed Racinsky from Halton Hills. Those are the facts, Bill, and to turn that around on residents here is simply unfair. And for the record, the two Wellington candidates shuffled to the sidelines in favour of the Halton candidate, who previously worked in PC Parm Gill’s Milton constituency office, showed more grace and class in their departure than your man in his crowning.
As unfair as we find that misrepresentation of the local PC race that Ford cancelled, the most galling is the condemnation of community efforts to participate in grass roots democracy. The sincere efforts of all those service groups over the years – put on by Baxter’s neighbours and friends – were a waste of time? And the people who attended, hoping to learn more about the candidates and how they conduct themselves in public never had “an objective question” without “an ulterior motive”?
Local Conservatives do remember Ford’s attempt to oust Ted Arnott from his Speaker’s role, right? Wellington Halton-Hills’ man at Queen’s Park made it through with multi-party support, despite Ford’s concerted effort to sideline him.
Ford finally exacted his revenge by choosing Racinsky rather than letting this riding choose.
If party stalwarts aren’t prepared to take a step back and see the folly in all this, the interests of residents here are all but lost.
Blind partisanship rarely ends well.
