Now You Can Call Him "MPP Schreiner"

The election is long done, the work of preparing to govern has begun, but today history was official sealed with the swearing in of Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner as MPP of Guelph.

GPO Unveils Its Plan for the Province

Any election plan that includes the phrase, "None of our demands will rely on fairy dust or magic pots of money," kind of demands your scrutiny. In Toronto today, the Green Party of Ontario andparty leader Mike Schreiner unveiled their 2014 election campaign platform, which along with environmental protection included new revenue tools, funding initiatives, and their controversial plan to combine Catholic and separate school boards in the province. Schreiner, of course, is our local Green candidate running in Guelph, so we'll be on the front lines of the party's efforts to sell their ideas to the greater provincial electorate. 

Get on GO December 19th

So it was good news at the GO Transit announcement earlier this morning as  GO Transit President Gary McNeil, Guelph MPP Liz Sandals and Guelph Mayor Karen Farbridge announced that GO trains are coming to Guelph starting on December 19th. The logic, I suppose, is that it'll be a softer run over the holidays, when most people get time off from work, so that all the kinks are worked out in time for when rush hour is back to full capacity in January. 

According to the GO website, two round trips daily will run from Kitchener to Toronto weekdays. The GO train will depart Guelph at 6:14 am and 7:53 am with arrival times at Toronto Union Station at 7:32 am and 9:08 am. In the afternoon, trains will leave Union at 4:45 pm and 6:18 pm to arrive in Guelph at 5:45 pm and 7:53 pm. A one-way ticket will cost $11.70.

The trip will take between an hour and one and a half hours, considering that the average drive on the Greyhound during rush hour has been pushing two hours the last year, this should offer some smoother sailing to Guelph commuters. I, for one, cannot wait.

Rogers Debates Reruns

Courtesy of Guelph Mercury

As predicted, Rogers has released an impressive schedule of future dates in which you can watch last weeks Chamber of Commerce debate at the Cutten Club in case you missed it when it was on live. As well there are future dates for the initial airing and subsequent repeats of this Thursday's Social Justice debate. Check out the press release below:

2011 PROVINCIAL ELECTION: YOUR LOCAL CANDIDATES ON ROGERS TV

Rogers TV presents two Guelph candidate debates as part of The Local Campaign on Cable 20.

Guelph residents can find out more about their riding and the candidates running to be their next MPP by watching the debates on Rogers TV, Cable 20, and on rogerstv.com. Coverage starts with the Guelph Riding Debate, hosted by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, Tuesday, September 20 at 7 AM, 1 PM and 8 PM on Cable 20. The complete schedule of local candidate debates is as follows:

The Local Campaign: Guelph Riding Debates on Rogers TV, Cable 20

Guelph Riding Debate hosted by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce

• Tuesday, September 20 at 7 AM, 1 PM, 8 PM & Midnight
• Saturday, September 24 at 8 PM
• Tuesday, September 27 at 7 AM, 1 PM & Midnight
• Saturday, October 1 at 1 PM

Guelph Riding Debate hosted by Guelph-Wellington Coalition for Social Justice

• Thursday, September 22 at 7 AM, 1 PM, 8 PM & 12:30 AM
• Sunday, September 25 at 11 AM
• Thursday, September 29 at 7 AM, 1 PM, 8 PM & Midnight
• Sunday, October 2 at 11 AM

*Schedule is subject to change. Updated schedules will be available at www.rogerstv.com.

“Our debate coverage gives viewers the opportunity to hear from the candidates in their riding and see where they sit on the issues that matter,” says Charles Wechsler, Station Manager, Rogers TV. “The availability of these debates on our channel and website gives voters several opportunities to view the debates before they cast their ballot on decision day.”

On election night, Thursday, October 6, viewers are invited to watch Rogers TV, Cable 20, for the most comprehensive coverage of The Local Results from their riding.

NDP Saddles Up For Provincial Election

With the Federal Election stuff out of the way, it appears that local NDP are eager to move forward and see if their federal fortunes can translate into provincial victories. Singer/songwriter James Gordon is primed to be the NDP nominee for Guelph in this provincial election, and he's hitting the ground running with a letter to the people, a new website, and fancy You Tube video:

Dear neighbour,

I love this city and I love this province. My work has led me to travel all across Ontario, and I've spent my life working hard to make this city better.

Above all else, I’ve spent my time listening to our community.

Again and again, I’ve heard from you that we need to make our communities stronger and more sustainable, and that we need to work together to make life more affordable, enlivened and secure. It’s why we get involved, it’s why we work day in and day out for the things that matter, it’s what makes Guelph so special.

The values that I know you and I share seem to have been largely set aside by our current Queen’s Park government.

We’ve seen good ideas ignored, while wasteful and bad ideas get rubber stamped in Queen’s Park.

We’ve seen the special interests of the well-connected come before the rest of us.

In this day and age, you’d think we could be strengthening and building our communities for the challenges that lie ahead.

And yet, we’ve seen things done the same way, over and over again-- and we’re getting the same results.

We’ve lost our voice in Queen’s Park. We need someone to listen and be that voice.

Listening to our community means that when one of the world’s largest companies demands more from a community that has less-- you fight to protect what really matters.

Or when our security is challenged by rising costs of living, you answer with great ideas like an Ontario Pension Plan-- not the HST which adds costs to everything from haircuts to hydro bills.

And when a new generation faces an unprecedented challenge to care for themselves and their families, you strengthen our public health care system-- instead of letting it slide towards privatization and a weakening of our health services.

That’s why I’m putting my name forward for the Provincial NDP nomination. I want to be your MPP, an MPP that listens, brings people together and stands up for what really matters.

In my years of work in the cultural sector, I know how important it is to work together and find the best way to make progress on key issues. Guelph has the creativity, ingenuity, and collaborative spirit that we need to bring about fundamental change.

I'm asking you to begin right now to work with me to build an exciting and winning campaign.

Things are changing here in Ontario-- people are starting to hear the message that New Democrats have been saying for so long. Andrea Horwath has re-energized our party as Leader, and Canada’s NDP has won a historic breakthrough.

Now more than ever, I believe the party reflects the values and principles that formed the foundation of the NDP 50 years ago. Across the country, people are seeing the NDP as the better way forward on challenges that we all face. I want to make that change a reality here in Guelph.

I believe that all Ontarions should live with the peace of mind of a strong and steady pension, and with better access to quality public health care. Our great province should be at the heart of a thriving, sustainable energy economy.

That’s the message we can bring to the ballot box this fall, and that’s the vision I hope you will join me in making a reality.

We're only a few days away from the deadline to sign up new members, which means I already need your help. Please use the tools below to share with your friends, and help us win the nomination.

You may not be an NDP member, you may not have even voted NDP before-- but I'm asking for you to take a look at getting involved. My team needs your help, our city needs your energy and enthusiasm.

Thank you in advance for your support and involvement.

James Gordon

On a sad note though, accessibility advocate Susan Wheeler is taking her leave from the race for person reasons. She sent out the following letter today to explain her reasons:

May 3, 2011

Over the past month I have worked behind the scenes assisting with communications and website development as part of the Federal election campaign team for NDP Guelph’s candidate Bobbi Stewart. It has been a privilege working with such a dedicated candidate and I sincerely appreciate that I had the opportunity to be involved in the federal election process within this capacity. It has provided me with a tremendous learning experience. More specifically, it has given me clear insight to the actual time demands and physical activity level required of a candidate. As a result of this knowledge I now find myself faced with the difficult task of reevaluating my decision to be considered as a NDP candidate nominee for the upcoming provincial election.

Although I consider myself to be a person who focuses on my abilities and strengths despite the level of physical disability that I experience everyday, at the same time I must also be realistic. Since I initially submitted my application for candidacy consideration my health has been further challenged due to the ramifications of a serious fall that occurred last winter. Unfortunately, my recovery has not been as productive as I would have hoped. With that in mind, it is clear to me now having experienced this past election in my limited capacity that it would not be in my best interest to challenge myself physically to pursue the honour of being a candidate first hand. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that I regret to inform you that I must withdraw my request to be considered as a NDP candidate nominee for the provincial election.

I have complete faith that the elected nominee chosen for this honour will both champion the citizens of Guelph and be a superior representative for the New Democratic Party. To date I hold the position within the NDP Guelph riding executive committee as their designated disability representative and I would like to continue to provide support to the group/party within this capacity.

I trust you will communicate my decision to withdraw from the nominee process to those required to know this information.

Yours respectfully and in solidarity

Susan Wheeler

While I appreciate the vigour to get next campaign off the ground, if it's okay with everyone, I'd like to take maybe a week to think about other things, like sleep. ;-)

Sandals Gets Rare Support

An article in the Guelph Mercury today examined an unusual bit of bipartisanship:

Progressive Conservative MPP Peter Shurman suggested [Liz] Sandals missed getting a cabinet position in favour of less-experienced politicians during Wednesday’s cabinet shuffle.

“Liz Sandals, who has been an MPP for seven years, was once again passed over for cabinet by MPPs elected less than one year ago,” the Thornhill MPP wrote in a press release.

Sandals holds the position of parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, but I suppose it's always nice to be affirmed by others, especially in the esteemed opposition, that you've got potential to be more than a parliamentary assistant.

That wasn't all Shurman had to say about the cabinet shuffle. On CTV.ca, Shurman is quoted as saying that instead of overhauling his cabinet, Premier Dalton McGuinty opted for "cosmetic changes that won't provide any relief for taxpayers" with the creation of new ministers. "What he's doing for Ontario is acting like a speeding train -- going in the wrong direction," Shurman said. "And the two new faces represent an additional opportunity to tax and spend."

Still, one appreciates Shurman's sentiment, but you have to wonder what the idea behind it was. I know it seems unusual in modern politics for people to do things out of the goodness of their own heart, but maybe Shurman's just looking out for a colleague. “Liz Sandals has been toiling away ... for a very long time,” Shurman said in a telephone interview with the Mercury Thursday. “She can take the compliment. Maybe she would have been a better choice.”

Nothing like bipartisan support. Weird.