As We See It
In 2018, Pelham residents will vote in the newly established Niagara West riding, which will include Wainfleet, Lincoln, West-Lincoln, and Grimsby. With public faith in Kathleen Wynne polling at record lows, the Progressive Conservatives appear poised to make big gains across the province, possibly even winning a "super-majority."
For Pelham residents, whose reliably blue ridings have been reliably ignored by successive Liberal governments, this will hopefully mean greater recognition and support for local issues and challenges.
But before residents head to the ballot box in 2018, each party will be holding nomination votes to select the candidate best-suited to represent them in their new riding. For the PC’s, this means a hotly contested race between the MPP of the current riding, Sam Oosterhoff, and Grimsby Regional Councillor Tony Quirk. This vote is less than a week away.
Whatever the makeup of a future provincial government, the people of Pelham and all of Niagara-West need a strong, experienced voice speaking out for them.
They need a candidate with experience running a business and owning a home, who understands our education and health care systems from a practical perspective. While Sam may be an upstanding young man, at 19 he lacks the experience necessary to properly represent Pelham’s residents at the provincial level.
While Sam is still going to school, Quirk has run a successful business. While Sam by all accounts was living with his parents when he was elected, Quirk owns a home and fully understands the implications of ever-increasing hydro and tax bills. While Sam speaks about traditional values, Quirk has worked closely with the Grimsby Life Centre for more than a decade. While Sam has just begun studying political science, Tony Quirk has well over a decade of experience as both a municipal and regional councillor.
In short, Quirk is a candidate that can be taken seriously in areas where Sam cannot.
The selection of our riding’s PC candidate will affect Pelham for many years to come. First and foremost, this candidate must be strong enough to ensure that the new riding stays out of the hands of the current Liberal party. Secondly, this candidate must have the experience and know-how to navigate provincial politics and ensure that this riding has an effective seat at the political table.
With this in mind, it is in Pelham’s best interest to nominate Tony Quirk to represent the PC party in Niagara West.
Now more than ever we need smart, experienced leadership at the provincial level.
