Barrie-Innisfil voter Tammy Dixon said she was unsurprised at the election results, noting she voted for incumbent Progressive Conservative MPP Andrea Khanjin. Khanjin easily won the Barrie-Innisfil riding while her party grew its seat count for a stronger second majority government in Ontario.
During the election campaign, Doug Ford and the PC candidates promised to address gas prices, build more homes, and transportation infrastructure.
Dixon hopes the party keeps its promise to cut the gas tax by 5.7 cents starting July 1, for a period of six months.
“The gas prices are pretty high — the taxes, as well,” she said.
IDA President Deborah McGrath
For Deborah McGrath, president of the Innisfil District Association ratepayers group, the election results were also unsurprising.
“It’s very typical to bring in a second term,” she said, adding she is concerned about four more years of a PC government given its past performance and the level of engagement during the campaign.
McGrath moderated a debate for Just Recovery Simcoe ahead of the election and noted the lack of participation by PC candidates in debates across the province.
“We were extremely disappointed by that lack of presence and lack of accountability,” she said.
Questions about weakened environmental protections, the minimum wage, universal basic income, and the Ontario Disability Support Program were never answered by local PC candidates, she said:
“There were so many questions to ask, and we have no idea how the PC party feels.”
For local ratepayers, McGrath continued, issues like sustainable housing and development and the health of Lake Simcoe are paramount.
“We collectively fear for what is ahead from an environmental perspective, from a sustainable-development perspective,” she said.
Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition executive director Margaret Prophet said she has “grave concerns” about the effect the election results will have on the Lake Simcoe watershed.
Significant growth is pegged for the region and the PCs are pushing for the Bradford Bypass and other highway infrastructure.
“There will be people who suffer more because of the policies put in place or not put in place,” Prophet said.
A reported voter turnout of 39 per cent in Barrie-Innisfil also raised concerns about engagement.
“The results clearly say a lot of people don’t feel politics works for them,” Prophet said. “That concerns me.”
McGrath agreed and noted the results of the provincial election inevitably affect the municipal level of government, which is headed for elections in the fall.
“I don’t understand the results, but I do understand that as Canadians we are forgiving and we want to move on,” she said.
She encouraged residents to get more involved in their communities as they do that.
“Spend some time … to give that to the community,” she said. “That will help engagement rise in this town. We need more volunteers, for people to step up.”
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Reprinted from Innisfil Journal, by Shane MacDonald