Ontario PCs hope to elect teen MPP, unseat Liberals in two byelections

TORONTO — Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives hope to make history Thursday in two byelections, with a teenage candidate in Niagara and a former ombudsman turning up the heat on the Liberals in an Ottawa stronghold.

The Tories are expected to hold Niagara West-Glanbrook even with an upstart 19-year-old candidate stirring up controversy by taking social conservative stances that run contrary to PC leader Patrick Brown‘s attempts at modernizing the party.

But the Tories are also taking a hard run at Ottawa-Vanier, which has elected only Liberals since 1971.

READ MORE: Sam Oosterhoff, 19, wins PC nomination for Niagara-area byelection

Brown suggested it’s unlikely the Tories will win, but if they come within 10 points of the Liberals it will be “historic.”

“If this is competitive it shows that the Liberals are in disarray across the province and they don’t have the confidence of the public,” he said.

Former ombudsman Andre Marin is running under the PC banner there and is trying to capitalize on anger over rising electricity rates and the declining popularity of Premier Kathleen Wynne.

When he mentions Wynne’s name while campaigning, people “bristle,” Marin said. “They have a physical reaction.”

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The Liberal candidate, civil liberties lawyer Nathalie Des Rosiers, acknowledged that hydro prices are a hurdle for her in the campaign.

“It’s normal at mid-mandate that one issue becomes a catalyst for disappointment on a variety of points of view, so in a byelection that usually is the case – there’s one issue that becomes the symbol of discontent,” she said.

The Liberal government announced an eight-per-cent rebate on electricity bills will come into effect Jan. 1, but it remains to be seen whether it is enough to satisfy the 94 per cent of Ontarians that government-commissioned polling shows are eager for hydro price relief.

But Marin comes with baggage of his own. He was seen in his roles as ombudsman and director of the Special Investigations Unit as critical of police. The Police Association of Ontario expressed “profound disappointment” at Marin’s nomination and Brown sought to undo any damage when he spoke to their conference Tuesday.

READ MORE: Former provincial ombudsman Andre Marin to run for Ontario PC Party in Ottawa byelection

“I called (Marin) and I said, ‘You are going to support my positions on policing because I am an unequivocal supporter of the police – are you OK with that?” Brown said. “I had his unequivocal commitment that any previous criticisms would no longer carry water and that he would never speak against police again.”

A police officer in the audience recorded Brown’s speech and gave the audio to the Liberals, who in turn provided it to the media.

Brown said Wednesday he was addressing “one of the elephants in the room” but denied that what he told Marin amounted to muzzling him. When reached by phone, Marin said he was “not in a position” to answer questions about it.

“You’re saying that he said I was never allowed to criticize the police again? I’ll have to get back to you on that,” Marin said. He did not call back.

READ MORE: Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown accused of muzzling candidate on sex ed

Brown has also been accused of muzzling his candidate in Niagara over his social conservative views.

Sam Oosterhoff – who would be the youngest person elected to the legislature – describes himself as “100 per cent pro life,” refused to say where he stood on same-sex marriage and campaigned against the Liberals’ sex-ed curriculum. After a flip-flop, Brown now supports the curriculum and said Wednesday he supports a woman’s right to choose and marriage equality.

Oosterhoff, who beat out PC party president Rick Dykstra and a party vice-president to win the nomination, believes he can vote against his party’s positions in the legislature.

“I’m very proud of the PC party having a long-standing tradition of allowing open votes on matters of deeply held conscience,” he said.

READ MORE: Ontario byelections called for Nov. 17, next provincial election expected June 2018

Brown described the party discipline differently.

“I have, here at Queen’s Park, encouraged more free votes,” he said. “Having said that, I’ve asked my caucus to support the direction I’m taking as a party.”

Oosterhoff said it’s not social issues, but rising electricity bills and anger over the installation of giant wind turbines in the riding that residents bring up with him.

“People are upset and are worried about the direction the Liberals are taking Ontario,” he said. “People want a voice of change and I’m excited to be that voice.”

READ MORE: Grim outlook for Premier Kathleen Wynne, Ontario Liberals in 2018 election: poll

The Liberal candidate in Niagara, Vicki Ringuette, was booed and jeered at a recent all candidates meeting when she talked about the rebate.

“It is not the kind of reaction I’m getting at the doors,” said Ringuette. “They want to talk about the issues that are important to this community, health care, schools, the fact that we’re getting increased day care spaces.”

The NDP candidate in Ottawa-Vanier is Claude Bisson, brother of the party’s house leader in the legislature, Gilles Bisson. The New Democrat running in Niagara is former Hamilton police officer Mike Thomas, who signed a five-year membership in the Ontario PC party in September.