Queen’s Park hopefuls from the Ontario Liberal, NDP, and the New Blue Party vied for support during an all-candidates information session at Town Square in Aurora on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
The audience, numbering around 60 in the Davide De Simone Performance Hall, broke into applause after both Jason Cherniak, Liberal candidate for Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill and Chris Ballard, Liberal candidate for Newmarket-Aurora, called out their respective Conservative opponents Michael Parsa and Dawn Gallagher Murphy for failing to attend the event, with Ballard challenging Gallagher Murphy to a one-on-one debate.
"If she wants to pick the place and the time, I'll be there. Dawn, I hope you're listening," said Ballard.
Cherniak echoed Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie’s pitch to NDP voters, saying, "Only the Liberals can beat the local Conservative candidate.”
The session, hosted by the Aurora Public Library, covered a wide-ranging list of topics, including how to deal with break-ins and automobile thefts, health care, youth unemployment, and homelessness.
Denis Heng, NDP candidate for Newmarket-Aurora, said his party’s solution to homelessness involves building affordable housing and working with non-profit groups. Heng acknowledged Aurora Cares, Housing for All.
“I think they are one of the leads in the community that the NDP would definitely follow, with regards to supporting unhoused individuals across the spectrum,” he said.
On auto theft, Ballard said more funding was needed for the courts, as well as cross-jurisdictional policing.
“So many of the breakthroughs that came about with the auto thefts were because Peel, York, Durham, and Toronto were able to work together. We need to fund that type of activity,” he added.
Ballard said that reversing rising youth unemployment begins with “kick-starting the economy,” whereas Rosaria Wiseman, New Blue candidate for Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill, said the solution starts with “dealing with the influx of foreign workers.”
Wiseman added that New Blue, which formed in 2022, is the “only true conservative option on the ballot.”
Shirin Khasbakhi, the New Blue candidate for Newmarket-Aurora, a registered practical nurse who works at Mackenzie Health in Richmond Hill, said she was concerned about underpaid medical staff and opposed vaccine mandates.
Naila Saeed, NDP candidate for Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill echoed Khasbakhi’s concern about underpaid medical staff, but said the NDP would oppose the privatization of health care, which she said has started to creep into the province under Doug Ford.
“Our vision is fully public, well-funded and accessible health-care system that prioritizes patient care over profit,” she said.
Advance voting opens
The session comes just 10 days ahead of election day in Ontario on Feb. 27.
Advance voting opened on Thursday, Jan. 20 in the province, with voters able to cast a ballot at at any advance voting location in their electoral district, which in Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill includes Town Square, at 50 Victoria St., or the local election office, at 14824 Yonge St. where the LCBO used to be.
In Newmarket-Aurora, advance voting ballots can be cast at election office, which is in the old Sears location in Upper Canada Mall, at 17600 Yonge St, or Aurora Leisure Complex, at 135 Industrial Pwky. N., or Magna Centre, at 800 Mulock Dr., or the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex, at 100 Eagle St. W.
Advance voting is available from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Feb. 20, 21, and 22.
The deadline to apply for mail voting is Feb 21 at 6 p.m. Ballots have to be received at 6 p.m. on election day to be counted.