With just 10 full days to go before election day, NDP leader Andrea Horwath stopped in downtown Guelph Monday to support local candidate Aggie Mlynarz.
Brothers Brewing Co. on Wyndham Street overflowed during the noon hour campaign event, with supporters on the sidewalk looking in the window to the 100 or so huddled inside for the event.
Horwath came to Guelph one day after her performance in the last of three televised leaders debates on Sunday.
Mlynarz told GuelphToday she watched the debate last night, which she had to record because of campaign commitments she had until 10 p.m.
She said her party's leader did an excellent job debating against Ontario PC leader Doug Ford.
"It’s difficult to debate against someone who doesn’t have a platform, doesn’t have a policy and just fires off like Doug Ford, but she held her own and she has demonstrated in all of the leaders debates that she is strong and ready to be our premier,” said Mlynarz.
During a question and answer period with reporters, Horwath addressed the news late last week that the head of the independent polling firm Mainstreet Research was predicting a win in Guelph by Green Party leader Mike Schreiner.
Horwath said it was premature to call the winner almost two weeks before the election and promised to continue working hard to get Mlynarz elected in Guelph.
"We think that every single NDP MPP that we can elect to the legislature of Ontario will help us to make that change for the better. That’s why we are here encouraging Aggie and helping to ensure that she has a great shot at becoming the MPP in this riding,” said Horwath.
Speaking to GuelphToday after the event, Mlynarz agreed it was premature to call the riding.
"It’s politics. Things shift from day to day. We have been seeing so much support in the last 48 hours in terms of supports from different unions in Guelph, community leaders and members. I am confident we are going to continue with our momentum and take this riding on June 7,” said Mlynarz.
During the appearance, Horwath and Mlynarz went behind the bar to each pour a pint of Brothers' finest, to applause.
"I bet that's not a dollar beer," called out one supporter, referring to Ford's recent promise to lower the price on suds.
Asking a question regarding regional transit, one reporter noted the people of Guelph can't take a bus to Horwath's home riding in Hamilton.
“Sure, and we used to be able to do that. I remember — that’s how old I am — and that’s how much our transit connections inter-regionally have eroded over time," said Horwath.
“What we really need to do is get better at helping people move from community to community, not only for services and for work, but because we have such a great province and being able to connect people as much as possible is part of our goal,” she added.
As part of its platform, the NDP promises to fund half of the operating costs of municipal transit systems.
“One of the things that is unique about our plan is that we understand that municipalities need some help to boost up their local transit systems, to provide more routes and more frequent buses or services," said Horwath.
As media questions began to wrap up, a woman in the crowd asked about the NDP stance on environmental issues.
At first, Horwath noted questions were for media only but told the woman she would be happy to see the party's platform and its stance on environmental issues.
Horwath said the platform deals with making the cap and trade system more fair and effective and also ensures water systems are preserved, "so that communities and families have access to well water and that resource is protected, acknowledging that access to water is a basic human right, but we need to protect not only for ourselves, but for next generations as well."
She continued, “we talk also about protecting farmland and ensuring we are able to protect farm land, as opposed to Mr. Ford — he’s planning, I think, on paving over the Green Belt. You won’t see any of that in our platform.”
Ford has backed off his comments that he made privately that he would open the Green Belt if he were to become premier.
For the last 10 days of the campaign, Mlynarz said she plans on being very busy.
"(I'm) meeting as many people as possible and knocking on as many doors and looking after myself as well — trying to get a little sleep here and there, but my focus is on getting the message out,” she said.
