By: Laura Steiner
Christine Elliott brought her Progressive Conservative (PC) leadership campaign to Milton Wednesday night. She gave a five minute speech arguing that she was the one to unify the party and take on Kathleen Wynne.
This is Elliott’s third try at the leadership. Concern over the state of Ontario’s finances and the affordability of life in the province drew her back to run again. “I just couldn’t sit by the sidelines anymore, and I wanted to get involved and be part of the solution,” Elliott explained. She served from 2006-2015 as Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Whitby-Oshawa riding. Following her resignation she took a role as Patient Ombudsman.
Youth employment is one of the issues Elliott would like to tackle. She has three sons in their 20’s she describes as “just getting into the job market.” Elliott’s answer lies in a mix of innovation and working with businesses. Ontario’s minimum wage increased to $14/ hr, January 1, 2018. A second increase to $15/hr is scheduled for January 1, 2019. “They’ve had an increase in minimum wage, which is not a bad thing. Everyone wants minimum wage to increase; it’s been such a big jump in such a short time, a lot of business owners are finding it hard to absorb,” she explained.
Elliott learned a lot about healthcare in her role as Patient Ombudsman. She believes the creation of long-term care beds is key to solving some of healthcare issues. “If we fix the issue with long-term care, we also work on issues being experienced in emergency rooms.” The party is promising to create 15,000 long-term beds over five years, if elected.
The PC’s announce a new leader March 10, 2018. A leadership race was triggered following the resignation of Patrick Brown after sexual misconduct violations. Elliott believes she’s the one ready to beat Premier Kathleen Wynne. “We need someone to hit the ground running March 11,” she said. For more information on Christine Elliott visit her website
Krantz Endorses Elliott
Milton Mayor Gord Krantz has endorsed Elliott. She announced it on Twitter. “I’m the most experienced candidate to win on June 7. However, as far as experience goes, Milton Mayor Gordon Krantz has me beat by a mile. Honoured to have your endorsement sir.” Krantz has been in politics for 52 years.
Voting for the leadership will take place between March 2, and 8 online. There are five candidates including Elliott. The other four are: Caroline Mulroney, Doug Ford, Tanya Granic Allen, and Patrick Brown. Exact voting details can be on the party’s website. The next provincial election is scheduled for June 7, 2018.
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