Story by Cole Kelly, MyPowellRiverNow.com
CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C- After a game-changing election in Ontario, the North Island-Powell River MP said she saw both good and concerning outcomes.
Thursday night, the Progressive Conservatives, led by Doug Ford, won the majority with 76 seats.
The New Democrats took 40 seats, making them the province’s Official Opposition.
After 15 years in power, the Liberals won just seven seats, losing official party status in Ontario.
Rachel Blaney, Member of Parliament for the North Island-Powell River riding, said Doug Ford’s platform left a lot to be desired.
“People in Ontario made a decision last night, I’m a little disappointed. One of my concerns is that Doug Ford did not put forward too much of a clear platform,” said Blaney.
According to her, the ambiguity of Ford’s plans leaves a lot of questions.
“Here in Canada we’re watching what is happening in the States, with Trump and some of the decisions he’s making, and it’s very stressful for people,” she said.
“So you want to know that you have leaders that are talking to you, letting you know what’s happening, and have a good plan. So we’ll wait and see what happens, but it is concerning.”
Another of her concerns was where proposed tax cuts will be coming from.
“There were some discussions about some tax cuts, which I understand people were feeling positive about,” she said.
“The reality is that you have to look at what that means, it could mean the closure of many schools, it could mean the loss of workers that we really need – I think there’s a lot of questions.”
For the NDP’s part, Blaney said she was proud that of the 40 seats occupied, 20 of them were women.
“I think that’s really progressive and exciting,” the MP said.
“A lot of people say it shouldn’t be about gender it should be about the person, but I always say it’s important to remember that there’s a lot of women that are the right person. We just have to encourage them to run.”
Overall, she said the NDP a really good job, though she wished the conversation about electoral reform had lasted longer than Trudeau allowed.
“Right now we know that the Ford Government has about 40% of the vote, and they have all of the power,” she said.
Blaney went on to say that it’s important that we have fair representation of all communities across Canada, and a system that better reflects all voters.
