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Thursday, 9 October 2008
Toronto Star - Newmarket-Aurora preview
I enjoy the coverage this riding is getting from the national media. Newmarket-Aurora has been covered by Global, CTV, Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, CBC, City TV, CPAC and the Hill Times to name a few. It seems we still have some profile, despite the fact Belinda is not running this time. Below is some coverage from the Toronto Star. Strangely there has not been much coverage in our two local papers the Auroran or Era Banner. Rogers has done a great job covering the campaigns in York Region from a local perspective. This riding is a crucial GTA/905 riding that must be picked up if the Conservatives are expecting gains in this election. We will be working hard right until the end (minus Thanksgiving of course) and I expect we will pull off a close win on Tuesday.
-Darryl
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Newmarket-Aurora
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Oct 09, 2008 04:30 AM
For the first time in the short history of the Newmarket-Aurora riding, auto parts heiress Belinda Stronach is not a candidate.
The riding has only been in existence for two federal elections, and Stronach won them both – in 2004 for the federal Conservatives and in 2006 for the Liberals. Her departure sets up what's expected to be a tight race between former Aurora mayor Tim Jones of the Liberals and businesswoman Lois Brown of the Conservatives.
Some commentators have suggested the upscale, educated riding will be a bellwether for the fortunes of either the Conservatives or the Liberals nationally.
And no one is predicting a decisive win by either party, both of which are running well-known candidates.
Issues and not star power are expected to make the difference with the absence of Stronach, who rankled many here by crossing the floor from the Conservatives to prop up the Liberals.
"If it wasn't for Belinda Stronach, I think the Conservatives would have won last time," says Henry Jacek, a professor of political science at McMaster University in Hamilton.
"I would say it's very vulnerable right now," he says.
Even with Stronach, the Liberals only beat Brown by 4,800-votes in 2006.
The margin was slimmer still in 2004, when Stronach edged the Liberals by just 689 votes.
Brown said she's comfortable that the leadership of Stephen Harper and the Tories' economic record will strike a chord here, with policies such as reducing the goods and services tax and providing breaks for first-time homebuyers.
"I think in this election we'll see Newmarket-Aurora return to its Conservative base," says Brown.
Jones was boosted by Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion's promise to spend $70 billion over 10 years to bolster municipal infrastructure in areas such as transit, sewage treatment and hospitals to help the rapidly expanding region.
"People should really know their municipality to be able to represent their municipality," says Jones, who has spent 28 years in local municipal politics.
Glenn Hubbers of the Green party says he would like to help energize people to make positive changes in their community.
"If they add their voices together, they can be effective at making real change," Hubbers says.
The addition of Green party leader Elizabeth May to the federal leaders' debate was a victory for voters seeking change, he adds.
New Democrat Mike Seaward, who has run provincially four times, sees the affluent riding getting nervous about the future.
Plant closures and a shakiness in the stock market are hard to ignore, even in a richer than average riding.
"I think the economy's quickly becoming the No. 1 issue," Seaward says.
OTHER CANDIDATES
Dorian Baxter, Progressive Conservative party
Ray Luff, Christian Heritage party
