Supporters of Progressive Conservative Party newcomer Andrea Khanjin say she is the right person to bring the concerns of Barrie-Innisfil to Queen’s Park, and they said so decisively at the polls.
It was all smiles among PC supporters at Ol’ West Wing on Ferndale Drive South for the Barrie-Innisfil victor, Thursday night, following her landslide win.
Khanjin (22,112) had almost 10,000 more votes than second-place NDP candidate Pekka Reinio (12,644), followed by Liberal Ann Hoggarth (5,536) in third and the Greens' Bonnie North (3,182).
A first-time candidate, Khanjin chalked up her win over a veteran politician such as Hoggarth to just plain hard work.
“It wasn’t so much a strategy,” said Khanjin, a 30-year-old Barrie resident. “It was the common values that bring us all together here in Barrie-Innisfil. Values like hard work, community, respecting our small-business owners, respecting our taxpayer base here and just coming together and remembering why we’re all in this together and that’s the respect for the taxpayer dollar.”
Khanjin said the PC platform resonated with voters.
“We need a change, we need actual hope,” she said. “We need a platform that brings hope and prosperity back to Ontario. I think the platform the Progressive Conservatives have put together is going to pay dividends.”
Khanjin was up against Hoggarth, who had served four years as the MPP for Barrie before the city was split to form two separate ridings.
For Khanjin, it was her first foray into politics as a candidate and being front and centre. She has previously work behind the scenes with the federal Conservatives while studying political science at the University of Ottawa.
Khanjin’s supporters say she is the right person for the job at Queen’s Park.
Tollendale Village resident Doris Falkeisen brought Khanjin a celebratory cake.
“I just knew she was going to get in,” she said. “After meeting her, there’s just something special about her. She’s a special woman, very educated, and that’s what we need right now.”
“The PCs have cleaned house,” said Valerie Samson. “I’m not surprised. I was very confident in our candidate, Andrea. She knows her stuff. I’m just thrilled.”
Samson said Khanjin brings several qualities to the table that will help in her new job.
“She’s young and energetic, she’s worked in government before,” Samson said. “She really knows her stuff. She won all of the debates. She really wants to be the one to take our concerns to government.”
Harris Bocknek echoed those comments, saying he was “thrilled but not surprised” at Khanjin’s victory.
“We’re elated with Andrea’s win,” Bocknek said. “Even more thrilled to have a PC majority government.
“Relief is on the way,” he added. “People are tired of the status quo. They want accountability.”
Mike Clark said he has been canvassing neighbourhoods with Khanjin the last few weeks.
“It’s really interesting to see her reactions with people at the door,” he said. “She has a lot of knowledge and listens to what people have to say.”
Paul Coxon was watching some of the early returns come in on the television -- indicating a PC Party win across the province -- ahead of Khanjin’s arrival at the Ferndale Drive South bar.
“It’s fantastic,” Coxon said. “We need a change. We need to start working for ourselves and not for others.”
Coxon said the NDP, who finished second, aren’t the solution.
“The NDP is the same as the Liberals,” he said. “They just want to spend money now and pay for it later. That has gone on for far too long.”
The Barrie area, which has historically been a Tory stronghold dating back to the Second World War, has flip-flopped between the PCs and the Liberals in recent years.
For this provincial election, the boundaries in Barrie were changed to match the federal ridings from the 2015 election. The city was split in two around Dunlop Street, with Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte (BSOM) to the north, and Barrie-Innisfil in the south.
