Jeff Lehman naturally feels winds of change blowing as the provincial election campaign ramps up in earnest.
The Liberal Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte candidate is hoping to help unseat the Progressive Conservatives in the June 2 vote, not only in Ontario but in this riding.
Opening his campaign office at 418 Blake St. Saturday afternoon in Barrie, Lehman said he’s hearing concerns about the direction Premier Doug Ford is taking Ontario — just two days after the Tories unveiled their 2022 budget.
“I think the concern is cuts to education, the money that wasn’t spent during the pandemic,” he said. “Now of course there’s money for things like (automobile licence) sticker fees and people see through that.
“And I think, when I’m knocking doors, that is the most common reason I am hearing for people to say, ‘I don’t want to vote Conservative.’”
Lehman said this naturally leads to the question of why people should vote Liberal instead of New Democrat or Green or otherwise.
While the Liberals’ election platform has yet to be released, Lehman said it contains some of the answers.
“What I’m hearing already is the support for small businesses affected by the pandemic by getting rid of corporate income tax, a living wage, the paid sick days — all of the things the government really, in a way, didn’t do or cut over the last four years,” he said.
The details will be released when the Liberals’ platform comes out in the coming week or two.
“My pitch to people at the door also is that I joined this party because it has been, always, historically, the big-tent party that represents all of Ontario, that is fiscally responsible but socially progressive and most Ontarians, I believe, fit that description,” he said. “Certainly, not all, but most.
“I think people are looking for that again and I think they’ve seen politics get really polarized,” Lehman said. “They haven’t seen that, that mix, for a while and I believe we’re going to bring it to Ontario.”
While Lehman declared his candidacy for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte weeks ago, the Barrie-Innisfil riding is still without a candidate as of Saturday. Lehman said there would be one.
“Regardless of when you get started, if the appetite is there for change, then it happens,” he said. “But it can be a disadvantage to not get an earlier start, especially if you are a new candidate.”
Lehman’s opponents in Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte are incumbent PC MPP Doug Downey, who’s also the Attorney General, New Democrat Beverley Patchell, Elyse Robinson of the Green Party and Darren Roskam of the None of the Above party.
The writ for the provincial election is expected to be dropped this Wednesday, May 4.
A writ is the formal, legal document that starts a provincial election in Ontario. The Lieutenant Governor and the chief electoral officer both sign two copies of a writ for each electoral district. One copy is sent to the returning officer in each electoral district, giving them the authority to hold an election.
