Meet the candidates: Bay of Quinte

By Beatrice Toplitsky

BELLEVILLE – The Bay of Quinte area is gearing up for the coming election, and with the riding map newly redrawn, the lineup of candidates has been shuffled.

The riding is made up of Prince Edward County, Quinte West and Belleville south of Highway 401. QNet News contacted all six candidates with a questionnaire to give constituents a better insight into the people whose names will be on the ballot on Thursday. Two have responded.

Liberal candidate: 

Robert Quaiff, mayor of Prince Edward County, Picton.

What do you cherish most about the Quinte Bay community? “When I reflect on what I cherish the most about our community, it is always our best natural resource that I think of first – our people. The people in our community are incredibly innovative, inspiring and hard-working. Anything I have achieved in our community, such as securing government funding for a new Picton hospital or new funding for community housing, would not have been possible without the hard work and support of countless community members, friends and family. I hope to be able to represent the incredible people of our community at Queen’s Park!”

Describe your two highest priorities for change in this riding. “My two highest priorities for change in the riding are improved access to health care and affordable housing. Right now, we have an aging population of seniors throughout the community whose health-care needs will continue to increase. Together we have had some success in getting funding for a new Picton hospital, but we need to continue that work and secure more quality health care for the entire community. This means working to secure more long-term-care beds, it means fighting for a dialysis unit in Quinte West, and it means ensuring that our hospitals get their fair share of funding. What it does not mean is making claims about finding “efficiencies” in the system like the (Progressive Conservatives) have suggested, because we all know what they really mean is cuts. And what we do not need right now in our health-care system is cuts. Right now, our community is prospering, with new investment coming in and small businesses starting up, but there are many who cannot afford to put a roof over their head, and that needs to change. This Liberal government has done an incredible job increasing the minimum wage to $14 an hour last January and $15 an hour this January to make the minimum wage a living wage, which will help individuals to better afford housing. But we need to make more affordable housing units available. That is why I have met with a home building group and housing advocates to determine where the barriers are to constructing more affordable housing units, so I can take those voices to Queen’s Park to ensure that everybody in our community has a place to call home.”

How do you envision primarily communicating with constituents? “As mayor of Prince Edward County, I have always given out my cellphone number to people in our community. Sometimes they would call in the middle of the night and wake up my wife, but I never stopped giving out my number, because I know that politicians need to be accountable to the people they serve. When people would call with an issue, I would walk right over and sit down with them to help resolve it for them. I plan to continue giving out my cell number if I am elected as the next MPP for Bay of Quinte, so that whether I am in Toronto or this great community, people will be able to reach me at any time – whether it wakes my family up or not!”

And just for fun, what is your favourite pizza topping? “Call me boring, but I love plain old pepperoni on my pizza!”

Green Candidate: 

Mark Daye, home cook, Toronto.

Progressive Conservative candidate:

Todd Smith: Did not respond.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NDP candidate:

Joanne Belanger: Did not respond

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trillium candidate:

James Engelsman: Did not respond

 

 

 

 

 

 

Libertarian candidate:

Cindy Davidson: Did not respond