He was the first one in on January 2, and the momentum has been at his back for the 10 months that followed, and now, for Cam Guthrie, it all comes down to what happens on Election Day. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #18 – Councillor Cam Guthrie”
The returning champion of the Guelph mayor’s race in 2014 is Karen Farbridge, who’s spent all but three years of the last two decades on city council. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #17 – Mayor Karen Farbridge”
Can a shoeless man become Mayor of Guelph? Joseph St. Denis is betting he can. St. Denis entered the race this past spring with a goal of shaking up the status quo. Regular politicians aren’t good enough to represent us, he argues, and the poor voter turnout in the 2010 election reflects that. Maybe its not the quality of politics, he proposes, but the content of our politicians. He may not be as polished, he may not have a platform, and he may not have a pair of shoes, but that doesn’t mean that St. Denis isn’t in it to win it. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #16 – Joseph St. Denis, Mayoral Candidate”
Andrew Donovan has the distinction of being the youngest person in the Guelph Mayoral race, and although others in the race may certainly seem that way in terms of platform, he’s also the race’s only avowed libertarian. Entering the race late in August, Donovan, who graduated from the University of Guelph just this past spring, aimed to shed some light on issues other than the ones getting the most air this campaign, which is mostly tied to Urbacon and whether or not Guelph is overspent, and overtaxed. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #15 – Andrew Donovan, Mayoral Candidate”
Jason Blokhuis came into the Guelph Mayor’s race hoping to shake things up, and break open what sometimes feels like a two man (so to speak) race. The University of Waterloo prof thinks that the choice in this election need not come down to one between the status quo of Karen Farbridge versus the populist appeal of Councillor Cam Guthrie. Instead, he wants to make an appeal for smarter government, a point of view that says maybe we can be the progressive city we know and love while still being shrewd and prudent with how we spend our tax money. A controversial opinion to be sure. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #14 – Jason Blokhuis, Mayoral Candidate”
The election season officially gets underway on Guelph Politico today with the launch of season four of the Guelph Politicast. This season will deal with the 2014 Municipal Election, and will predominately focus on interviews with the candidates running for Mayor of Guelph. At bat first is John Legere, a local businessman and family man who was one of the first ones in the race this past January. Legere’s main issue is the promotion of transparency in government, and creating what he calls a “a truly representative government,” and he’s launched a grassroots campaign to test the waters for his idea. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #13 – John Legere, Mayoral Candidate”
“It’s the economy, stupid.” That was once of the three messages that Democratic strategist James Carville created for Bill Clinton’s 1992 Presidential Campaign, and it worked. “It’s the economy, stupid,” might as well be on Anthony MacDonald’s campaign signs because if there’s a four word message from our interview, I think that is it. According to the Progressive Conservative candidate, and I quote, “there’s nothing more important than the economy.” The question is though, will Guelph think that MacDonald is the right man for the job and send him to Queen’s Park as its Member of Provincial Parliament? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #12 – Anthony MacDonald, Progressive Conservatives”
Both the national and provincial Communist Party have made their presence known in Guelph the last several years, and why not? It’s only fitting because the party, the second oldest registered political party in the country, was started right here in Guelph in 1921. For the last several years, Drew Garvie has carried the Communist flag – as it were – in the Royal City, but with Garvie moving on to Toronto, the local Communist Party has turned to Junita Burnett to speak for the working class in the 2014 Provincial Election. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #11 – Juanita Burnett, Communist Party of Ontario”
Arriving at the Essex Street campaign office for James Gordon, the candidate takes a minute to show my around his digs. He leads me to the back and says you’ll like this. He opens the door to a large backroom where in one corner there’s a stack of campaign signs, and in the other a drum kit and amps. It seems that you can take the boy out of the band, as it were, but then he brings the band with him onto the campaign trail. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #10 – James Gordon, New Democratic Party of Ontario”
When last we spoke to Liz Sandals during the 2011 Provincial election, she was merely a Liberal backbencher seeking to return to the Ontario Legislature. But now, she’s the Minister of Education, looking to help her new boss, Premier Kathleen Wynne, hold on to power in an increasingly divided and partisan Queen’s Park. Obviously, she likes her chances in spite of everything. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #9 – Liz Sandals, Liberal Party of Ontario”
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