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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday September 12, 2007 - 3 Candidates hit the campaign trail running Continued from page 1 packed. Our sign guys were out last night, knowing that the writ would be dropped today and this would be the first day you could put signs up." While Flynn's duties as Oakville's MPP continues to dominate his mornings, the remainder of the day is spent on the campaign trail and in particular, door knocking. "That's where I want to spend the majority of my time is on the front door steps of the people of Oakville. I've just about gone across the town once and then what we'll do is poll by poll selections," he said. Flynn's opponent, Conservative candidate Rick Byers, is working no less hard for the votes of the people of Oakville "Asking your community to represent them in parliament is a great honour. It's one I'm taking very seriously, but it's also one I'm enjoying immensely," said Byers. "I am enjoying going door to door and talking to the people of Oakville about what's on their minds and the future. There is no better form of democracy than doing that." Byers' schedule for the next month is a busy one, with his attention required for many dimensions of the campaign. "In the mornings we're doing a fair amount of organizational work to ensure things are running well. I spend some time with the campaign manager and the team on a daily basis to make sure signs are getting up, canvassing is organized and special events are being properly looked after," said Byers. "We have a very active calendar in the first week," Byers said on Monday. "John Tory is coming to Oakville tomorrow, we have a debate at the CAW Wednesday night and then Saturday we're having a community barbecue and then the afternoons and the evenings I'm door knocking wherever possible." Oakville's Liberal and Conservative candidates are not 2003 Ontario Election results OAKVILLE RIDING Candidate Kevin Flynn Kurt Franklin Anwar Naqvi Theresa Tritt Ted Chudleigh Barbara Sullivan Jay Jackson Matthew Smith Guiseppe Gori Party Liberals PC NDP FCP Votes 22,428 18,991 2,858 751 33,610 28,112 5,587 1,295 1,123 Halton Riding PC Liberals NDP Green Party FCP the only people shifting into high gear with the approach of the provincial election. Tony Crawford, the New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate, is also feeling the burn as he races towards the coveted title of Oakville MPP. "It is absolutely amazing to me how the phone has not stopped ringing," said Crawford. "We've got a busy schedule this week. Today I was in Hamilton with Howard Hampton, I just got back and am answering my calls. We're planning an identity theft meeting for the public to help them become more aware of the financial, health and legal services impact when your identity is stolen. We've booked the library for that venue and it's Sept. 22." Besides all this, Crawford says he has the CAW all-candidates meeting and a meeting with the Labour Council on Thursday. He says he is receiving so many emails that he's requesting people make their concern clear in the subject heading or face the possibility of having their message deleted as junk mail by mistake. Oakville's Green Party has suffered a setback in its provincial election campaign as candidate Andrew Chlobowski withdrew from the campaign trail citing personal reasons. In his place, Marion Schaffer, a retired minister and teacher, will continue the race, which at the first all candidates debate saw the Oakville Green Party championing the closure of coal power generators after a oneyear deadline and a single public education system. "The Green Party brings a heightened awareness to the necessity of cleaning up our act in every possible way. On a personal level each person has to look at their personal habits and what they need to change. Provincially we have to look at what we're doing on highways and what we're doing in health care," said Schaffer. "As far as healthcare is concerned, the Green Party feels that we should be about prevention. We're not doing enough to prevent things. Cancer is a huge issue because of the environmental mess we're in, in part at least." As Schaffer was caught out of town when the candidacy was passed to her, she will not be able to attend today's all-candidates meeting, but intends to make up that absence when she returns on Tuesday, Sept. 18. Other issues, this election, are as diverse as the parties that are promoting them. For Halton MPP Ted Chudleigh, who represents Oakville residents north of Upper Middle Road, the key issue in this election is leadership. "There is such a contrast in leadership styles between John Tory with a proven record of integrity and leadership against a fallen premier, who has broken his word at every turn, who has failed to have a plan and failed to show leadership. I just think that is going to dominate the election and I don't think people will believe that Dalton deserves a second chance because of the way he's conducted himself in his first term," said Chudleigh. On the opposing side of the north Oakville election, Liberal candidate Gary Zemlak believes the accomplishments of the McGuinty government will speak for themselves. "I'm hoping the people will give us a chance," said Zemlak. "We did a remarkable job, considering the situation we were left in. We crawled out of a $5.6 billion hole and we're making positive things happen across Ontario. I just feel so excited to be part of that. We're moving forward." Patricia Heroux, the NDP candidate in the race for the Halton MPP title, says the great differences in the political terrain of the Halton riding present a diverse mix of urban and rural issues to deal with. "I've taken several Saturday mornings and just walked and talked to people at the Milton farmers' market, because that's the only area I can be sure of getting most of the people that are in my voting riding," said Heroux. "The environment, health care and education. Those are the three key issues that I see coming out." Stan Lazarski, who will run for the Family Coalition Party in the Halton riding, has not started campaigning yet, but notes that when he does he will promote the idea that a strong society begins with strong family units. To accomplish this Lazarski favours a reduced role of government in the lives of its people and lower taxes. "If you love freedom and you enjoy the fruits of your labour, we will not get in your way," he said. 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