Ontario Community Newspapers

Year of change ahead?

Publication
Independent & Free Press (Georgetown, ON), 3 Jan 2007, p. 6
Description
Full Text

While 2006 may well be remembered for its unusual, often turbulent weather, a gaze into the crystal ball indicates 2007 may bring more winds of change-- those of the political variety. Having just enjoyed (endured?) a year that featured two elections--a federal one last January and the municipal vote less than two months ago-- voters in Ontario can expect to cast ballots twice again in 2007. With the Stephen Harper Conservatives clinging to a slim minority in Ottawa most observers believe it will be sooner, rather than later, that we will head to the polls again for a federal election. Traditionally, minority governments have a shelf life of about 18 months which, by the time June rolls around, should be an adequate amount of time for new Liberal leader Stéphane Dion to decide he's comfortable enough to challenge Harper. While a federal election may be in some doubt, there is no question Ontarians will be asked to decide whether Dalton McGuinty's Liberals deserve four more years at Queen's Park. Thanks to legislation brought in last year, Ontario voters will be asked to cast ballots in October, every four years, beginning this year. Regionally, Gary Carr, an ex-MPP gets his feet wet , in the municipal pool and he is expected to run things much differently than former region chair Joyce Savoline did for the previous nine years. Locally, Halton Hills will once again see a restructuring of its electoral boundaries-- this time at the provincial level. For the fall election campaign, Halton Hills voters will see their current riding of Halton (held by Tory Ted Chudleigh) mirror the federal riding of Wellington-Halton Hills. As stated many times previously we are not fans of this realignment-- or any which takes Halton Hills out of Halton. Unfortunately, we must play the cards dealt us by the election boundary gurus in Ottawa who surely lost their map when they opted to place Halton Hills in the same riding as their distant cousins in Fergus. Yes, the winds of change are blowing into this area in 2007 and not all of it is the hot air usually associated with election campaigns.


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Newspaper
Item Types
Articles
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Date of Publication
3 Jan 2007
Subject(s)
Local identifier
Halton.News.218655
Language of Item
English
Copyright Statement
Copyright status unknown. Responsibility for determining the copyright status and any use rests exclusively with the user.
Contact
Halton Hills Public Library
Email:askus@haltonhills.ca
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