In tomorrow’s provincial election and referendum, Kingstonians will cast their votes to decide which of the six Kingston and the Islands candidates will represent their constituency.
Incumbent Liberal MPP John Gerretsen will run for office again, facing his predominant competition from Conservative candidate John Rapin, NDP candidate Rick Downes and Green Party candidate Bridget Doherty.
For the city of Kingston, in particular, the NDP candidate and his platform have the greatest draw—Downes is in touch with what Kingstonians are seeking not only in their leader, but for their city and the community as a whole.
Last year’s tight mayoral race between Downes and Mayor Harvey Rosen demonstrated that Downes has substantial municipal support and is in touch with the needs of Kingstonians, which is more than can be said for Gerretsen. Downes’ platform in this election is further indicative of his drive to serve the various demographics in his riding.
The provincial NDP’s platform lists six initiatives Downes promises to put into action should he be elected the riding’s MPP. This list includes a health tax rebate to counteract Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty’s tax raise and removing barriers to post-secondary education by lowering and freezing tuition.
That being said, Downes’ proposals aren’t flawless and perhaps he doesn’t fully take into account their feasibility. Downes has included reducing wait times and improving health care among his other dedicated goals—Rapin, on the other hand, has based much of his campaign solely on taking similar action and so can almost be guaranteed to take greater strides in this area, especially given his professional experience in the field.
Kingston residents stand to benefit the greatest from electing Downes as their MPP although it should be noted that NDP leader Howard Hampton remains somewhat of a wild card. From a strictly Kingston and the Islands perspective, however, Downes has shown himself to be capable and should be considered the most apt candidate on the ballot.
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