Peterborough voters say no to Leal, Liberals, NDP
Jeff Leal says he’s done with politics.
“This is the finale of my time in public life but I can say I look forward to doing something else,” he said after his election loss Thursday.
“We’ll take some time for Karan, Braden, Shanae and I to reflect on a few things but I want to be busy and I still think in another way outside elected politics I can still make a contribution to Peterborough.”
The incumbent Liberal MPP’s 15-year run at Queen’s Park came to an end Thursday night as voters in Peterborough-Kawartha, like those across the province, chose a different direction going forward.
“We had a wonderful campaign, a wonderful campaign team and the people of Ontario opted for change and people in the riding of Peterborough-Kawartha opted for change and they say the voters are always absolutely correct in these things,” Leal said.
Peterborough remains a bellwether riding, electing the Progressive Conservatives’ Dave Smith. He’ll join Doug Ford at Queen’s Park as the PCs form a majority government for the first time since the government of Ernie Eves was defeated by Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals in 2003.
Leal said he’s grateful for his time at Queen’s Park and City Hall.
“I’ve had the opportunity to be in the public life in this community for 33 straight years and it’s been a very rewarding time for me. It comes to an end tonight but I can say tomorrow the sun will come back up again and I’ll be looking forward to some new challenges and new opportunities in my life,” he said.
There were many successes, he pointed out.
“We worked together with a lot of groups over these 15 years. We built the new Peterborough Regional Healthcare Centre, we built the Kawartha Trades and Technology Centre, we brought the GO Bus to Peterborough, we’re in the process of building a hospice for the City of Peterborough.
“The list is pretty extensive right up to the announcement Coca-Cola made for Minute Maid the last couple of days,” he said. “So it was a rewarding experience and I have absolutely no regrets at all and I sincerely want to thank- I started off 33 years ago being a city councillor for Otonabee Ward and I want to thank them for all that support and the great people of Peterborough riding for the past 15 years.”
Reaction to the defeat of the incumbent was swift.
“We really need to compliment Jeff Leal on the quality representation he has provided Peterborough-Kawartha during his years in Queen’s Park,” said Peterborough County Warden Joe Taylor Thursday night. “He is a class act and he has served this area well and we all owe him our gratitude.”
The NDP’s Sean Conway came in second, much as his party did provincewide.
Other candidates included the Green party’s Gianne Broughton, 57, a teacher, tutor for dyslexic children and owner-manager of Skill Building (a service that helps students understand their individual learning style)
Jacob Currier, 20, is a security guard who was running for office for the first time, representing the Libertarian party.
Ken Ranney, 88, a retired family doctor, pathologist and biochemist, ran for the Stop Climate Change Party.
Leal, 63, lost after 33 years as an elected official.
He was first elected as a Liberal MPP in 2003, following 17 years as a Peterborough city councillor.
He served as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in Kathleen Wynne’s government after his re-election in 2013, as well as minister responsible for small business.
- With files from Joelle Kovach, Lance Anderson