Quirk to challenge Oosterhoff
This time Tony Quirk believes the odds are in his favour.
In March, the Grimsby regional councillor will challenge Progressive Conservative Niagara West– Glanbrook MPP Sam Oosterhoff for his right to represent the party in the next provincial election.
Oosterhoff, 19, defeated Quirk for the Tory nomination in October and later went on to win his seat in a byelection becoming the youngest MPP in Ontario history. But the councillor believes he has better chances this time around.
“This time I can present a clear choice,” Quirk said in an interview Monday. “It is a pretty clear choice between experience — political, life and business experience — versus no experience.”
A sitting MPP facing a challenger from within his own party is rare but it is not without precedent and is allowed by the PC party’s rules.
“Our leader Patrick Brown has been very clear that he supports open and transparent nominations, and this is a clear sign of commitment to that promise,” Oosterhoff said in an emailed statement Monday.
“I am eager to make the case to the members of the Ontario PC Party in Niagara West as to why I believe I would make the best candidate to carry the PC banner into 2018.”
The riding was left vacant last year when former Tory leader Tim Hudak resigned. Two established Niagara politicians — Quirk and former St. Catharines MP Rick Dykstra — ran for the party nomination.
They were opposed by local newspaper owner Mike Williscraft and Oosterhoff, a young social conservative attending Brock University.
Although lightly regarded by the press, Oosterhoff rallied his local church community to support him. He won the nomination and Quirk finished fourth.
Quirk said his efforts were hampered, in part, by a late change to the riding nomination voting day, giving him less time to get his campaign moving.
This time, he said, voting day is fixed on March 7.
“This gives me time to run a proper campaign,” he said.
Quirk is the only one challenging Oosterhoff. The deadline to submit a candidacy was on Family Day.
There are some differences this time around. Candidates cannot register more party members to vote, a major focus of most party riding campaigns. Only those who are currently registered PC party members in Niagara West–Glanbrook will decide between Quirk and Oosterhoff.
Quirk said the two-man race gives him a better opportunity to highlight their differences than there was in a four-person contest.
And he said changes to the riding boundaries is moving some areas where Oosterhoff had strong support out of the riding. Quirk said he believes he can pick up supporters among those who voted for Dykstra and Williscraft.
“In short, I have lots of areas where I can grow support and he doesn’t,” Quirk said. “That said, I don’t believe for a moment this will be easy. The people who supported Sam are every enthusiastic and they will work really hard to elect him again.”
If Quirk does capture the party nomination, Oosterhoff would finish out his term as MPP, and Quirk would represent the party in the 2018 provincial election.
In his emailed statement, Oosterhoff said he has been working hard to “hold the Ontario Liberals accountable for the damage they have done not only in Niagara West, but across the province.”
He also said he is growing into his role as the Tory critical for digital government, and associate critic for research, innovation and science.