Teen revisits Ontario campaign trail 4 years later
Four years ago, when I was 9, I went on this same campaign trail, but it felt so different.
I think the mood is one of the big changes compared to the last election. Four years ago, people on the bus were cracking jokes and chatting with one another; now it feels very sombre and sorrowful. Although there is a fair share of sadness, I saw lots of hope in Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne’s supporters here. They had smiles in their faces, tears in their eyes and Liberal signs aplenty.
At the rally I attended in Newmarket for candidate Chris Ballard, most people looked as if they were saying goodbye to an old friend. I could also see this in the Liberal leader when I asked about her future plans.
Wynne said, “The first thing that I really want to do is I want to get re-elected in Don Valley West. I was out in my riding yesterday. I’m committed to re- presenting my riding and so that’s my goal and we’ll see what happens on June 7. That’s my plan.” I think I know what she meant. She’s trying to say even though she will not be premier, she wants to be involved with her community and her party.
Wynne’s mood seems to have changed in other ways. In the last campaign, she talked about the future and how she would make Ontario prosperous.
During this rally she was much more retrospective and acted as if she had already been defeated.
It was very interesting to observe a party that was winning versus one that is losing.
This campaign trail also contrasts the last one because just as the Liberal party has changed, I have as well. When I was 9, my knowledge of politics was minimal and I didn’t have a connection with the MPPs.
Now, having been a legislative page last spring, I know almost aaall of the current MPPs in all three parties and know lots more about politics.
Now that I have more of a connection with the politicians, it makes me kind of sad to see them losing their jobs and admitting defeat.
The Liberals have been in power for my entire life. This makes me very interested for what the future holds. In poli- tics, you win some, you lose some.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Reed Benzie is a Grade 8 student in Toronto and the son of the Star’s Robert Benzie. These are his impres- sions of life on the campaign trail compared to the last time he covered an election. He wrote this aboard the campaign bus.