Former OLG chief Phillips ousts Liberal
The former head of Postmedia and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. unseated an 11year Liberal incumbent by winning Ajax for the Progressive Conservatives.
In what was projected to be a tight race, Rod Phillips, also the former head of CivicAction, billed on its website as an “independent and nimble developer of broad civic leadership,” said he worked hard against his Liberal opponent Joe Dickson. Dickson finished third after NDP candidate Monique Hughes.
“Ajax is a community of unlimited potential in a province of boundless possibilities,” Phillips said, according to a transcript of his victory speech.
“I am inspired, and humbled, by the opportunity to carry on the proud tradition of our party as your new MPP, help realize our potential and make Ajax an even better place to live and raise a family.”
Meanwhile, Progressive Conservative candidate Peter Bethlenfalvy won his seat in the newly created riding of Pickering-Uxbridge, edging out NDP contender Nerissa Carino, a pastry arts professor at Centennial College, who came in second.
A statement to the Star from Bethlenfalvy’s camplaign manager a said: “Tonight has shown t that the people of Pickering- Uxbridge, Durham Region and Ontario want change. I couldn’t be prouder to be part of a strong, stable Progressive Conservative government that will deliver real, actionable change for the people of this province. I can’t wait to get to work.”
On his campaign to victory in Ajax, AA Rod Phillips rose before the tt sun to greet potential voters in the Ajax GO Station. He said he wanted to talk to the many constituents who commute to other parts of the GTA for work.
Creating jobs closer to home, he said, is one of the big issues. “It’s been a long time since we saw real job growth,” he said. “So we keep getting out to listen to people.”
Meanwhile, one riding to the west, Bethlenfalvy described his riding as a “little microcosm of Ontario” because of its urban, suburban and rural populations. The main issues, he said during the campaign, are infrastructure and getting much needed support for schools, hospitals and roads.