Wynne expected to top Hamilton delegates
Local Liberals lean to Wynne, but Hoskins, Pupatello attract many as party membership blossoms
Kathleen Wynne appears to be the odds-on favourite for Hamilton Liberals to be their next leader.
The former education minister is expected to win the most local delegates in Sunday’s voting for the provincial leadership convention.
Even Hillary Dawson, an organizer for former economic development minister Sandra Pupatello, admits “that is probably true” but says that does not mean she will ultimately win the leadership at the Jan 24-26 convention in Toronto.
“I know our support has been quite strong,” Dawson said Friday.
Party members will vote for 16 delegates from each of Ontario’s 107 ridings.
The delegates will be part of 2,500 members who will vote for the new leader and they will be committed on the first ballot to their leadership preference. There are four other candidates; Eric Hoskins, Gerard Kennedy, Charles Sousa and Harinder Takhar.
Wynne organizer Vito Sgro said
As for spots after that, he believes third place could go to either Hoskins, Kennedy or Sousa.
the party has boosted its membership to about 32,000 from 6,000 because of the race. Hamilton-area MPP and Agricultural Minister Ted McMeekin said Friday Wynne has signed up 8,400 new members, which he said is more than twice that of her challengers.
Sgro said Takhar could be a spoiler in the Hamilton area, largely because of support from the South Asian community.
“I would say honestly it’s between us and Pupatello, but Minister Takhar has a presence too,” said Sgro. “I don’t think he’s a big as the two of us in every riding, but they are there.”
Sgro said Wynne has signed up 640 out of the 2,000 new members who joined the party in Hamilton’s five ridings. He said the membership for all the ridings before the leadership race was about 600.
He believes the tally is not bad, considering organizers had a short time to sell memberships. Wynne has also garnered support from such local Liberals as former deputy prime minister Sheila Copps. Pupatello has the support of people like former Niagara chair Debbie Zimmerman.
Dawson could not say how many new members Pupatello has signed up in Hamilton, but indicated she wouldn’t reveal it anyways. “I know in poker you don’t show your hand,” she said.
Hamilton Mountain Liberal Tyler Banham, executive vice-president of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), also believes Wynne will emerge with the most Hamil- ton delegates. He is neutral in the contest. “I get the sense it will be heavily Wynne in this town, followed by Pupatello in second,” he said.
As for spots after that, he believes third place could go to either Hoskins, Kennedy or Sousa.
Hamilton Centre Liberals vote at Beth Jacob Synagogue; Hamilton East-Stoney Creek members vote at the Stoney Creek Lions Hall; Hamilton Mountain votes at the Hamilton Mosque; Niagara West-Glanbrook votes at the Lincoln Centre, Beamsville; Burlington votes at the Burlington Seniors’ Centre; and Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale members vote at the Dundas Lions Memorial Community Centre. Voting is from 3-8 p.m.