Sault Ste. Marie voters getting June 1 byelection

PC candidate apparent leader while polls show Liberals trailing province-wide

Voters in Sault Ste. Marie are heading to the polls for a June 1 byelection.

Premier Kathleen Wynne called the contest Wednesday to elect a successor to former minister David Orazietti, who resigned over Christmas.

While Orazietti, who did stints as minister of corrections, natural resources minister, and government and consumer services, had held the seat since 2003, the Liberals face a stiff challenge there.

Local Councillor Ross Romano is the Progressive Conservative candidate and the apparent front-runner.

Tory Leader Patrick Brown has spent a lot of time in Sault Ste. Marie with hopes of winning away a northern seat from the Liberals.

“Only the Ontario PC Party represents change for the better. We want Sault Ste. Marie families to pay less and get ahead,” Brown said. But NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is also devoting resources to a riding where her party has traditionally done well.

The New Democrats are fielding local Councillor Joe Krmpotich.

“Joe has spent his career fighting for working families in the Soo. It’s time Sault Ste. Marie people had a real voice at Queen’s Park,” Horwath said.

But the Liberals are not conceding the race, despite recent publicopinion polls that show them trailing province-wide.

Former Sault mayor Debbie Amaroso is the Grit candidate.

“As a grandmother, small business owner and a former manager of our local March of Dimes, I am passionate about ensuring we invest in education, health care and the support people need to succeed here in the Soo,” Amaroso said.

Next month’s contest, which coincides with the day the Legislature rises for summer, will be the first political test for Finance Minister Charles Sousa’s balanced budget.

Sousa’s spending plan unveiled last Thursday — the first without a deficit since 2008 — introduced free pharmacare for everyone under the age of 25 starting next January.

The Liberals hope that $465million annual program is popular with young families. Regardless of the outcome, the byelection will not radically alter the 107-member Legislature.

The majority Liberal government currently holds 57 seats, including that of Speaker Dave Levac, the Tories have 29, the New Democrats have 20 and there is one vacancy.