Friday, May 20th, 2022
On Wednesday evening, the virtual town hall to hear the Etobicoke Centre candidates in the 2022 Ontario Election drew a large crowd. Over 160 attendees viewed part of the town hall, and over 100 were present for most of the 90 minute meeting.
The town hall was moderated by the Reverend Brian McIntosh, and the candidates who were present were Heather Vickers-Wong representing the Ontario NDP Party, Noel Semple representing the Liberal Party of Ontario, and Brian MacLean representing the Green Party of Ontario.
The incumbent, Kinga Surma of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, declined to attend. As the incumbent, Ms Surma was contacted before the other candidates and given a choice of dates. Receiving no firm response within a 10-day period, the candidates from the other parties were then contacted and responded quickly to the affirmative.
The moderator, Brian McIntosh, stated “This town hall was an important contribution to the democratic process by the two sponsoring groups and the supporting organizations, as we informed voters about crucial topics in a civil and respectful manner and urged them to fulfill their responsibility as citizens by voting.”
The Ontario NDP Party candidate, Heather Vickers-Wong, stated “It was my pleasure to take part in this Town Hall provided by ECULINKS, Etobicoke Climate Action and the help of so many others. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with so many others in the community and share our ideas about a strong and innovative future for all of us.”
The Green Party of Ontario candidate, Brian MacLean, stated “Political campaigns are like job interviews for the candidates. Three qualified candidates showed up last night for a well-informed exchange of views and responses to Etobicoke Centre voters – who are our bosses! Should one of those three be rewarded with our trust or should it be the incumbent who did not think you deserve accountability for her record?”
The Liberal Party Of Ontario candidate, Noel Semple, stated “I was delighted to take part in the Virtual Town Hall on May 18th. It was a civil, substantive conversation between candidates and voters, and this is exactly what our democracy needs. While it is unfortunate that the incumbent chose not to attend, I learned a lot from my fellow candidates and the audience questions. Thank you to Eculinks and Etobicoke Climate Action, and to everyone who joined the conversation.”
The video of the event is available below.