Larry's Corner

Provincial Election: The Local Scene
By Larry Di Ianni
(posted September 17, 2007)

The local provincial election is shaping up to be an interesting contest with a lot at stake for the city of Hamilton. Popular opinion seems to suggest that the NDP is gaining ground this time around, just as it did for the party in the last Federal election. Let’s remind ourselves: before the last sitting of the Federal parliament, the Liberals controlled the Mountain, Hamilton East, Stoney Creek, and Dundas, Flamborough Ancaster, and Aldershot (ADFA). After the election, the Mountain, Hamilton Center, and East Hamilton Stoney Creek went orange and ADFA went Tory.

Will the trend continue provincially?

Andrea Horwath, who won the bi-election after Dominic Agostino’s death has done a good job working hard for her party. The Liberals lost Marie Bountrogianni, Jennifer Mossop and Judy Marsales to retirement, leaving Ted McMeekin as the lone standardbearer for the party. How will the new faces do?

Firstly the new faces: for the Liberals, Nerene Virgin in Hamilton East/Stoney Creek, Steve Ruddick in Hamilton Center and Sophia Aggelonitis on the Mountain. For the Tories, Tara Crugnale, Bob Charters, Chris Robertson and Chris Corrigan. For the NDP, Andrea Horwath, Brian Adamczyk, Juanita Maldonado and Bonnie Bryan.

Off the top, let me say that Juanita Maldonado for the NDP, Bonnie Brown of the same party have absolutely no chance. The Tories can write off Chris Robertson in Hamilton Center. The Liberals have a tough fight in Niagara West Glanbrook where the experienced Tim Hudak is putting on a tough fight.

What are the strengths of each party? In East Hamilton Stoney Creek, Nerene Virgin, a bright, solid performer is in a fight of her political life with Paul Miller, a former city Councillor who is being helped big time by the Steelworkers union. Virgin is more poised and presents better than Miller. Her albatross is the non-nomination which had her selected as the candidate of choice. Will this be a big drag? I have helped campaign at the doors and it came up once in the thirty homes I visited, so it should be a non issue. I am biased but Virgin will win and is a candidate for the Cabinet.

This is a riding with a three way chance in that the newcomer for the Tories, Tara Crugnale is young and not well known, but is of Croatian and Italian background and her father is personable and extremely well known by the Italian community which is large in Stoney Creek.

On the Mountain, the highly presentable Sophia Aggelonitis, small business woman, president of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and hard working community activist is fighting it out with Bob Charters, former City Councillor defeated in 2000 just after amalgamation. He is smart and wily and should not be taken lightly. Adamczyk has the Orange machine of Chris Charlton behind him, but he has been a back room organizer and to my knowledge has been uninvolved in anything but labour issues. Sophia should win.

In Hamilton Center, Andrea is the clear front runner. She is tough and smart. But Steve Ruddick of the Liberals is putting on a real fight. He is cool and confident and has had media exposure because of his work on CH TV with the weather and sports.

In ADFA, Ted McMeekin will win. Mr. Corrigan has good credentials but Ted is well-known, smart and is running ahead of his party. He deserves to be in Cabinet if he retains his seat. Westdale, the new addition to his riding will help him.

In Niagara West Glanbrook I am really impressed with Mike Lo Stracco, like me a Secondary Principal who is taking time off for the campaign. He is smart and well connected in the Niagara part of the riding. He has a tough, experienced opponent in Tim Hudak who was in Harris’ cabinet when the Tories were in power. Tim has also been working hard in Glanbrook, the new addition to his riding. Can Lo Stracco win? It will be tough, but he is making Tim Hudak work harder than he thought he had to.

So after the election…the City will be red and orange, I predict.

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