Tear Off The Band-Aid

Thursday, June 7th is Election Day.

It's finally time for Ontarian's to mark their ballots and decide this province's future. Every political party and candidate has spent the past few weeks making their cases to the voters…including the Northern Ontario Party and me.

We're very proud of the campaign we've run. It's not easy remaining positive…especially given the obstacles our party has faced.

Our leader, Trevor Holliday, was excluded from every leader's debate—even the lone Northern Ontario debate. He never got the chance to hold Horvath, Ford, or Wynne to account: not for their failed policies, not for their broken promises, and not for their casual disdain of our region.

Other NOP candidates have faced similarly galling hurdles, but still we persist. Spreading our message, fighting for the North.

As the Northern Ontario Party gained traction with voters our opponents pulled out their knives. Their most damaging criticism was reserved for our loftier Northern goals. Cynics dismissed the party and our "Pie-in-the-sky" daydreams.

I say to those people fixated on the NOP's founding notion of sovereignty, "You are missing the point." We're not a one-policy party. The North deserves more than that and more than what we've been getting.

Politics may be "The art of compromise" but Ontario's government should aspire to more. The province deserves leadership. People we can look up to. People who are working to improve things. People who still believe that there is room to improve. Who would you rather follow…the party reaching for the stars or those trying to pull everyone down into the muck?

The NOP is reaching high. We might fall short more often than not, but when we succeed all of the North succeeds with us.

We're not going to form government in 2018. In fact, given the population distribution across the province, we will never form a government. But that doesn't mean our efforts are futile. The more support we garner the more obvious our region's anger at the status quo.

And, for those who don't know, the North is very angry!

Suppose the region's frustrations sweep an NOP candidate (or two!) into office. What will our MPP do if elected? Fight! Northerners can expect every member of our party—both in and out of office—to fight on their behalf. Constantly. Diligently. And without fail or complaint.

Anyone with eyes can see there are problems in Ontario. Big problems. Yet all the other political parties can propose are Band-Aid solutions. Enough with the temporary fixes!

The NOP suggests doing something drastic. Let's rip those bandages right off! Air out the problems. Let some light onto them. And expose our province's failures for all to see. Only then can real healing begin.

Yes, it's going to hurt. Yes, it's going to get ugly. But the time for First Aid is over. Ontario needs a transfusion: Northern ideas; Northern attitudes; and a Northern Party.

Enough with the "patchwork" government. Enough plugging leaks. Enough putting out political grass fires. Let's get to the root of the province's problems: Government is too big and too wasteful; Queen's Park is out of touch with the people it supposedly represents (especially those of us in the North); Citizens feel unheard and are disengaging with their communities; Big money has too much influence; Expenses are out of control; and that's just the tip of the iceberg!

In short, democracy is broken and it needs to be set straight.

The Northern Ontario Party doesn't claim to have all the answers. Unlike the other parties we aren't promising to cure our province's many ills in a day. We can, however, bring an unbiased eye to government. We can bring practical solutions to the fore. With your help, we can encourage change.

Our agenda is your agenda. How do we know this? Because you help us decide. Every major issue will go before the riding for a vote. Citizens—even those who disagree with us—get an equal say. We will listen.

That approach won't turn decades of mismanagement around but we believe it is a step in the right direction. And that is what voting NOP truly represents, a step for Ontario…but it could be a giant leap for the North.