In Ontario Votes 2018, there’s mixed reactions to Kathleen Wynne’s admission that she doesn’t expect to be Premier after this Thursday’s election.
The PC candidate for Thunder Bay-Atikokan believes the Liberal leader may have a hidden motive in publicly conceding she won’t win this election.
Brandon Postuma says Wynne may be attempting to wrangle disgruntled Liberal voters back, and asking for a minority PC or NDP government.
He feels Wynne is trying to “give them an excuse to vote Liberal”.
“At the end of the day, I’m focused on my own party,” Postuma adds.
Liberal incumbent for Thunder Bay-Superior North Michael Gravelle’s office told us Wynne’s admission is disappointing.
Speaking to our newsroom, Gravelle says he can still pull his weight even if the Liberals aren’t in government.
“I had the opportunity to serve in opposition in my first eight years in office,” Gravelle points out. “[I] worked very hard at that time against the [former PC Premier] Mike Harris cuts, and to bring forward very positive things to the riding.”
He adds that if he’s elected for another term, he’ll continue to focus on issues affecting his riding.
Thunder Bay-Atikokan NDP candidate Judith Monteith-Farrell echos party leader Andrea Horwath, saying Wynne is abandoning the fight against PC Leader Doug Ford.
However, while Monteith-Farrel points out Wynne is still in the race, it’s hard to say what her announcement will mean for the election.
She saysthe LIberal leader did something she hasn’t seen before, and isn’t sure if it means Wynne will be successful in swinging votes to the Liberal side.
“I think at this point, most people have made up their mind, and looked at the platform. For the few that are out there, I guess because it’s unprecedented, it’s really hard to comment.”
She adds the Liberal leader isn’t out of the picture. (File Photo)
