Finding a quality candidate in short order to challenge freshly-minted Conservative Tim Peterson in Mississauga South, “will not be as difficult as some people think.”
That’s the considered opinion of Liberal executive member Dr. Boyd Upper, who was as shocked as everyone else last week when Peterson decided to sit as an independent now, then run as a Tory Oct. 10.
“We will have a very good Liberal candidate who lives in the community, who has been involved in the community and who has a track record,” Upper said very firmly this morning.
The shock, sense of betrayal and anger that followed the initial revelation of Peterson’s plans is now translating into action. On Saturday, the Liberals under Acting President Tanya Zaritzky, meet to put together a candidate search committee. Zaritzky says the local association has already told head office that they aren’t interested in any parachute candidates.
In lots of cases, the riding association is a group of people supported by, and loyal to, the candidate. Not in Mississauga South. There is a strong core of long-time members. They approached Peterson to be their candidate. He did not install them to do his bidding as happens in most ridings.
That means the association isn’t as weakened by the floor-crossing as many others would be.
Upper doesn’t minimize the fact that Peterson’s action, and its timing, has left the executive scrambling. Not only do they have to find a candidate tout de suite but Peterson was organizing their major fundraiser in June, and it now appears there is going to be a federal election between now and Oct., which will drain off workers and money.
Then there’s the psychological letdown. “Hundreds of people worked their guts out to get him elected, the first time a Liberal has won in this riding since Confederation,” said Upper. “Can you imagine the disappointment?”
The complications that arise when the member decides to change jerseys are numerous. The constituency office staff are normally party supporters who run the “non-partisan service bureau.” But they need jobs like everyone else and Peterson’s staff is staying put.
Even before the press conference made it official last Thursday afternoon, the Liberal Party arrived to whisk away the office computers.
Peterson said today that the Liberal caucus sent loads of information out to the riding office and he understand perfectly well why the computers were spirited away. “It’s no big deal but the staff were upset because they weren’t expecting it,” he said.
Fellow caucus member Bob Delaney says that, as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health, Peterson would have received proprietary information on policy development. Removing the computers is simple due diligence, he says.
Delaney has known Peterson for 17 years and certainly didn’t see this as the last chapter to the Peterson family’s impeccable Liberal credentials.
As repugnant as they find the concept of changing parties while in office, Delaney and Upper don’t hold his decision against him personally, strange as that may seem. Upper believes Peterson was legitimately upset with the results of the Clarkson Air Shed Study that shows south Mississauga has some 15 per cent more pollution than other air sheds. The shadow of the pending approvals of Southdown Sithe plant, a new Lakeview plant and the Greenfield South project loom over his decision.
Delaney says: “If Tim looks in the mirror and doesn’t see a Liberal, then he’s better off without us and we’re better off without him.” My guess is Peterson is avoided mirrors altogether these days.
No one is naming names for the South Liberals yet, where former school board chair Peter Ferreira and environmental and heritage activist Stephen Wahl ran against Peterson for the nomination in 2004.
One potential runner is banking executive Charles Sousa, who has the credentials and community contacts the party is seeking, if not the political experience. The Gordon Graydon graduate has lived in the riding since he was five-years-old, more than four decades. He launched an assault on federal incumbent Paul Szabo that fell short in 2004 and jumped too late into the federal nomination last time in Mississauga-Erindale won by Omar Alghabra.
Comments (9)
Thanks for refreshing my memory about "parachuting in a big name" into Mississauga South. Well, it wasn't a parachute and it was not a "big name" it was a character who according to the Ontario Hansard has done nothing , absolutely NOTHING in four years, especially for those of us who live north of the QEW. Peterson played a game of leap frog and the voters will see that on October 10th.
Posted by Irene Gabon | September 18, 2007 10:04 AM
Posted on September 18, 2007 10:04
Charles Sousa is the man who is running for the Liberals. You may remember him as he tried to unseat Federal Liberal MPP Paul Szabo which was really disgusting. The Ontario Liberals want to build three gas generating plants in Mississauga South despite the facts that the Clarkson Airshed study conducted by the Ministry of Environment shows we have the worst air quality in the GTA and toxins above acceptable limits. McGuinty and Co. have taken Ontario from #1 in economic growth to #10. The cut healthcare funding for chiro, physio, optometry. He institued the largest single tax increase in Ontario history after promising not to raise taxes. He broke his promise to fund autism treatment for children and sued a family with an autistic child. I have voted Liberal in the past but this time I am voting for the Conservatives.
Posted by JohnP | September 16, 2007 3:59 PM
Posted on September 16, 2007 15:59
Delaney has demonstrated ignorance with his ‘pockets of poverty’ comments. Delaney is the last person entitled to an opinion on Tim Peterson’s performance.
As Peterson’s chief canvasser, I have many questions.
For starters: How many local conservatives will be working 7/24 to elect a ‘Peterson?’ Margaret Marland? And, who is to say that John Tory won’t fire up those generators anyway?
Posted by Janet | April 10, 2007 8:34 AM
Posted on April 10, 2007 08:34
The irony is that Liberal’s had already brought in former John Tory campaign head staffer (from the Mayor candidate days of Toronto)” Charles Sousa” to run against Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works (2000.09.01 - 2003.01.12) Paul Szabo, and then and before we knew it John Tory’s "Bill- David Pit Crew" (brother David and Bill Davies) were hitting the air waves endorsing Tory in opposition to McGuinty need the voters forget October 2003.
When Birds of a feather flock together, the True Grits for Mississauga South really has gone to the Boyd’s.
Posted by Abbe | April 6, 2007 10:55 AM
Posted on April 6, 2007 10:55
I was a little surprised to see Tim at our St Mary’s Friday night soup and buffet, but not as shocked as he and Angie looked in reference to Bob Delaney’s position on “Pockets of Poverty”. According Rick Travis, Toronto Star, Liberal meetings are heading towards church basements anyway, why not fix Mississauga’s social services funding before they become “Home Sweet Home”?
Posted by Wayne Nagy | April 4, 2007 9:41 PM
Posted on April 4, 2007 21:41
Yup, sure looks like things are in a bit of a muddle down South Mississauga way.
They, voters of Mississauga South, all seem to have the same choice to make. They can vote Liberal again or they can vote for Tim Peterson again.
Or, seeing as they have already went out on a limb in the last election; why not do so again?
They could vote for the NDP, or Green Party, or Family Coalition Party or. . . . OR . . . they could vote for an Independent Candidate.
God! Could you imagine that? Make real history. Independent and free from Party Politics interfering with ones good judgement and personal integrity.
Freedom; Liberty, Freedom and enfranchisement. Proclaim, cry it about the streets.
Posted by Stephen Wahl | April 4, 2007 8:00 PM
Posted on April 4, 2007 20:00
Actually if Tim had placed a $500 bid on Saint Mary's Soup kitchen as an Independent, the lasagna was mmmm Good !!!
Now if we had $600 from either riding Associations to beef up the Compass Outreach Centre, I’ll bet John Tory just might pass by and throw in a bag of Natties Buffalo Wings and a few cases of beer into their pantry shelf just to grease us undecided constituents with our money for a change.
Are there any bidders ?? $600 ?? Going ??? Going ?? ________ ???
Posted by No Way "Jose" | April 4, 2007 5:43 PM
Posted on April 4, 2007 17:43
I think Dr. Boyd Upper should be that candidate for the Liberals. The man has made outstanding contributions in medicine and in the problem which none of us wants to accept or believe yet, until too late, THE AIR WE BREATH!
Posted by Irene Gabon | April 4, 2007 4:54 PM
Posted on April 4, 2007 16:54
Perhaps the Liberals in their true fashion will parachute a big name in to run provincially in Mississauga South. Remember what happened in Etobicoke-Lakeshore when the Hon. Jean Augustine was given a token job so that Ignatieff could be "flow in" from the U.S.A.
On a previous topic, if it is permissible, John you wrote about some new jazz artists and I for one would live to see Nellie Furtano, Diana Krall, Michael Buble and not so well known Matt Dusk combined to sing great music in similar fashion to Il Divo! What a combination of Canadian talent singing great music not the garbage one hears today.... my apologies for not placing this under the Peterson Defection combination story of the Gray House and music!
Posted by Irene Gabon | April 4, 2007 4:51 PM
Posted on April 4, 2007 16:51