PHOTO: Mississauga-Erindale NDP candidate Shaila Kibria - Howard Hampton has thrown her into the deep end to teach her how to swim
On Wednesday night, City Hall will host Mississauga Matters, a "leaders' debate" on municipal issues, but, it turns out, to a couple of the political parties, Mississauga doesn't matter much at all.
City Council asked for the leaders of the three main political parties to debate Mississauga-specific issues in Mississauga, but the only party leader who will be there is Green Party leader Frank de Jong, who wasn't initially invited and had to fight to get on the billing.
The Liberals are sending veteran MPP and finance minister Greg Sorbara in Dalton McGuinty's place. Sorbara is a bigwig in the party and has played an important role through the four years of the Liberal government.
It can, therefore, be concluded that the Liberals, though not sending their leader, are taking the debate seriously.
The Progressive Conservatives and the NDP, on the other hand, don't appear to care about the debate.
The Progressive Conservatives are sending out Tim Peterson, who has been PC for all of three months, after spending more than three years as a Liberal MPP.
At least Peterson has some experience in the legislature.
The NDP is sending out Shaila Kibria, who is a fine candidate but who has been a politician for less time than Peterson has been a Tory.
What was originally billed as a heavyweight title match is turning out to be nothing more than an amateur flyweight undercard.