The first, and so far only, election flyer that I’ve received is from Colin Wilson. It highlights Liberal values, such as “investing in programs that continue to reduce the crime rate, rather than building new prisons”, which I found a welcome contrast to Brown’s ‘tough on crime‘ stance. It also included an invitation to “drop by the office to have a chat with Collin”, so that’s exactly what I did.
My impression? So far, top marks for Colin and his team. Despite having to prepare for a debate this evening, Colin graciously took the time to meet me and answer some of my questions. As I’ve said repeatedly, competence and integrity are two values that are critical for any political candidate. Colin mentioned to me both his 12 years of experience managing project teams in the private sector and his 10 years working in government. He can certainly reasonably claim the experience and competence to be an effective MP.
Colin also has a desire to bring high-tech and green jobs to Barrie. The city certainly needs a concerted effort in this area, and it will be interesting to see what definitive proposals are developed to help the city continue it’s transition from an industrial to a knowledge-based economy.
As the Barrie Examiner pointed out last week, running an election campaign can be an expensive process, but so far it seems that it’s a challenge that Colin and his team are tackling with gusto.
If you want a chance to hear and meet the candidates, the next debate is on the 14th at Barrie City Hall. Democracy only works if the electorate engages actively, so come and let your voice be heard.