8월1일 보궐선거, Wynne's testimony. 한인들의 꿈실현을 위해 투표한다. 결과는 아까웠지만...
투표전날밤 토론토를 향해 달릴때, Oshawa지역을 통과 할때부터 비는 억수같이 쏟아졌다. 주권을 행사하기위해 밤길을 달려가는 값치고는 운전부담이 너무 컷다. 그래도 목표를위해 한표를 행사해야만 마음이 편할것 같은 내생각에는 변함이 없어, 무사히 토론톤 집에 도착했을때는 밤 11시가 넘었고, 비는 여전히 쏟아지고 있었다.
우편함을 열었더니 그동안 쌓였던 우편물이 한묶음이다. 이번에 우편물속에서 내가 찾는것은 투표용지들이다. 중간쯤에 얌전히 끼어 있었다. 내것하고 Lunar것 하고.
아침 9시에 투표장을 open하자마자 투표소가 설치된 Malibu Club으로 투표용지와 ID카드를 들고 도착 했을때는 벌써 많은 콘도주민들이 투표를 하고 있었다. 그분들도 우리 부부처럼 일찍 투표하고 다음 일정을 소화할 생각인것 같다.
투표위원들은 거의가 다 안면이 있다. 같은 Condo에 오랫동안 살아왔기 때문이다. 그리고 얼굴에 평화로운 웃음을 띄면서 반가히 인사들을 한다. 신기하게도 그분들은 모두가 Senior분들이고, 특히 여자분들이 대부분이었다. 혹시 불미스러운 일이, 고국의 국회의사당에서 처럼 발생했을때, 그노인분들이 감당해 낼수 있을까?라는 순간적인 걱정도 있었지만, 그것은 어리석은 기우에 불과 한것을 나는 안다. 여기서는 아직까지 몸싸움을 하는것은 물론이고, 투표장에서 시비거리가 발생한 예를 본일도 없고, 앞으로도 없을 것으로 거의 확신 한다.
우리 투표구에서는 내가 지지한 후보가 압도적으로 당선되였으나, 나머지 4개 지역에서는 2등 아니면 참패를 면치 못한 결과를 보면서, 유권자들의 생각은 천차만별임을 또 느꼈다.
NDP가 2석, 현집권당인 자유당이 2석, PC는 우리지역구에서 1석으로 선거를 막을 내렸다.
NDP의 Bob Rae가 집권하여 온주를 거의 파탄지경까지 내고 쫒겨난 그참상을 생각하면 NDP는 정말로 정치판에서 없어져야 할 존재들인데도 그들을 지지하는것을 보면, 이해가 선뜻안된다.
현집권당인 자유당의 온주민들에 대한 대낯의 새빨간 거짖말에도, 그래서 약 6억달러에 달하는 큰 재정적 손실을 끼쳤음에도 아랑곳 없이 2석이나 다시 확보하는것을 보면서, 우리 한인들의 생활 터전인 Convenience Store에서의 활성화에 바로미터가 될 정책, 즉 맥주, 와인 판매에 대한 꿈은 PC의 부진으로 다시 뒷전으로 밀리게 됨이 무척 아쉽다.
전반적으로 자유당이 차지하고 있던 지역구 5개 의석을 놓고 벌인 선거에서 최소한 3석은 확보했어야 맥주 와인 판매정책에 대한 희망을 내다 볼수 있었는데....... 이런식으로 간다면 다음 총선에서도 별 희망은 안보일것 같다. PC의 분발을 기대해 볼수밖에......우리 한인들 그대로 희망을 잃지말고 계속 참고 후일을 내다 보시길.... 어쩌면 PC당의 당수 Tim Hudak에 대한 후속조치에 대한 의견들이 곳 개진될것을 짐작하는것은 불은 보듯 뻔한 것 같다.
예측했던데로 드디어 London 지역에서 Leadership Review를 요청하는 목소리가 퍼지기 시작하는 뉴스가 8월 7일자 신문(The Star, Toronto Sun)에 보도되기 시작한다.
투표하기위해, 왕복 340 Km를 달려갈 계획이다.
내선거구는 Etobicoke-Lakeshore지역이다. 선거때가 돼면 항상 그래왔듯이 모든 일정 제치고 꼭 투표에 참가하곤 했다. 근래에 한번 Advanced vote 한적이 있다. 그때는 중국남쪽 지방을, 그것도 인근 나라들과 인접해 있는, 보통 여행사에서 실시하는 여행 일정에는 없는 그런 외진 곳을 여행하는 흔치않은 기회였기에 그랬었다. 그러나 투표는 했었던 것이다.
흔히 외쳐대는 민주주의 국가에서 주권은 국민들로 부터 나온다는 그말을 투표할때에 가장 많이 느끼기 때문이다.
8월1일에 실시되는 온주 선거는 단지 By-election일뿐이다. 그런데 이번 실시되는 보궐선거는 General Election이상으로 각정당에는 운명이 걸려 있는 중대한 선거라고 여겨진다.
불과2-3개월전에, 당시 온주수상이던 Dalton McGuinty가 정계은퇴를 선언하면서, 전당대회를 열어 그후계자로 당시 그의 내각에 장관으로 있던 Cathleen Wynne을 당수로 뽑음과 동시에 자동적으로 수상직을 잔여임기동안 인계받은것이다.
수상직을 맡자마자, Power Plants Scnadal로 그녀는 곤혹을 치러야만 했고, 아직도 그비난에서 헤여나지 못하고 있다. 이어려운 상황속에서 굳이 보궐선거를 고집한 이유는 자그만치 5개선거구가 공석으로 있어 소수집권정당의 위치를 확고히 하고픈 열망도 그속에는 깔려 있는것으로 보이지만, 더 중요한 꽁수(?)는 8월1일 보궐선거 실시는 온주민들의 여름 휴가철 Peak time이기 때문에 투표율이 저조할 것으로 예상되는데, 투표율이 저조할수록 집권 Liberal Party에 유리하다는 계산이 깔려 있음을 주민들은 무심히 흘려 보내는 속성을 최대한 이용하는 것이다.
비어있는 5개 선거구는 다음과 같다.
첫째는 Ottawa-South지역으로 이번에 은퇴한 McGuinty가 오래 지켜오던 자유당 텃밭이다.
둘째는 Etobicoke-Lakeshore지역으로 전임 교육부장관이었던 Laurel Broten의 아성으로 그가 오랫동안 차지해오던 지역구이다.
셋째는 Scarboro-Guildwood 지역이며,
넷째는 London-West-Tecumseh 선거구이다.
메트로 Toronto지역(416 Area)은 전통적으로 자유당 또는 NDP의 아성이라고 해도 과언이 아닐 정도로 PC는 발을 부치지 못해온 지역들이다. Federal Election, Provincial Eletion 또는 지방선거에서 PC 성향의 후보자는 당선된 예가 매우 드물다. 그이유는 내생각으로는 각종 정부보조금과 생계유지비에 의지하여 생활해 가는 많은 사람들이 이들 정당을 선호하기 때문이기도 하지만, 토론토 Urban지역에는 대다수가 이민자들로 구성되여 있어, 이들의 투표성향이 매우 큰 지렛대 역활을 하기 때문인것 같다.
나는 7월31일 저녁에 이곳 Summer Residence를 출발하여 토론토에서 하룻밤 자고, 다음날, 즉 선거날 콘도 Rcreation room에 설치된 투표소에서 내 귀중한 한표를 행사하고 또 오랫만에 토론토 나들이 했으니 친지들도 만나보고, 밀린 잡동사니 일도 처리하고 오후에 되돌아올 계획이다.
내 선거구도 오랫동안 MPP는 자유당이 차지하고 있었는데, 이번에는 양상이 좀 달라질 전망이다. PC당 후로보 나선 Holiday는 전에는 이지역에서 태어나 자랐고, 시장(Mayor)을 오랫동안 하면서 치적을 많이 세웠던 경력이 이번 선거에 많이 작용하는것 같다. 그는 현재 토론토시의 부시장으로 재직하면서 시정일을 보고 있다.
이에 맞서 Liberal 후보는 Milczyn 역시 이지역에서 태어나 자랐고, 그또한 현재 토론토시의 시의원으로 활동하고 있다. 선거운동이 시작되면서는 Milczyn이 여론조사에서 앞서는것으로 나타났었으나, 시간이 흐르면서, 과거 시장 재직때의 치적이 빛을 보면서 여론을 이끌어 앞서는 경향이 있었으나, 직접적인 원인은 Cathleen Wynne 자유당 정부의 실정때문에 여론이 돌아서는것 같다. 발전소 건설을 하겠다고 총선때 공약을 내걸고 승리를 했으나, 그후에 슬쩍 그계획을 Kill하면서 손해액이 불과 몇천만불에 불과 하다고 온주민들에게 보고 했었으나, 그보고서속에는 커다란 Cover-up이 있었음이 밝혀 지면서, 주민들은 등을 돌리기 시작했던것 같다.
불과 2-3천만 달러의 손실을 보았을뿐, 궁극적으로는 온주민들에게 큰 이익을 안겨줄것이라고 계속 떠들어 왔었는데, 발전소를 관장하고 있는 책임자가 의회에서 직접 보고를 할때는 거의 6억 달러의 손실을 보게 됐다는 뉴스를 접한 온주민들은 자유당에 사기당한 기분이 팽배하여 등을 돌리기 시작한것 같다.
이러한 Scandal의 중앙에 현 수상인 Cathleen이 내각의 장관으로 있을때 직접 Handling한것을 그녀는 그일에 참여한 일이 없는, 나와는 전연 상관없는 정책이었다고 부정해 오다, 결국 덜미를 잡혀 곤욕을 치르는 시간에, 여름 휴가철을 이용하여 슬쩍 보궐선거를 공고한 것이 이번에는 제대로 먹혀 들지? 자유당을 옹호하는 Toronto Star 마져도 걱정하는 기사를 연일 보도하고 있다.
이번 보선에서 PC가 416 지역에서 한명 또는 두후보를 당선 시킨다면 그의미는 무척 크다고 한다. 이번 선거는 현자유당 Cathleen Wynne정부에 대한 일종의 국민투표 성격이 짙기 때문에 자유당은 고민이고, 보수당은 온힘을 기울여 한후보라도 416 지역에서 당선시킬려는 것이다. 그렇게 되면, 다음 총선에서 현 PC Leader Tim Hudak에게는 큰 기회가 도래하고 있다는 청신호로 받아 들이게 될것 같다. 즉 Metro Toronto 입성을 위한 Beach head를 확보하는 의미다.
그래서 이번 보궐선거에 나는 모든것 접어 두고, 그것도 기름값 비싼 요즘에, 장거리 운전을 하여 투표를 할 계획인 것이다. 세금을 한푼이라도 덜 거두어 들이면서 주민들의 삶을 진정으로 걱정하는 정당, 또 우리 한인들이 목놓아 고대하고 있는 Convenience Store에서의 Beer, Wine판매 정책을 고수하고 있는 정당에 꼭 한표를 던져, 다음 총선에서 그꿈이 실현되는것을 보고픈 간절함에서다.
While campaigning on a sunny July afternoon, Doug Holyday studies a
house and tries to guess by its age whether or not the owners were
likely to have lived there when he was mayor of Etobicoke nearly 20
years ago.
The day before, Peter Milczyn took one glance at a
different house a few miles south and said he could tell if its
occupants were Polish based on the style of its curtains – he is clearly
trying to make the most of his own background and the riding’s large
Polish population.
The two candidates, leading rivals in the race for
Etobicoke-Lakeshore in the Aug. 1 provincial by-election, are fighting a
close race. Although it’s a seat that has been held by the Liberals for
10 years, the latest poll from Forum Research puts the Progressive
Conservative candidate, Mr. Holyday, at 47 per cent over Liberal Mr.
Milczyn’s 40 per cent – the first poll to show Mr. Holyday in the lead.
Though
a win wouldn’t topple the Liberals’ minority government, it would be a
telling victory if the Tories manage to sway the riding, where they’ve
been out of power for all but eight of the past 26 years.
“The
upside for them is that if they can win in Etobicoke, (PC Leader Tim)
Hudak can say to conservatives that his version of conservative politics
can win seats in the 416,” said John Duffy, a former Ontario Liberal
party strategist. “There’s been a big dispute in the conservative party
for many years over how to win in the 416. So Hudak wants to be able to
prove he’s right by winning in Etobicoke-Lakeshore.”
Mr. Holyday
and Mr. Milczyn are both political veterans who were born and raised in
Etobicoke, in Toronto’s west end. They still live there with their
families. They both started their political careers on the Etobicoke
council before its amalgamation with the City of Toronto and they’ve
both found success representing the area on Toronto city council since.
Both candidates also sit on Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s executive
committee, although Mr. Ford has thrown his support solely behind Mr.
Holyday, his Deputy Mayor and long-time family friend.
But where
Mr. Holyday, 70, touts fiscal restraint, lower taxes and privatization
(he privatized garbage pick-up in the borough before amalgamation), Mr.
Milczyn, 48, champions social services and investing in public programs
like full-day kindergarten.
Also running are NDP candidate P.C.
Choo and Green Party representative Angela Salewsky, along with a
handful of fringe candidates. But it’s clear from debates, press
releases and public statements that Mr. Milczyn and Mr. Holyday see each
other as the real competition.
Earlier this week, Mr. Milczyn
filed a complaint to the city’s integrity commissioner over Mr.
Holyday’s use of a city-contracted garbage truck in a photo-op. Mr.
Milczyn called his opponent “self-righteous.” Mr. Holyday said the move
was “petty.” Until this time, they had focused their attacks on the
leaders of their rival parties rather than each other.
With less than a week of campaigning left, the gloves have been dropped.
Each
candidate faces their own challenges in the riding. Mr. Holyday has
long represented the area – he was first elected to council before Mr.
Milczyn had even graduated university – but because his ward falls north
of the provincial boundaries, he sometimes has to remind people who he
is.
“I was the mayor of Etobicoke before,” he tells one young
woman on the campaign trail, standing outside her newly built house.
“You might not have been old enough. It was 1994 so you probably might
not have voted.”
Mr. Milczyn has the advantage here: His ward
overlaps the riding, making him a familiar face among residents. In a
ward where, according to census data, there are more immigrants from
Poland than any other single country, having a Polish last name and
being able to easily slip into the mother tongue doesn’t hurt either.
But
where Mr. Milczyn loses his edge is defending his party after the
recent scandals. The Liberals are worried Ontarians have lost faith in
them after the costly closing of the gas plants, the subsequent turmoil
over undisclosed e-mails, and months-long disagreements with teachers,
which ended with a conciliatory deal under new Premier Kathleen Wynne.
Mr. Holyday said voters who previously voted Liberal have told him they’re ready to jump ship this time around.
“There
are a couple of things upsetting people. Firstly, those gas plants and
the waste at Queen’s Park. People are just downright fed up with it,” he
said, adding the timing of the by-election during peak summer holiday
season has been in the reigning party’s favour.
“It’s an election
by a desperate group who want to call an election with the fewest people
involved so they don’t have to explain as much.”
Mr. Milczyn’s strategy when facing the criticism from voters is to be forthcoming about his party’s failings.
“I’m
not going to stand at a door and say ‘it’s all okay. It never happened.
It doesn’t matter,’ ” he said. “Mistakes were made. Certainly the
government is being held to account for it. We’re putting in place
various measures to try and prevent it from happening again ... Nobody’s
perfect.”
The riding, one of five in the province to hold a
summer by-election, has traditionally voted Liberal – former education
minister Laurel Broten was elected three times and was MPP for 10 years.
As such, the Liberals have a keen eye fixed on the riding as a
thermometer of their minority government’s waning popularity in the
province.
The city council, facing the loss of either its deputy
mayor or chair of the planning committee, will also be watching closely,
according to fellow executive committee member Denzil Minnan-Wong.
He said having two councillors run in the same by-election is unusual and many at city hall were surprised by the decision.
“But the good part about this is that it’s likely someone from Toronto council will be going to Queen’s Park.”
Sober byelection polling casts pall on Kathleen Wynne
Ontario premier hears bad news while hosting Council of the Federation meeting of Canada’s premiers, says she’s “optimistic.”
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Aaron Lynett
/ THE CANADIAN PRESS
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne addresses the media on the final day
of the Council of the Federation summer meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake,
Ont., Friday, July 26, 2013.
By:Robert BenzieQueen's Park Bureau Chief, Published on Fri Jul 26 2013
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE,
ONT.—Premier Kathleen Wynne insists she is not worried about byelection
polls suggesting the minority Liberals will lose long-held seats,
including her predecessor Dalton McGuinty’s riding of Ottawa South.
“You know what, the
poll is on Aug. 1. We’ll see what the result is. We have very strong
candidates in all of our ridings in those byelections and I look forward
to the determination on Aug. 1,” Wynne said Friday.
“Polls come and go. Am I worried? I’m optimistic about the outcomes,” she said.
“But as I’ve said, byelections are very tough for government and I understand that.”
Forum Research surveys in the Toronto Star
showed Progressive Conservative Matt Young at 48 per cent to 34 per
cent for Liberal John Fraser, 12 per cent for New Democrat Bronwyn
Funiciello and Green Taylor Howarth at 5 per cent.
The firm polled 631
people in Ottawa South on Wednesday and results are accurate to within
four percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
McGuinty, who retired
earlier this year, had represented the riding since 1990. His father had
represented it for the three years before that.
News was also bleak
for the Liberals in Etobicoke—Lakeshore, where PC Toronto deputy mayor
Doug Holyday is leading Councillor Peter Milczyn 47 per cent to 40 per
cent.
The NDP’s P.C. Choo was at 7 per cent and Green candidate Angela Salewsky at 5 per cent.
Using interactive
voice response phone calls, Forum surveyed 689 Etobicoke—Lakeshore
residents Wednesday and the margin of error there is plus or minus 4
percentage points, 19 out of 20 times.
Former minister Laurel Broten had represented the riding for a decade.
In
Scarborough—Guildwood, Liberal Mitzie Hunter was at 38 per cent ahead of
Tory Ken Kirupa at 32 per cent, and New Democrat Adam Giambrone, at 21
per cent and Green Nick Leeson at 9 per cent.
The survey of 456
Scarborough—Guildwood residents Wednesday has a margin of error of plus
or minus 5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Byelections are also being held next Thursday in London West and Windsor-Tecumseh.
The sobering political reality cast a bit of a pall on Wynne, who is hosting the annual Council of the Federation meeting here.
Premiers, who
discussed Senate reform, infrastructure funding and fiscal arrangements
with Ottawa, conclude their annual summer confab here in the historic
one-time capital of Upper Canada on Friday afternoon.
BLIZZARD
Make no mistake — byelections are a referendum on Kathleen Wynne's government
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. (QMI files)
With any luck, it’s a blast of fresh air.
Voters in five byelections on Thursday have the opportunity to throw
out the stale old Liberal government that’s mired in gas plant muck and
deleted e-mail debris and bring in some fresh faces.
I’ve travelled to all the ridings over the past two weeks.
I’ve found constant themes in all the ridings.
No matter how far you get from Toronto, there’s a cynicism about
politicians. The Liberal mismanagement, the many scandals, have turned
people off politicians in droves.
They’re angry and they feel betrayed.
What’s worrying is that voters seem to be losing faith in the system. They don’t trust any politician any more.
What’s marked these byelections particularly are the way the parties have selected their candidates.
The Liberals have botched their selections in at least two ridings.
Tories and NDP have come up with some fresh faces.
Premier Kathleen Wynne’s office meddled in the Windsor-Tecumseh
riding, attempting to woo Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis to run for them.
There were already at least two potential candidates in the field
selling party memberships, so there was resentment when it appeared they
were about to be big-footed by a star candidate. When Francis didn’t
run, they were left with little known candidate, Jeween Gill, up against
New Democrat Percy Hatfield, a much loved councillor and former
broadcaster.
The Liberals’ stunning choice of Ken Coran, the former head of the
Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation in London West left people
scratching their heads.
Coran spent the better part of last year trading punches with then education minister Laurel Broten.
Apparently the government was so disgraceful, he couldn’t wait to run for them.
And Broten?
Well, she’s gone to Nova Scotia.
Ploys such as that are divisive and corrosive among party faithful.
The Tories and NDP did a much better job on their candidate searches.
Long time councillor and former Etobicoke mayor Doug Holyday adds star power in Etobicoke-Lakeshore.
Better still, he brought some integrity and a long history of fiscal
prudence to the race at a time when those qualities are sorely lacking
in government.
And there’s a younger generation of Tories starting to make their mark.
In Windsor-Tecumseh, hardly a Tory bastion, their candidate Robert de
Verteuil, is articulate and well-spoken on the issues. In London West,
Tory Ali Chahbar is an energetic young lawyer. In Ottawa West, Matt
Young is another young guy with business experience who speaks to issues
that resonate with young families.
For their part, the NDP have had success getting some school trustees
to run for them. Peggy Sattler in London and Bronwyn Funiciello in
Ottawa both have school board experience.
No matter what riding you’re in, the revulsion about the gas plant scandal is palpable.
“Not everyone knows the sordid details of the gas plants and how they
came to be cancelled. Far more people know that the government tried to
cover it up and I think that’s what leaves the worst taste in their
mouths,” Young told me when I visited Ottawa last week.
There’ll be those who’ll try to spin this as being a trial for Tim
Hudak. If he doesn’t win enough seats, his career is over, they’ll say.
Not true.
These seats were all formerly held by high-profile Liberal cabinet ministers.
The only person on trial here is Wynne.
They’re hers to lose.
And the honeymoon is over.
Voters simply feel let down, Funiciello said.
There is, she said, a “prevailing sense of disappointment, of being let down, losing faith, losing confidence.”
What does it say about a political party that they are so afraid to
face voters that they call the election in the middle of summer — when
they hope everyone is on vacation.
Do they think no one will notice there are five bylections going on?
Muslim voters are offended because the vote comes in the middle of Ramadan — when they’re fasting from dawn to dusk.
Advance polls are open now and some ridings are recording high voter turnout already.
When you’re scared to call an election, it means just one thing.
You’re going to lose.
We can hope.
We can all use some fresh air.
By
Christina Blizzard
,QMI Agency
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