By Bill Jackson – The Regional
Frank Nightingale has pulled out of the running as the Green Party candidate for Haldimand-Norfolk in the upcoming federal election and well-known activist Gary McHale has joined the race as an independent.
While the Green Party still plans to nominate a new candidate later this week, Nightingale's withdrawal due to personal reasons comes as somewhat of a surprise and certainly changes the landscape with five weeks of campaigning to come. People go to the polls on Oct. 14.
While Nightingale has put a lot of personal effort into forming a local Green party Association and was ready to run in an election if it was called last spring, the timing now just isn't right for him.
The Norfolk resident came within 600 votes of becoming mayor in the last municipal election and his reputation as president of the federation of agriculture in the riding's most populated rural county would have presumably attracted consideration from voters who normally don't vote Green.
"I think there is enough dissatisfaction with the two main party candidates that there is a possibility of being the (none of the above) vote," he said.
"The thinking is that because the Green Party is more to the right it may attract the Conservative voter who will not vote Liberal if there's dissatisfaction with the current government or candidate."
A well-known
Here, the general thinking is that it will be an election based on leadership and representation.
While Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper leads in polls taken at the national level, the reputation of Haldimand-Norfolk Conservative MP Diane Finley has gone through some turbulence during the past few years.
"It's become clear to me that most Canadians are fed up with politicians," said McHale, a Binbrook software developer who has been outspoken regarding the issues affecting Caledonia and Haldimand County as a result of Six Nations issues.
"Half the people in
Liberal candidate Dr. Eric Hoskins said the election in Haldimand-Norfolk will most definitely hinge on leadership and which candidate is in the best position to represent constituents.
Hoskins, a Norfolk native, is a well-known philanthropist who has received the Order of
He contends that the Conservative government has not placed enough emphasis on resolving native land claims which are at the root of problems in
While there are outstanding land claims across
Hoskins would like to establish a multi-government committee along with local mayors, MPs and Six Nations leaders that would meet regularly. Remedial measures must also be introduced to recognize the economic losses the area has suffered, he said.
He also said the federal government's $300 million transition program for tobacco farmers still has to go through the federal treasury board. When the election was called the money essentially evaporated and a new government must revisit the promise, he said.
However Finley claims that she's helped secure funding for tobacco farmers and believes that people recognize what she has achieved and are satisfied with representation.
"The question is do they want to vote for a government that has made the average family in Haldimand-Norfolk $3500 a year better off after taxes because of our tax cuts or do they want to vote for a (Liberal Party) whose leader has shown no capacity to lead and is talking about raising taxes, particularly through the carbon tax, on everything."
Finley said that the Conservatives have delivered local infrastructure funding and invested in a number of programs for the environment. Fanshawe College in Simcoe has also received federal assistance, she said.
When it comes to land claims and
The federal government made an offer of $125 million to settle four claims and $26 million to solve another one.
"That was a year-and-a-half ago and we haven't yet had an official response," Finley said during an interview last week.
"So we are pushing to have a more constructive format for the negotiations…(we) haven't seen evidence that everyone on the native side wants to get the settlement."
The local New Democratic Party Association will also be nominating a candidate later this week. Norm Walpole, treasurer of the party's local federal association, said the party is in better financial shape than ever to start a campaign.
Also running for office in the Haldimand-Norfolk riding will be Dunnville resident Stephen Elgersma. The 72-year-old Christian Heritage Party candidate has run in past elections and knows that he will probably finish last.
But the former farmer and grandfather of 21 says that he runs on his own principles.
"Of course everyone wants to win, but I'm realistic as well and know that the average citizen does not think my way," he said.
Candidates will be banking on a consensus that change in local leadership is needed.
"I think the average person is fed up. I think they want somebody who's going to fight and stand up for them and not have to worry about the party politics," said McHale.
"I think the people who may not agree with my stance would agree that they would want me on their side to fight their battle and not Diane Finley."
Yet it's hard to win against candidates representing major political parties, Nightingale said.
"But that said, you never know. You never know, there may be just enough dissatisfaction here."