Did Burlington get a first look at a future Premier Monday night? Was there a candidate for the city’s seat in the room as well?

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  December 18, 2012   This woman takes no prisoners.  She is tough, very tough.  Smart as well and not that hard to look at either.

Her name is Sandra Pupatello and she wants to be the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, and if she succeeds she will immediately become the Premier of the province – no glass ceiling for this lady.

Liberal leadership candidate Sandra Pupatello met with local members this week. Burlington Provincial Liberal Party president Roland Tanner, centre, ensures that the candidate gets to meet everyone.

She was in town Monday evening to meet and greet local Liberals.  They gathered at Sotiris on Harvester Road.  Monday night being American football night, may have been behind the turnout – which wasn’t bad, but it didn’t suggest these guys are really excited about Pupatello.

Kathleen Wynne was in town the week before and she managed to meet and greet local Liberals at their Christmas Party.  Wynne has certainly been no great friend to Burlington in the past.  She jerked both the city and the Region around considerably during the Niagara GTA discussions.

Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven hands out his business card to Liberal leadership candidate Sandra Pupatello

Pupatello gives a good speech; she is direct and you get the sense that you do not want to tangle with this woman.

Gary Carr, who in a previous career was Speaker of the provincial Legislature said he had to “name” Pupatello on two occasions.  Naming a member of the Legislature means they have to leave the chamber, sort of like being sent out to the woodshed.

Pupatello says that only happened once.  In the event that she wins the leadership contest Tim Hudak will not know what hit him.

Pupatello told the audience that she is a fiscally competent Liberal.  She said she is prepared to spend when there is money in the bank and, she pointed out, when the tax money was rolling in the Liberal government was very good to the teachers in the province.

“You conked us on the head in the last election and we have heard what you had to say” declared Pupatello.

“Trust and respect are more important than anything else” said Pupatello “and you know where I come from.  With me, what you see is what you get.”

The leadership candidate admitted that there are some challenges with the teachers but for Pupatello the prime issue is jobs and getting the Ontario economy back on its feet.  Can she do the job?  The power brokers in this province seem to think so.  When Pupatello spoke to the Economic Club in Toronto recently she got a standing ovation because she was speaking their language.

Sandra is Italian.  When she speaks she tends to round off her words and will say “goin” rather than going.  She is impressive, this woman doesn’t shy away from anything.

While part of the McGuinty Liberal team she served as Minister of Community and Social Services, Minister of Education, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues, Minister of International Trade and Investment and Minister of Economic Development and Trade.

She chose not to run in the 2011 provincial election and instead went into the private sector where she worked with Price Waterhouse as their director of business and global markets.

Does Liberal leadership candidate Sandra Pupatello want to ring Councilor Craven’s neck or does she want to recruit him?

“Eight months ago I did not know I would be seeking the leadership of the Liberal Party” but that is what I am doing today”.  Oddly though Pupatello didn’t come right out and ask for support.  Everyone knew why she was there – but she didn’t ask for their support.

She did say that she didn’t want to see an election right away.  She said she didn’t think Ontario wanted another election right away but did say that Ontario needs a majority government. “Nobody wants an election but if we get hustled into one, then we will fight for the majority the province needs.”

The lady will be a tiger on the campaign trail.

Strong enough to sweep the province?

Strong enough to deliver the Burlington seat?

Were there potential candidates in the room last night?