By Pepper Parr
October 25th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a long shot.
But when Andre Grebenc explained to a podcaster that the job she was doing as chair was exactly the same job would be doing at the Region had she been elected.
And to a considerable degree she was right.
Andrea Grebenc pulled in a very respectable vote – had it been a two way battle she could ave beaten Carr
But the public didn’t see it that way and, truth be told, they didn’t know very much about the woman.
Gary Carr on the campaign trail
Andrea Grebenc did well given the situation she was in – a future candidate? Too early to tell
Grebenc is not going to fade away – she has some comments to make on how she was received as a female candidate – it isn’t a pretty picture
Carr didn’t really campaign – he didn’t have to. Any respect he might have had for the process went out the window when he chose not to take part in any of the regional events for the candidates.
The Gazette has never understood why Jane McKenna sought the job. We may never understand why she didn’t run again for the provincial seat when that election took place: Burlington was a sure thing for any Conservative candidate.
There is more to why Jane didn’t seek re-election at the provincial level In time it will come out – it always does.
The Region has some significant issues to resolve. Fortunately, there are many very talented people working at the Regional level. As long as Carr is there to call meetings to order and to adjourn – staff will take care of the rest.
The bigger questions is – will Carr want to do another round in 2026.
Gord Krantz, still the Mayor of Milton, after 40 years in office as both a Councillor and Mayor has shown how to hold on to office.
Re: “…exactly the same…” – Really? Hard to believe that she had read the job description.
Grebenc voted to close the high school she attended and was instrumental in ensuring its pointless closure.
While I am pleased McKenna did not win, I am concerned that she actually carried Burlington. I wish I could be a comfortable PC and never have to worry about campaigning or having any public presence after being elected. So to the thousands of electors who couldn’t get your sorry asses off the couch to vote, I say shame on you.
Don’t agree about Jane McKenna and her being an easy re- elect….she was a poor representative in her last term…
Burlington has gone Liberal federally..having an outstanding candidate like Karina Gould turned this conservative leaning city around.
Spoken like the Liberal cheerleader you continue to be. “Outstanding candidate”? Gould’s track record is very clear, she is Trudeau’s representative in Burlington and has NEVER taken an independent stance. She is an outstanding retail candidate–a shameless self-promoter whose FB account is a never-ending series of photo-ops but I never see anything there about her terrific performance on the passport file. Wonder why?
The main challenge for the local Conservative riding association is to recognize that picking a candidate a few short weeks before the election is a failed strategy that in Burlington won’t work. They need to have a candidate in place well ahead of the election who can raise his/her profile in the same way that Gould does. Winning an election is hard work. Fortunately for the Conservatives, they don’t have the baggage of Justin Trudeau to explain.
Would be nice to debate Ms. Gould’s performance without all the ad hominem remarks. However, as to the “challenge facing the local Conservatives”, what challenge is there? Failed strategy? Works just fine as far as I can tell, at the provincial level. The last and current incumbents are never seen, never heard, apparently just go to Queens Park and hold up their hand when prodded, to help Doug Ford get done whatever he wants. That’s hardly representing Burlington. Speak up when the OLT tramples all over our city? Speak up when an unnecessary superhighway is rammed down our throats? Don’t even bother. That seems to be just fine with a plurality of voters, and also with the 60% or so that don’t even bother to vote.
PS… Ms. Gould is Minister of Families, Children, and Social Development. Why Service Canada as part of the job is a mystery only Justin can explain, but he’s done it to her before and she manages to deal with it.