October 20th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
What to say about Jane Michael, the Conservative Party candidate whose name will be on the ballet you are handed on Monday?
Jane Elizabeth Michael chose not to take part in the BurlingtonGreen all candidates debate; she chose not to participate in the videos that were done about each candidate, she chose not to take part in the session at Nelson High School where all the candidates met with the students.
We are advised that she did take part in the Chamber of Commerce question session where she is reported to have had difficulty with several of the questions and asked to have more than one of them repeated to her.
The Gazette has had more than two dozen comments made on Michael and more than five separate emails from people who were very concerned about the candidate and her past performances while a member of the Halton District Catholic School Board where she served as Chair for a period of time.
Michael was sanctioned by that Board for behavior that was never set out.
Her federal nomination was described as questionable by a number of people who wanted a nomination meeting – not a decision by the federal party on who the candidate should be.
There is a very damaging couple of paragraphs in Patrick Brown’s book Take Down in which he explains why Michael did not get the provincial nomination when he ran against Jane Michael.
Her public position on and votes against initiatives to stop bullying against LGBTQ kids and vaccinating young girls for HPV is a matter of public record as are the bankruptcies.
The hard line social conservative stance on homosexuality, politicizing it and dividing the community with it are consistent worrying concerns brought up again and again.
The Gazette runs into people at different events who are politically active – we have yet to hear one person have anything positive to say about Jane Michael. Many of these people are lifelong dyed in the wool Conservatives.
Michael would not make herself available for an interview with the Gazette.
Our past experience with Michael led us to the conclusion that she is a very strong Catholic with views that are some distance from the mainstream.
Described as homophobic by some, and a right to life advocate on the issue of abortion.
Political candidates are supposed to have views they are prepared to debate and support publicly.
There are those who will claim that Burlington is a Conservative community and that 40% of the vote- which is often more than enough to win the seat, goes to the Conservative party almost automatically.
Most of those in the other political parties’ will never say publicly that they fear that silent Tory vote will tick off Michael name on the ballot just because it is there.
There is a lot of gossip on line – Reddit seems to be where most of it sits – that stuff has to be taken with more than one grain of salt. However, we’ve never seen this much written negative comment about one candidate.
Burlington has five people running for the seat in the House of Commons – they fear that Michael just might have enough in the way of baked in party support that will get her to the House of Commons.
Thank goodness cooler heads have prevailed. When a candidate can’t even bother to show up to all candidate meetings and other debates, do they really deserve to represent the citizens of the community?? I don’t care how anyone votes, but we need to vote for candidates that are going to best represent the people that elected them.
Oh and by the way, omitting bankruptcies from documentation (oops, I guess I forgot) isn’t a great way to endear yourself either. But then again that’s just me.
I don’t agree with the concept that a publicly-funded school board can sanction an elected school board trustee and not inform the public about the details. And during this campaign, Michael’s refusal to participate in answering to the very people from whom she seeks votes, her “forgetting” multiple bankruptcies and thereby misrepresenting herself on her candidate forms, and her past statements against vaccinating students to protect them from future cancers (!) and opposing gay/straight alliances at Catholic high schools are all things I cannot ignore. It would be extremely disappointing if Burlington were to decide these things are acceptable.
If The Conservatives don’t know why Jane Michael got to be nominated …. Why would any body consider voting for her? Too many other good, open and capable candidates in this riding.Take you pick and go vote.
If you don’t vote Liberal you will get what you deserve Burlington…no real concern for our city, no integrity and no positive action as we have had from Karina Gould.
Sorry Carol, if you don’t vote Liberal YOU will get what you deserve–integrity and accountability (remember during the Lavalin Scandal, Karina merely repeated Liberal talking points as dictated to her by Butts & Telford), less divisiveness in Canada (remember Trudeau’s government has fostered Western alienation and the rise of a separatist party in Quebec), less runaway debt, lower taxes, and no more COSTUME CHANGES!!!!
Rob: she never was nominated. She was appointed by Ottawa.
While I don’t agree with appointments–all the parties do it, including your Liberals. BTW, a former Liberal MP, Eva Nassif, was blocked by the Liberal party from running again. Apparently, she didn’t bow deeply enough to Trudeau–her riding association quit. Do you support this behaviour from YOUR party?
The problem is the Conservative Riding of Burlington (both Federal & Provincial candidates) and who is controlling/manipulating their decisions on who is the best candidate to represent this community. Furthermore, if this is being done, why is it allowed?
gfraser
How and why Jane Michael ever got the Conservative nomination has astounded most Conservatives!