McKenna – more than a pretty face, but driven to serve the community is a stretch.

By Pepper Parr

This is the third in a series of interviews on the three candidates running in the provincial election taking place October 6^th. Each candidate was asked the same questions.

Along with their answers are the impressions and insights gained from the time spent with each candidate. Some we had met before the interview – others were new to us.

There are those in the community who describe Our Burlington as a news source with a “Liberal” slant. Not true. As the publisher of Our Burlington my responsibility is to the community. On balance I personally tend to vote Liberal but have voted for other parties. John Robarts was a great Premier and Bill Davis did a really good job as well. One’s political party is a philosophical choice but my view is that you look for the best person to represent your community. We started this series with Karmel Sakran, the Liberal candidate, and then Peggy Russell, the NDP candidate. In this issue we publish our interview with Jane McKenna, the Progressive Conservative candidate. The intention is to follow up with the candidates as the election progresses.

BURLINGTON, ON August 24, 2011 – The one issue that come up again and again with Burlington Progressive Conservative Jane McKenna is family and community. The Escarpment is not her concern – “we need roads so that people can get from place to place in a decent amount of time.”

Jane McKenna, Progressive Conservative candidate for Burlington in the forthcoming provincial election. Ready for this level of public office?

She wants to be the voice for the community at Queen’s Park. There isn’t however a list of any length of the things she has done in the community. McKenna has been employed in media sales with a number of publishing and brand development companies in the city. McKenna was working as campaign manager for Rene Pepin who withdrew from the race. Shortly after Pepin withdrew Brian Heagle also withdrew which left the PC’s with no candidate. McKenna filled the breach and was nominated at one of the shortest nomination meetings this city has ever seen.

Just because there isn’t a lot of political experience doesn’t mean this lady is going to stand still. She has a lot to learn but she also has a tremendous capacity to learn and she is a tiger when it comes to going after what she wants.

The Mother of five children, all born at the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital she will tell you if you give her three seconds, has sold ideas or services all her life – and if McKenna ever calls on you to sell you something – get out your cheque book.

McKenna isn’t a thinker – she’s a doer. “I went as far as grade 13” she will tell you. “What you see is what you get” she adds. The problem is that there just isn’t that much to see. Perhaps we will see more during the Chamber of Commerce all candidate breakfast September 27th

Strength in numbers. McKenna on the left with Halton Progressive Conservative candidate Ted Chudleigh and current Burlington MPP Joyce Savoline. McKenna will lean heavily on Chudleigh as the old master shows her how it’s done.

She has the Burlington Progressive Conservative machine behind her – what isn’t clear is just how well oiled that machine is less than sixty days away from the election. The campaign probably will not want for money – there are some pretty deep pockets within that band of blue brothers and the cheques will get written.

The challenge is going to be to get out the vote – and on that level McKenna brings an engaging personality and impressive energy to everything she does. Can she motivate the Conservative base and does she have a campaign team that has the drive, energy and experience needed to pull this off? Many of the team come from the Cam Jackson era – and that is not good news.

There are those that believe McKenna fit the profile that the Progressive Conservative party had for the riding – a younger, professional, presentable woman. Burlington, while conservative has in the past elected women to both federal and provincial seats. Paddy Torsney, whose brother Brian is the president of the company McKenna works for, represented Burlington very successfully for a number of years. It was problems with the Liberal leadership that cost Torsney her seat in 2006.

Joyce Savoline was Regional Chair and is the current MPP. Women work – pick one that looks the part and go with her, would appear to be the criteria that was used to choose McKenna who got the nomination at a meeting that lasted less than 20 minutes.

For McKenna the PC leader Tim Hudak’s Change Book sets it all out and she tends to read directly from the book.

McKenna has good listening skills which she will use intensely for the next 50+ days.

McKenna ran in Ward 1 during the 2010 municipal election and came in last. She was basically a Bill Carty sponsored candidate. Carty apparently had an issue with the city at the time relating to a property he had offices in and he had targeted the sitting Council member Rick Craven. McKenna didn’t live in the ward and didn’t generate much in the way of traction.

Keith Strong, a local conservative mover and shaker, is believed to be the conservative who suggested to McKenna that she go after the PC nomination. She was originally the campaign manager for Rene Pepin who withdrew from the nomination race

Politicians have been known to grow once they are elected. Rick Goldring stumbled a bit during his first few months in office and he didn’t exactly inspire in the last election. He did however put out the best set of policy papers and he did have a very clear idea as to why he was running. He won because the city just didn’t want either of the other two candidates running. Goldring has grown into the job of Mayor and he has a lot more growth in him.

Does McKenna have growth within her ? No way of knowing that yet, at this point all we have to go on is a hope that she will grow into the job if the city decides she is who they want.

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