By Pepper Parr
February 19th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
“Well there is your story” said one of the about 100 people who attended the all candidates meeting that took place at Port Nelson United Church Tuesday evening.
Liberal candidate Andrea Grebenc in front of her literature table taking to supporters. The table to her left was set up for Natalie Pierre, Progressive Conservative candidate
The man was speaking about an empty table – it was one of four set aside for the candidates to set out their literature and be on hand to talk to people attending the debate.
The Liberals had their table, the New Democrats and the Green party had their table. Some thought that perhaps the Progressive Conservative candidate had yet to arrive.
As people gathered in the room the debate was going to take place in, moderator John Greven stood to introduce himself and explained that the people organizing the debate had reached out on several occasions to invite Natalie Pierre to take part – “we didn’t get a direct response” said Greven, adding that “we did hear from a Progressive Conservative party spokesperson who said their policy was for candidates to not take part in debates but to spend their time knocking on doors”.
During the debate the candidates made a point of not berating Pierre for not taking part.
Moderator John Greven explaining to the audience why the seat set aside for Natalie Pierre was empty.
During the Q&A portion of the evening the Gazette put a question to Ms Pierre asking if ‘the reason you are not here this evening is because you are embarrassed by some of the Doug Ford statements – his “sparky” statement comes to mind.
Sparky was the word used by Ford when he was addressing a gala police services event and talking about people who are sentenced to prison for life for murder or attempted murder. Life in prison is not enough for these people – send them to “sparky; the colloquial term for the electric chair.
Ms Pierre has the freedom to run her campaign the way she wishes and I have the freedom not to vote for her.
I believe that Dan Jacobs (exculpatory Natalie Pierre comment below) should have revealed the fact that he is Pierre’s Campaign Manager. Really Dan – let’s have some transparency!
Blair, you might be right.
I did suggest that it was important for her to be available in a public forum.
As I said previously, it is her campaign to run as she sees fit.
And residents will have their say at the election box.
Thankfully we live in a democratic country that gives us this freedom.
And debates and being accountable to an audience, and also responding to your constituents – all of them – when they want to speak with you is a cornerstone of democracy. Can’t have it both ways.
Then again her “leader”, the architect of strong mayor powers and lover of misusing the notwithstanding clause etc etc etc doesn’t value democracy either.
I do look beyond the Gazette. However it seems to be the first to announce these types of events.
For the record. I did call and speak to Natalie Pierre yesterday and asked why she was a “no show” at the event.
She told me that she had spoken to the organizers on many occasions telling them that she would not be participating. Her reasoning being that she felt that knocking on doors, calling residents and speaking to her constituents was more beneficial.
It is her right to run her campaign as she sees fit.
Editor’s note: Is is indeed her right to run her campaign as she sees fit. It is also her responsibility to make herself publicly available to be both transparent and accountable.
Penny – you just proved Ettlewood’s point, I think.
As the person who spoke with Mr Greven directly, and for a significant period of time, he most certainly did receive a direct response, along with a commitment that Natalie would personally call every person in attendance who wished to speak with her. We also provided a QR code and link that people could use to book in times to speak with her. At no time was it mentioned that there is any policy in place regarding debates, because there is no such policy. If this is a direct quote, then Mr Greven has show his partisanship by fabricating the response.
In addition, no less than a half dozen additional representatives of the organizers asked the same question about Natalie’s attendance by phone, e-mail, and by attending the campaign office, and all were provided the same response.
Oh come on! All across the province the PCs are not attending the debates, while every other party candidate is. They did the same thing in the last election. This issue is being reported over and over again. Of course it’s a policy, unless you’re suggesting an even worse scenario: that every single PC candidate doesn’t value democracy enough to understand how important it is to attend every debate they’re invited to, yet the candidates from all other parties do understand? Says a lot about your candidates then – really quite a remarkable coincidence. QR codes and door knocking – what a farce to think those would suffice.
The opinions here in the Gazette and in the Nextdoor,com community website are nearly unanimous. The arrogance of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario is on full display now. The Party wants their MPPs to hide from open public forums in order to dampen down the criticism that they and their party so justly deserve in failing not just their riding constituents but even their usual followers among the voting public. The promises not kept, the people abandoned in hospital hallways, in waiting lines for doctors and procedures, in homeless camps cannot be hidden from view simply by not showing up in public debates. The outrageous fantasy projects promised in the future cannot in any way excuse or take the place of the guilt of this party’s failures. And the insult to constituents of seeing vacant chairs at every debate for absent PC MPPs can not and should not be tolerated in Ontario. This Party has shamed itself in its record and now in its tactic to play deaf and dumb until the voters have shown up.
Please, if you care about how our province is run, there is only one true way you can protest. Everyone vote with your conscience.
It is an extremely rare occurrence for me to agree with all of these other commentators. Usually we are at adverse positions. The arrogance, rudeness, disdain shown by Pierre and the Provincial Conservative Party towards the Burlington electorate is inexcusable. This is the second election in a row where the Provincial Conservative Party has instructed its candidates not to engage in a democratic debate process.
During the last UK election there were many news reports over here showing candidates from all the parties taking to the stump. Candidates would stand in a central place within a town deliver their speech and then answer questions from the gathered individuals. Well they answered as much as politicians ever actually answer questions put to them. But at least they turned up!
I urge everybody to boycott the Ontario Conservative Party and its candidates, and and to vote for another party that respects you as an elector.
Accountability and Representation Matter
I strongly believe that our representative should not be re-elected. It is disappointing to witness a lack of participation from someone who was elected to serve our community. It is even more concerning that there has apprently been no effort to explain the reasons behind this absence to the very constituents she expects to represent.
A representative’s primary responsibility is to be the voice of their community, to engage actively, and to address the concerns and needs of the people who put their trust in them. The absence of participation and lack of communication demonstrates a clear disregard for these responsibilities.
How can we continue to support a representative who shows no consideration for us? Representation is not just about holding a position; it’s about being present, accountable, and transparent. We deserve a representative who will engage with us, listen to our concerns, and work diligently on our behalf.
This is two elections now in which Ms. Pierre has chosen, or been told, not to participate in candidate debates. Given her very lacklustre performance as Burlington’s MPP and her reluctance to engage – ‘in or ex officio’ – I believe that she has disqualified herself. It is disappointing that there is a body of citizens who will support this behaviour with their vote. Shame on her – and them.
This is becoming more amongst PC candidates. The PC candidate for Huron Bruce did not participate in the debate; ditto for the debate put on by the Grey Bruce Health Coalition in Durham as well as debates in London Fanshawe, London West and London North Centre, Cambridge, Kitchener South-Hespler, Kitchener-Conestoga. It appears to be a growing trend of centralized controlled messaging from the party, not the candidate.
If you can’t bother showing up to defend your party’s policies in an election then, de facto, you probably won’t stand up in the provincial legislature and defend your constituents’ interests either.
A politician who doesn’t give a damn isn’t worth a damn, and doesn’t deserve our vote.
Debate is the foundation of democracy. For Ms. Pierre not to attend is arrogant and is rude to her current constituents. She needs to apologies to the other candidates and to her constituents in general. It would also be nice if she would answer the questions in writing and have them published in the post. I think its time to have the conservative majority reduced.
This has been Ford’s tactic avoid talking to the media avoid talking to the people who are going to be voting for them. People need to wake up Ford isn’t your friend. Vote them out. I don’t care who you vote for Liberal NDP green anyone but PC
Absolutely shameful! How can anyone support this joke of a party?
What arrogance — with a good dose of cowardice thrown in. It’s just too hard to attempt to honestly defend this government, it seems. Pierre should have stuck with her original plan to resign — had she had any integrity, she would have.
There is no question that Natalie Pierre should have been at the All Candidates Meeting last evening.
I questioned the decision of the Conservative party at the last provincial and federal election that would not allow their candidates to attend these type of debates.
If indeed this is their policy it is a terrible one, and demeans their candidates running for office.
Most people did not know that this debate was taking place. I read about it in the Burlington Gazette. In that article at that time there was no set date, time, or moderator.
Editor’s note: Cogeco had a camera rolling through the event.
I only realized that the event was taking place that day through The Gazette article yesterday,
The turnout “of about 100 people” is very good. I only wish there had been more advanced notice for this meeting. It would have reached a larger audience if it could have been live streamed.
Does anyone know if the meeting was recorded?
.
Kudos to the Port Nelson United Church for sponsoring this event.
We could use more of them.
What a farce…drawing a publicly funded salary and being disinterested in doing the job. Another example of Conservative arrogance and lack of accountability.
And yet Ms. Hersh I expect that you will still vote for Ms. Pierre. Given the truly wonderful job that you and ECoB did in 2018 organizing the candidate debates across all wards, I really puzzle at how you can tolerate the Tory strategy. And for the record, news of the debate was published in several places. Although it is a comfortable spot to visit, you might look beyond the Gazette.
There is a wonderful and enthusiastic Liberal Candidate who deserves to represent this riding!
Hear Hear !