By Pepper Parr
January 29th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
The last chapter of the most recent journey Burlington’s Natalie Pierre has taken has started.
Natalie Pierre speaking in the Legislature
Doug Ford got Lt.-Gov. Edith Dumont to issue a writ of election. The Legislature came to a close at 4:00 pm Tuesday afternoon and the election began.
Should Natalie Pierre be re-elected she will begin a second term as an MPP – a job she didn’t want and didn’t do all that well at during the several years she has represented the city at Queen’s Park.
She had advised the Premier she did not intend to run for re-election – but then changed her mind and said she would run as a candidate – something about being energized with all that Doug Ford has done for the province.
Truth be told, the Tory’s couldn’t find a candidate to run for a seat that was supposed to be solid Tory blue.
Natalie Pierre
I met Natalie just the once – on that occasion I was impressed – I sensed a level of empathy in the woman that I believe is still there. She just never got a chance to show what she could do.
Events and circumstances had locked the woman into a job she wasn’t, in my opinion, cut out for.
She is young, a decent person who I think is embarrassed over what the Premier has done to the province.
With some personal luck she will lose the election and be freed to become the person she is.
Salt with Pepper is an opinion column reflecting the observations and musings of the publisher of the Gazette, an on-line newspaper that is in its 12th year as a news source in Burlington and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
Agee. After serving several years in the PC witness protection program (like her predecessor) she should be released.
what a terrible article ,guess only your Liberal friends get positive press
Do we really know why Natalie Pierre decided to change her mind and run for re-election? NO we do not.
You failed to mention her tireless work in providing improved mental health access in Burlington. Joseph Brant Hospital is the recipient of the funding she advocated for.
When anti-semitism reared its ugly head in Burlington this past year in some of Burlington’s Public Schools as well as the Brant Hills Community Centre she was there for those of us who contacted her office. Natalie called personally to hear what had happened and told us what she could and would do.
I do not think your assessment that she is “embarrassed over what the Premier has done to the Province, or that she was in a job she was not cut out for” is accurate.
Have you forgotten what the Wynn Government did to Ontario before losing to the conservatives?
Nonsense – absolute nonsense. First of all her husband is Tory backroom fellow and a fund raiser/bagman for the hospital. Thank you dear. Secondly, I have had equal but opposite personal experiences with Pierre. I won’t elaborate but she refused to speak to me and handed the whole thing over to her Constituency Office Manager who dutifully recited the party line – your party Ms. Hersh. Finally, I’m pleased that she became “re-energized” by the anti-semitic protests of Burlington students and the do nothing response of the Halton School Board. But she showed more true distress, IMO, when she lost her cat.
I’m afraid that I can not share your sympathy for Ms. Pierre. She has been a very poor voice for Burlington and promises to continue to be so if elected again. The role of MPP or MLA (as I prefer) should only fall to the best, most committed – and she demonstrably is not amongst that cadre.