By Pepper Parr
August 27th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
When you get back from the Labour Day vacation the federal election that has been bubbling just beneath the surface of the news cycle with the SNC Lavalin scandal taking up most of the oxygen, will become more apparent. This one has the potential to be quite nasty.
Political advertising will become more prevalent, the campaign teams will be out in force and the candidates will be seen wherever they can find an audience.
Burlington residents fall into one of three constituencies.
Burlington, Oakville Burlington North and Milton.
In the days and weeks ahead the Gazette will cover each of the three constituencies and try to keep up with what the politicians have to say.
In the Milton constituency the fight is basically between the incumbent, Lisa Raitt and a newcomer Liberal candidate Adam Van Koeverden.
If the size of the campaign offices is any indicator one could conclude that Adam Van Koeverden is going to spend his way to a win while Raitt, currently the Deputy Leader of the Progressive Conservatives, hopes to ride to a win on the basis of her record – which has a spotty past but rests on a strong voice in the House of Commons.
Both offices are on the Main Street of Milton – less than 100 yards apart.
The Lisa Raitt campaign office in Milton
The Adam Van Koeverden campaign office in Milton.
The New Democrats have yet to nominate a candidate – the Greens have one, but little has been heard of or from her.
Given the issues that concern Canadians – the Greens are viable. In Milton? Anything is possible in the world of politics – look at what the late Jack Layton did in Quebec.
The People’s Party of Canada (PPC), the band of ultra right advocates that Maxine Bernier has pulled together, form the hard right political position.
Ray Rivers, the Gazette’s political columnist, will be returning from a deserved vacation and will share his view on matters political in the weeks ahead.
The Gazette will cover each of the campaigns going forward.
