“Get it done” was the rallying cry used by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party in every promotional piece for the 2022 election campaign. Last night the party can honestly say they did indeed get it done, especially if they meant getting re-elected. And by a bigger margin than in 2018.
Nowhere was confidence in the government, or maybe lack of confidence in other choices, more clear than right here in York Region where the entire provincial election map was again bathed in PC blue.
Billy Pang again commanded a convincing victory in Markham-Unionville with just shy of 20,000 votes, a full 9,000 more than nearest rival Liberal challenger Emily Li.
Markham-Stouffville featured the same kind of confidence in Paul Calandra who was re-elected with a plurality of almost 6,000 votes over Liberal candidate and teacher Kelly Dunn, who despite receiving the
endorsement of the teachers union, never really gained much traction locally. Calandra who has shouldered increasing responsibilities over the past government term should also figure prominently in the next session of provincial parliament.
Further south in Markham-Thornhill, former Markham councillor and incumbent MPP Logan Kanapathi also managed to hold a riding that has been stubbornly Liberal federally. However, with 49 per cent of the vote and a healthy 3,300 margin over Liberal
Sandra Chan, the residents of the riding clearly liked what they saw provincially in the Ford government and their local rep.
Main photo: Premier Doug Ford, shown at an event at Markham-Stouffville Hospital, acquired a strong mandate from Ontarians, including from Markham and Stouffville areas, where all three local MPPs were re-elected.
