CORNWALL, Ontario – At the meeting of the Ontario NDP local riding association, Marc Benoit was acclaimed as their candidate for the 2018 provincial election, during their meeting at the Navy Club in Cornwall on Tuesday, May 8.
Benoit has served as president of both the provincial and federal riding associations of Stormont, Dundas and South Glengarry (SD&SG) for the past year and he has been involved with the NDP for eight years.
After being acclaimed, he explained to the riding associations that he believed that their party had the best vision for the future of Stormont, Dundas and South Glengarry and the Province of Ontario.
“Imagine what this community can get done when an NDP government funds our hospitals and medical professionals,” Benoit said. “I believe in the collective good. I strongly believe there is such a thing as a society and we mold the type of society we live in.”
He said that he believed his party represented the party of hope in the 2018 election.
“We can’t let the Ford Tories win and import the politics of cynicism from the U.S.,” said Benoit, referring to previous statements made by Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford in support of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Benoit promised that if his party forms a government that it would mean more health coverage for workers, further integration of Ontario in the global economy and to return Hydro One to the status of a wholly owned public interest.
Yesterday marked the first day of the provincial election as the Wynne Liberal government dropped the writ and campaigning officially began.
Benoit and the SD&SG Ontario NDP riding association are starting this campaign with $12,000, a part of which will be used for the rent of their new campaign office on Pitt St. in Cornwall next to Love, Love Food.
Of the major party candidates running in SD&SG Benoit is the youngest at 29-years-old, but he said that he did not believe that age was something that would weigh heavily on voters.
“I don’t see age as being a factor,” he said. “I think people in this riding look for whether or not you’re qualified.”
While SD&SG has not elected a member of the Ontario NDP to the provincial legislature, Benoit said that he feels confident in his chances this election, pointing to traditionally low voter turnout in the riding and his intention to get out the vote through his party’s platform.
He explained that his party had plans to address major issues affecting the region, like rural education.
“The NDP wants a complete moratorium on school closures,” he said, going on to explain that his party would also review the formula for rural education.
He said that his party also wanted to work with small businesses to ease their concerns around the changes the Liberal Party made to labour laws with Bill 148.
Additionally, he pointed to the need for the province to stop downloading expenses onto municipalities, which some Cornwall Councillors have pointed to as a reason for rising property taxes.
Benoit and his team will be moving into their new office this Saturday with door-to-door campaigning starting next week.
