MANDEL: Ousted Liberal Jane Philpott fails to win as independent
Michele Mandel
Published:
October 22, 2019
Updated:
October 22, 2019 9:47 AM EDT
Jane Phllpott addresses supporters after losing as an independent candidate in the Markham-Stouffville riding on Monday October 21, 2019. Veronica Henri/Toronto Sun
STOUFFVILLE, Ont. — If this federal election were a morality tale with a happy ending, ousted Jane Philpott should have won as an independent after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau kicked her out for daring to stand up against his shameful handling of the SNC-Lavalin scandal.
Alas, this election was no fairytale and occupying the moral high ground was no match for the forces of party politics.
“Oh no, third,” were the cries as the first results were broadcast on the big screen at the 19 on the Park theatre. Liberal candidate Helena Jaczek won the riding with 24,743 votes. Conservative Theodore Antony was second at 19,750 votes and Philpott came in third with 13,216 votes.
Philpott made headlines when she bravely followed colleague Jody Wilson-Raybould in resigning from the Liberal cabinet over Trudeau’s interference with the decision to prosecute the Quebec-based engineering firm.
In return, the PM kicked both out of caucus.
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Despite being courted by the NDP and the Greens, the women decided to pursue the risky route of running as independents.
It’s virtually impossible to win a seat without the backing of a political party — an independent hasn’t won a federal election since 2008. Philpott, though, had several advantages over any ordinary solo candidate: She’s well known in this riding north of Toronto, not only from recent headlines, but also as a former Liberal star who served as treasury board president as well as from her past career as a family doctor.
Without access to party coffers and their fundraising machines, independents face an uphill battle. But like Wilson-Raybould, Philpott easily managed to surpass her fundraising goal.
She just couldn’t convince voters that she could do enough for them without party backing.
Knocking on doors, Philpott played up her non-partisan freedom — no leader could now tell her what to say or what to do. “When I became an independent MP, I didn’t lose my voice. I found my voice. I can speak freely on behalf of the people of Markham-Stouffville,” she wrote on her blog.
“Some political pundits note that independent candidates rarely get elected in Canada. Other sceptics say that if by some chance independent MPs are elected, they will be powerless. Those naysayers lack imagination.”
Her slogan was “Colour outside the party lines.”
It was bold. It was different. It just wasn’t enough.
In 2015, Philpott only narrowly won her seat over the Conservative challenger. This time, her former party was so worried about her newfound notoriety, they chose Helena Jaczek to run against her — not only a woman Philpott considered a friend, but someone with a similar high profile resume. Jaczek is also a doctor and former Ontario Liberal health minister.
Philpott’s bid was always a longshot and unfortunately, her integrity and honesty weren’t as valuable commodities as party affiliation.
“There can be a cost to acting on one’s principles,” the daughter of a Presbyterian minister wrote in her March resignation letter, “but there is a bigger cost to abandoning them.”
Even if that means she no longer represents Markham-Stouffville in the next Parliament.
mmandel@postmedia.com
http://torontosun.com/news/local-news/mandel-fired-liberal-jane-philpott-fails-to-win-as-independent
Michele Mandel
Published:
October 22, 2019
Updated:
October 22, 2019 9:47 AM EDT
Jane Phllpott addresses supporters after losing as an independent candidate in the Markham-Stouffville riding on Monday October 21, 2019. Veronica Henri/Toronto Sun
STOUFFVILLE, Ont. — If this federal election were a morality tale with a happy ending, ousted Jane Philpott should have won as an independent after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau kicked her out for daring to stand up against his shameful handling of the SNC-Lavalin scandal.
Alas, this election was no fairytale and occupying the moral high ground was no match for the forces of party politics.
“Oh no, third,” were the cries as the first results were broadcast on the big screen at the 19 on the Park theatre. Liberal candidate Helena Jaczek won the riding with 24,743 votes. Conservative Theodore Antony was second at 19,750 votes and Philpott came in third with 13,216 votes.
Philpott made headlines when she bravely followed colleague Jody Wilson-Raybould in resigning from the Liberal cabinet over Trudeau’s interference with the decision to prosecute the Quebec-based engineering firm.
In return, the PM kicked both out of caucus.
Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet,
but your article continues below.
LILLEY: A Trudeau win means a divided Canada
A minority government can govern -- with some help
GOLDSTEIN: Electing Trudeau means more carbon taxes
Despite being courted by the NDP and the Greens, the women decided to pursue the risky route of running as independents.
It’s virtually impossible to win a seat without the backing of a political party — an independent hasn’t won a federal election since 2008. Philpott, though, had several advantages over any ordinary solo candidate: She’s well known in this riding north of Toronto, not only from recent headlines, but also as a former Liberal star who served as treasury board president as well as from her past career as a family doctor.
Without access to party coffers and their fundraising machines, independents face an uphill battle. But like Wilson-Raybould, Philpott easily managed to surpass her fundraising goal.
She just couldn’t convince voters that she could do enough for them without party backing.
Knocking on doors, Philpott played up her non-partisan freedom — no leader could now tell her what to say or what to do. “When I became an independent MP, I didn’t lose my voice. I found my voice. I can speak freely on behalf of the people of Markham-Stouffville,” she wrote on her blog.
“Some political pundits note that independent candidates rarely get elected in Canada. Other sceptics say that if by some chance independent MPs are elected, they will be powerless. Those naysayers lack imagination.”
Her slogan was “Colour outside the party lines.”
It was bold. It was different. It just wasn’t enough.
In 2015, Philpott only narrowly won her seat over the Conservative challenger. This time, her former party was so worried about her newfound notoriety, they chose Helena Jaczek to run against her — not only a woman Philpott considered a friend, but someone with a similar high profile resume. Jaczek is also a doctor and former Ontario Liberal health minister.
Philpott’s bid was always a longshot and unfortunately, her integrity and honesty weren’t as valuable commodities as party affiliation.
“There can be a cost to acting on one’s principles,” the daughter of a Presbyterian minister wrote in her March resignation letter, “but there is a bigger cost to abandoning them.”
Even if that means she no longer represents Markham-Stouffville in the next Parliament.
mmandel@postmedia.com
http://torontosun.com/news/local-news/mandel-fired-liberal-jane-philpott-fails-to-win-as-independent