Sylvia Watson gets the boot in Parkdale-Highpark

Justice has been served. Sylvia Watson and the Ontario Liberals have been kicked out of Parkdale.


















Cheri DiNovo won the September 14 Parkdale-Highpark by-election by more than 2,000 votes last night, showing the Ontario Liberals that you can't win an election in Parkdale-Highpark with sleaze tactics.

The desperate measures taken by the Liberals included a smear campaign that used DiNovo's troubled past to try to soil
her reputation. DiNovo has always been open about her time as a street kid.

The Liberals threw money and power at Watson's campaign, parachuting in 11 Ontario Liberal cabinet ministers and the premier himself.

Even Bob Rae was leaving recorded telephone messages to try to prevent our riding from going NDP.

All this backfired because of the integrity of the people of Parkdale-Highpark.

DiNovo is the second major NDP victory in our riding. The first was Peggy Nash's federal win.

The unofficial results of Elections Ontario put the NDP with Cheri DiNovo at 41 per cent of the vote or 11,675 votes. Sylvia Watson trailed behind with 33 per cent of the vote or 9,387 votes.

With all 220 polls reporting, 28,457 people voted during this by-election. A much smaller turnout than the federal election when 51,000 folks voted.

The results for the NDP and the Liberals during this by-election are close to the federal election when Peggy Nash got 40 per cent of the vote, and Sarmite Bulte, 36 per cent.

The last bastion held by the liberals here is the position of councillor. Already there are several candidates for the position who are NDPers.

Here I think those candidates would do good if they came up with an agreement to back one strong candidate instead
of splitting the vote 10 different ways.

Parkdale needs a councillor who lives in Parkdale and someone who can either push or support Mayor David Miller to get more resources for neighbourhoods like ours that need them.

And Miller would do best not to endorse any one candidate especially if that candidate does not live in Parkdale. Parachuters tend to get their just desserts here in Parkdale.