NEWS

Another election, another landslide victory

Longtime Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett has been re-elected in Toronto-St. Paul’s, where she was first elected in 1997.

Bennett took 55 percent of the vote, nearly 30 ahead of runner-up Marnie MacDougall of the Conservative Party. The NDP’s Noah Richler finished a distant third with just under 15 percent, and the Green candidate, Kevin Farmer, managed a little over three percent.

Shortly after being declared winner of her seventh consecutive election, Bennett said she was looking forward to continuing work in the community, saying “we’ve got four years to do good things.”

“I am absolutely honoured to get to represent this wonderful riding again,” she said. “The opposition has been an obstacle in terms of getting things done, and this is two and two makes five.”

HAPPY HELPERS: Supporters at Carolyn Bennett's victory party, including local MPP Eric Hoskins (centre), cheer her accumulating vote total.
HAPPY HELPERS: Supporters at Carolyn Bennett’s victory party, including local MPP Eric Hoskins (centre), cheer her accumulating vote total.

As for her plans in terms of local initiatives, Bennett says she’ll be looking to increase infrastructure of different kinds not just in her riding but in Toronto.

“I think the investments in infrastructure will really get Toronto going again,” she said. “Whether it’s transit or social or green infrastructure … if we’re able to get to work on time and get people out of their cars, it’s a very exciting prospect for the next four years.”

Bennett credited the “St. Paul’s model” — round table discussions she is involved in that include MPP Eric Hoskins as well as local councillors Josh Matlow, Joe Mihevc and Josh Colle — as a reason for constituents extending her long-running mandate in the area.

“I take democracy between elections very seriously,” she said. “With the amazingly engaged citizens of Toronto-St. Paul’s — people with tremendous expertise and experience — hopefully it gives them the opportunity to feel that they are reshaping public policy between elections.”

And how was Bennett choosing to celebrate her victory?

“It would be red wine,” she said with a laugh. “And I’m celebrating with my new favourite possession — my red Blue Jays’ shirt.”