Tory candidate cites CEO past in bid for seat
[attach]4487[/attach]Etobicoke–Lakeshore Progressive Conservative candidate Simon Nyilassi said he hopes his business experience will help send him to Queen’s Park this fall.
“I’m used to serving stakeholders in a transparent way,” said the former CEO of Calloway Real Estate Investment Trust.
The provincial election will be Nyilassi’s first foray into politics, but he said his lack of experience in the field won’t hurt him at the polls.
“A fresh face will work to my advantage,” he said. “A new face means new ideas.”
If elected Nyilassi will eliminate the HST on hydro bills as well as lower taxes.
“We will put money into the hands of hardworking families by tax reduction,” he said.
He said that the first item on his agenda is to tackle what he sees as government misspending. He would like to review all government agencies.
“The ones operating efficiently will remain, but if the (associations, boards and commissions) are necessary and not operating efficiently we’ll fix them,” he said.
Others that are neither beneficial nor efficient would be eliminated to reduce government waste, he said.
For Nyilassi, it’s all about spending money wisely. He said the size of government increased by 80 percent under the government of Premier Dalton McGuinty.
“We need to review that and balance the books,” he said. “We need to maintain spending where necessary or increase it where it’s needed like healthcare.”
Nyilassi would like to spend more money on those who use the services directly.
“We need to spend money on the frontlines … on patients, healthcare, students and education,” he said.
Aside from Nyilassi’s business experience, he’s also heavily involved in the community. He supports many different charities including the Princess Margaret Hospital Ride to Conquer Cancer, for which he single-handedly raised $20,000 last year.
“My mother is a breast cancer survivor,” he said. “My wife’s mother has just been treated for esophagus cancer.”
He is also deeply dedicated to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada after losing his first wife to the disease in 1997.
Nyilassi said he’s optimistic about his campaign and is not deterred by his lack of political experience.
“Lack of experience in politics doesn’t mean a lack of experience in life,” he said.