Wynne Liberal leadership bid gets MPP’s support

Nov 6, 2012 | News

By Matt Creed

Liberal MPP Kathleen Wynne is the latest candidate to throw her hat in the ring to become the next leader of the provincial Liberals.

“She’s a person who understands public policy, understands how to develop public policy, understands how to articulate it and how to reach out and ensure the public understands policy that needs developing,” Willowdale MPP David Zimmer told Humber News.

Kathleen Wynne, MPP for Don Valley West, announced her bid to run for the Provincial Liberal leadership, and thus the premier of Ontario, Monday night. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.

Zimmer will endorse Wynne in her attempt to restore confidence in the Liberal Party following a series of fall outs with both teachers and public sector employees.

He said Wynne, MPP for Don Valley West, is the best candidate to restore a tattered relationship between the two sides.

“Kathleen Wynne, I think is in the best possible position to reach out to some of our stakeholders who have become disappointed in us – by that I mean teachers and public servants – I think she’s the best to reach out to them and bring them back,” said Zimmer.

He said Wynne could also stave off a potential loss of supporters to the NDP.

“The dangers for the liberals is that some of our liberal vote might bleed off to the NDP, and I think she can determine an anecdote to that,” he said.

Wynne, a former Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, as well as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, announced her bid to be the next Premiere and Ontario Liberal leader Monday night in her Toronto caucus.

“It’s a critical moment for the province because we need to choose a leader who can help navigate through these difficult times, who can stay the course on our economic plan, who can help bring opposing sides to the table, and find real creative solutions to the issues that we face,” CBC said Wynne told supporters.

In a statement to Humber News regarding the leadership race, Etobicoke-Lakeshore MPP Laurel Broten, and current Minister of Education said she would not be running herself to replace Dalton McGuinty.

“My focus will remain on my job as Minister of Education, Minster of Women’s issues and MPP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore,”she said.

“There is more work to be done, and I am committed to continuing to build on the progress that we’ve made over the past nine years for children and families across the province,” Broten said.

If Wynne were successful in her campaign, she would become both the first female premiere of Ontario, as well as the first openly lesbian premier.