Freedom Party of Ontario

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For immediate release



 

Al Gretzky enters London West by-election race


June 18, 2013 London - Freedom Party of Ontario is pleased to announce that Al Gretzky has been nominated its candidate for the coming provincial by-election in the riding of London West. 

Al Gretzky is a familiar name in London West.  The uncle of Wayne Gretzky, he has been a resident of Byron for decades.  Most recently an employee of Eaton's and Sears, he is active in the community, having given his time in support of such causes as the Thames Valley Children’s Centre, the Canada Games, the Palace Theatre, and the International Free Press Society.  A trusted and respected figure in the riding, 21,690 ballots (35.7% of the ballots cast) were cast in his favour when he ran as the federal Conservative Party candidate in the election of 2006 (he finished just 1,329 ballots behind then-popular Liberal incumbent Sue Barnes).

"A person as trusted and well known as Al Gretzky would have been welcomed as a candidate for the PCs, Liberals, or NDP," says Freedom Party leader Paul McKeever, "but Al was disappointed with the fact that all three of those parties are in favour of having the province go deeper into debt for the next several years, instead of living within its means.  Al was attracted to Freedom Party because of its principled stand in favour of fiscal responsibility, and because it was the one party to put forward a balanced budget plan for 2013."

"Listen carefully to what the old parties are saying about the problems we are having currently with government finance," says Gretzky.  "The Liberals, who dug the debt hole we currently find ourselves in: their solution to the problem is to dig the hole deeper; more taxes and more spending.  The NDP have signed on to help with the digging. 

"Tim Hudak and the Progressive Conservatives are trying desperately to separate themselves from those two parties.  Unfortunately, Mr. Hudak is unwilling to say that he will stop the digging.  By promising to continue borrowing money for the next several years, all he is really saying is that he won't dig quite as quickly.  

"Compare that to the Freedom Party.  We believe that the economic security of people in Ontario requires that the province immediately stop digging us deeper into debt, and begin to fill-in the hole, so that we can all get back on the road to prosperity.

"As the MPP for London West, I will stand up in the legislature to demand that the government get smarter and more efficient, instead of continuing to allow Ontario to be pulled into a fiscal black hole.  On behalf of those who recognize the need for a fiscally responsible voice at Queen's Park, I will demand that the government live within its means and give individuals greater freedom to save or spend the money that they earn."

Launched today, Al Gretzky's campaign website features a video in which Al speaks directly to the voters of London West.


For further details, contact:  Al Gretzky

Telephone: 519-472-4442

e-mail: algretzky@sympatico.ca

Campaign website: http://www.algretzky.ca

 

Freedom Party of Ontario

240 Commissioners Road West
London, Ontario
CANADA N6J 1Y1

Web: https://freedomparty.on.ca
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