For the people or for herself?

to The Editor,

We have a new Liberal MPP. She has been lauded as a champion for Francophone rights. But is she? Aside from making appearances and giving interviews, what has she done concretely- not just for Francophone rights, but for her riding in general? She has been largely absent from both Queen’s Park and her riding. She doesn’t listen to dissenting opinion, instead choosing to block those who disagree with her under the claim that her social media accounts are personal.

Many in her riding are calling for a by-election, arguing that they elected a Conservative and feel betrayed. I, too, wish for a by-election, but for different reasons. If Amanda Simard truly believed in the Liberal ideology it would be one thing. What I see, however, is merely opportunism. Under Patrick Brown, she was Conservative when it looked most likely we would see a Conservative government. Now that the polls have shifted in the opposite direction, she has become Liberal.

I see someone who is not present to her constituents, even in times of need. Her constituency office has been closed since November. Where was she during the flooding in spring 2019?

We need a by-election not because Amanda Simard crossed the floor, but because we elected someone who is committed to serving only herself.

The residents of Glengarry Prescott Russell have been without a voice since June 2018, and we deserve to have that voice. However, it looks as if that won’t be the case, as the Liberal interim leader has stated she will be the candidate in the next election, without a fair and open nomination race, potentially condemning constituents to another 4 years of voiceless-ness.

If Amanda Simard were truly for the people, she would allow an open nomination and let the people choose the Liberal candidate they want.

If this doesn’t happen, it only serves to highlight that Amanda Simard is for Amanda Simard, and the Liberal party of Ontario has yet to learn the lesson that Ontario’s voters taught it: We have a voice, and we must be heard.