Yasir Naqvi celebrates his party’s victory beside his wife Christine McMillan
Yasir Naqvi was easily re-elected as MPP for Ottawa Centre in Thursday’s provincial election, sharing the victory with Premier Kathleen Wynne as their Liberal Party was returned to power with an unexpected majority government.
Unofficial results late Thursday had the Liberals at 58 seats, the Progressive Conservatives at 27 and the New Democratic Party at 22. The magic number for a majority in the Ontario legislature is 54 seats.
“We ran a positive campaign,” Naqvi told his supporters Thursday night, “based on a message of hope, of the future, of the kind of province we want to build, a future with good paying jobs, a future of making sure that our schools are healthy.”
Naqvi, who was first elected to represent the downtown riding in 2007 and became labour minister in 2013, ended the night with 23,631 votes to his name, well ahead of NDP challenger and local school board chair Jennifer McKenzie (10,701), Progressive Conservative candidate Rob Dekker (9,417), a Centretown Citizens’ Community Association executive, and Green Party contender Kevin O’Donnell (4,087).
Naqvi’s 2014 platform had focused on increasing financial support for schools and building new infrastructure in the riding. Projects include expanding the O-Train, creating a footpath over the Rideau Canal and funding the second phase of the city’s light-rail transit system.
Naqvi was criticized for his spending in office, using a reported $57,000 for travel and accommodations in 2013 — significantly more than other Liberal candidates in nearby ridings.
During the election, the Liberals gained the support of teachers, nurses and even the OPP officers’ union, which released an attack ad against PC leader Tim Hudak over his party’s plan to slash 100,000 public-sector jobs.
Wynne’s Liberals held on to all five of the party’s Ottawa-area seats, re-electing Bob Chiarelli in Ottawa-West Nepean, John Fraser in Ottawa South and Madeleine Meilleur in Ottawa Vanier. Liberal candidate Marie-France Lalonde retained the Ottawa Orléans seat for the party after former Liberal MPP Phil McNeely retired.
Nepean-Carleton MPP Lisa MacLeod, the only Ottawa-area PC incumbent heading into the election, held onto her seat, despite a performance by her party that was so disappointing Hudak announced his resignation as leader after conceding defeat to Wynne.