Jennifer McKenzie thanks supporters for choosing her as the NDP candidate in Ottawa Centre.
Jennifer McKenzie was nominated as the Ottawa Centre NDP candidate at the riding association’s nomination meeting earlier this month, in preparation for a provincial election that may come as early as this spring.
McKenzie, chairwoman for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, defeated former Bay ward councillor Alex Cullen at the first nomination meeting for the Ontario New Democratic Party this year.
“People know me well and they trust me with their children’s education. They will trust me to be the next MPP for Ottawa Centre,” McKenzie said in her opening speech to more than 250 riding association members.
McKenzie said education will be an important issue for voters in the next provincial election, whether they have children in school or not. She called it the “Achilles’ heel” of incumbent Liberal MPP Yasir Naqvi, who supported Bill 115, which imposed a contract on teachers.
“Our schools have been badly affected by Bill 115 and we need to make sure it’s corrected as quickly as possible,” McKenzie said.
Issues affecting Ottawa Centre that McKenzie said she will focus on are affordable housing, healthcare and property taxes.
McKenzie said development in Ottawa’s downtown core is “out of control,” and suggested that the province should reform or abolish the Ontario Municipal Board, the tribunal that hears appeals and disputes on planning and municipal issues. “We must bring back local decision-making to this community,” McKenzie said.
Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath, who attended the meeting, said the time for the next election will be up to Premier Kathleen Wynne, who is holding on to a minority government.
“We don’t necessarily want to campaign, but what we do want and what we’re going to fight for is real results for the people of this province,” Horwath said. “I’ve told the premier clearly that New Democrats have expectations when it comes to the budget that’s going to be tabled in the next weeks to come.”
University of Ottawa NDP co-chair Stephen Hampton worked on McKenzie’s nomination campaign and said he hopes the politicians at Queen’s Park can work together to avoid an election.
“I don’t think anyone wants it right now, especially the people of Ontario,” Hampton said. “But if it does happen sooner than later, Jennifer will be more than prepared, and she has a great team behind her and lots of support.”
Cullen, an aide to NDP MP Mike Sullivan, said McKenzie was a “worthy opponent” and it was great to see the turnout of voters.
“She’s an excellent candidate, she’s got community roots, she’s shown leadership on the school board, and I think that the folks in Ottawa Centre will do very well to have her as their MPP,” Cullen said.
McKenzie said she will continue as OCDSB chair but will be discussing with other trustees what will be best for the board.
“I will continue to represent my constituents as their trustee, until such time when an election is called, and we will decide what to do from there,” McKenzie said. “We have a number of accommodation reviews in the downtown core, and I will make sure those are properly presented and handled at the school board.”