Belleville was graced with Marit Stiles’ presence as the NDP provincial leader made a stop at Bay of Quinte MPP candidate Amanda Robertson’s campaign office on Monday.
Greeted by loud cheers and chants on arrival at 269 Front St., Stiles spoke to several pressing issues at hand, including the tariffs imposed on Canadian goods by the United States, the cuts to staffing and programs at Loyalist College and the cancellation of the Starlink contract by Premier Doug Ford, among other items.
Stiles acknowledged the concerns of people in all industries and sectors as they weigh the future impact of the tariffs.
“Life is already hard in the province of Ontario, it is already expensive. What is this going to mean for us,” Stiles told the crowd.
“Are we going to see rents go up even more? Are the groceries that I have to buy for myself and my family going to cost me more every day? Am I going to lose my job and my livelihood?”
She outlined that a ‘strong united national plan’ addressing tariff threats, infrastructure, healthcare, housing and education needs to be aligned with the federal government in order to achieve better outcomes for Ontarians.
“We have been left so vulnerable,” Stiles said.
“Our health care system is in disarray, our education system, our universities and colleges having to cut programs, even in the skilled trades at a time when we need them more than ever. I’m not going to let that happen again.”
In order to build a skilled workforce for the future, Stiles said the plan needs to be one that ‘tariff-proofs’ the economy and builds investments in post-secondary education, while protecting existing jobs.
“Doug Ford and the Conservatives funds our post secondary institutions, our colleges and universities, at the lowest rate of any province, at 20-per cent.”
“We cannot continue on this path. This is going to have a devastating impact on local economies.”
She added the NDP would plan to assist rural municipalities by absorbing some infrastructure and transit responsibilities and costs.
Monday’s announcement of the Starlink cancellation dashed the potential delivery of high-speed internet to remote areas, which is a deal Stiles said Premier Ford ‘should never have made in the first place.’
Acknowledging that some people are looking for something different after seven years of Conservative power in Ontario, Stiles said that she felt the early election call made by Ford was meant to ‘pull the wool over voters’ eyes.’
“I think he thought he could have an election and just fool people into not voting in the middle of the winter, and we’re not going to let him do that.”
Stiles also took the time in her remarks to the crowd to praise Robertson for continuing to press on and meet with constituents following last September’s by-election.
Stiles and Robertson were joined by fellow candidates Jessica Zielke of Hastings-Lennox and Addington riding, Bruce Lepage of Northumberland-Peterborough and Arthur Augustine from Ajax.
The next campaign stop for Stiles on Monday was slated to be in Ottawa.
