RyeMUN 2018 Ontario Liberal Party Convention Background Guide - Squarespace

RyeMUN 2018
Ontario Liberal Party Convention
       Background Guide

Letter from the Chairs
        My name is Sophia Akhavan-Zanjani and I am in my third year of Politics and
Governance. Since my first day on campus I knew I wanted to participate in Model UN. I walked
up to the Rye MUN booth during frosh week, signed up and the rest is history. This is my third
year participating in Model UN and it will definitely not be my last. I’ve had the opportunity to
participate as a page, a delegate, a secretariat member and now as a Chair. Model UN has
taught me many invaluable skills such public speaking, writing and most importantly, the spirit of
cooperation and diplomacy. I am extremely excited to welcome you all to RyeMUN 2018 and
the Ontario Liberal Party Convention.

         My name is William Woolford and I currently in my third year at Ryerson in the Politics
and Governance Program. I have participated in model UN at Ryerson for the last 2 years and
am currently serving in my first year as Director of Finance. I have previous experience chairing
at internal Ryerson conferences and cannot wait to help lead my first conference with Sofia! As
a politics student I am very passionate about Model United Nations and cannot wait to share my
love of political debate with all who attend this conference this October!.

        We are excited to present you this background guide to help guide your research efforts
into the topics that we will be debating during this year’s conference. We would like to remind all
delegates that this guide serves as a general overview of the topics that we have selected and it
is crucial for you to further research into the subtopics in order to make the most of your time at
RyeMUN 2018. We are sure that your research will contribute to the committee’s discussion and
impress us!

        If you have any other questions between now and the conference, please reach out to
us at ryemun@ryerson.ca and we will make sure to get back to you as quickly as possible.

Sincerely,

Sophia Akhavan-Zanjani
William Woolford

Current Predicament
It’s 2018 and the Ontario Liberal Party is scrambling to recover after a crushing defeated in the
Ontario Election. Kathleen Wynne has stepped down making John Fraser the current Liberal
Interim Party Leader. Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario have
secured a majority government with Andrea Horwath and the New Democratic Party Of Ontario
in the position of the official opposition.

After winning only 7 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, the Ontario Liberal Party has
lost official party status, forcing their MPPs to operate as Independents. This puts the liberals at
a major disadvantage for future elections, but there is still a large number of liberal voters who
are waiting for the party to present a strong platform and form government in 2022.

This is also an exciting new opportunity for the party and presents a chance to regroup and
rebrand after 5 years governing the province under Wynne. This is the time to experiment with a
new direction for the party, either moving to the left to compete with the NDP for the progressive
vote or move to the right to draw moderates and conservatives to the Liberal banner. It is also
the time to elect a bold new leader who is capable of taking the party in a new direction and
energize the electorate about the possibility of a new Liberal government!

The Committee
Delegates attending the Ontario Liberal Party Convention will have two tasks throughout the
conference: creating a new party platform, and choosing a party leader from among the
delegates present. Delegates will represent various stakeholders in the election, current and
previous members of provincial parliament, as well as candidates from across the province.

Each delegate will be responsible for representing the individuality of their character as well as
the wants and needs of their riding. A successful delegate will walk the line of accurately
representing their riding and creating realistic policy for the liberal party while presenting
themself as a prominent member of the party and possible candidate for party leader. The new
party platform should reflect a realistic use of provincial funds, and will be restricted to the
aspects of governance that are under the jurisdiction of the province. All resolutions that are
passed will be incorporated into the official party platform.

Topics to Consider
Below are some examples of divisive campaign issues that provide some insight as to what
really matters to Ontario voters. Delegates should come prepared with ideas for how to move
forward with these topics but are also encouraged to bring other issues to the table for
discussion.

Spending and Taxation
In the 2018 election the Liberals ran on a platform of progressively smaller deficits with the goal
of a balanced budget in 2024. Tax structure was to be simplified and the corporate tax rate
would remain at 11.5%. Delegates must now respond to the Conservative plan to lower the
corporate tax rate, remove income tax for people making minimum wage and eliminate the
cap-and-trade system that funded rebates on energy efficient renovations.

The NDP ran on a platform to pursue increased spending funded by a tax increase on the
wealthiest Ontarians and an increase in the corporate tax rate. With the NDP holding the role of
official opposition for the first time since 1987, delegates at the Ontario Liberal Party Convention
must consider the disposition of a new generation of Ontario voters and decide how to modify
their stance to be more competitive.

Hydro
During the 2018 campaign, the Liberal party ran on a plan to sell the remaining 60% of Hydro
One. The issue of this corporation and the party’s connection to it has been a source of
controversy both during their leadership and the election. Doug Ford campaigned on lowering
Hydro rates by 12% compared to what Ontarians paid under Kathleen Wynne as well as
maintaining the current public and private ownership of Hydro One. As promised, the CEO of
the corporation was removed after the Ford government took power.

The NDP set their sights on returning the corporation to the public sphere. During the campaign
NDP leader Andrea Horwath said the process could take years but would result in a reduction of
executive salaries. After such a devastating loss of voter confidence, delegates must consider
what a change in hydro policy would look like and if it could make the difference in the next
election.

Education
One of the more controversial moves taken by the new Ford administration has been the return
to the old sexual education curriculum. This move has been highly criticized by the official
opposition and the Liberal party who put the new curriculum in place. Delegates at the Ontario
Liberal Party Convention must decide how best to address this issue to please as many voters
as possible while staying true to their ethics.

During the campaign, the NDP garnered support but a healthy amount of scepticism with their
plan to forgive student loan interest. They also promised to increase funding for school repairs
and infrastructure, a plan also promised by the Liberals. The Conservative plan focused mainly
on changing the sexual education and math curriculums but after coming into power they have
cancelled contracts for school repairs.

Transit and Infrastructure
In 2018 the Liberals campaigned on a promise to invest $79 billion over 14 years on a variety of
projects to improve transit in Toronto and across the province. Ideas included a Toronto to
Windsor high speed rail line, an expansion of light rail in Ottawa and cost reductions for GO
transit users. The NDP on the other hand campaigned on the immediate construction of a
downtown relief subway line. They promised to cover 50% of all operating costs for municipal
transit and to restore train service to the north of Ontario. The Ford administration’s plan to have
the province assume responsibility for TTC infrastructure has been met with mixed reactions.

Loss of Official Status
Without official party status, the Ontario Liberal Party will be faced with a variety of challenges.
Their opportunity to have their voice heard in the legislature is hugely decreased which means
they have to focus on making their points clear through different means such as the media. At a
time when knowledge about the voting population is so crucial, the Liberals will not have access
to research funding and assistance that is provided to official parties. Funding is distributed to
official parties by the legislative assembly’s internal economy board. While accommodations
have been made in the past to provide some funding to parties who do not have official status,
the amount will be significantly lower than what the party is used to.

Target Audience
The general trend from the 2018 Ontario election was an urban/rural split with Conservatives
cornering the market on rural areas and the NDP largely taking urban regions and areas with
young, progressive populations. Obviously the Liberal party has lost footing with their base and
must now decide who to target as they rebuild their platform and brand. Though there is relative

safety in moving towards a moderate middle ground, this could be an opportunity to encroach
on the NDP’s newly won base of supporters.

Creating the Platform
The agenda of the committee can be set to any of the topics listed above or otherwise
introduced into debate. The committee may address as many or as few of the topics a as they
wish, however a more thorough platform will be more successful with voters. Delegates may,
with the chair’s prior approval, propose that the agenda be set to a topic not listed above in
order to ensure a more fulsome platform.

Resolutions passed within any given topic will be added to the draft platform. Towards the end
of the conference delegates may motion to vote on the draft platform and will have the
opportunity to make amendments to the amalgamated document. Delegates are reminded that
they may table a particular topic and reintroduce it later on once other topics have been further
discussed.

Leadership Elections
Delegates in the Liberal Party Committee will be tasked with choosing a party leader from
amongst themselves throughout the 2 days of committee. This voting process will be identical to
the voting process used by the Ontario Liberal Party, with rounds of voting until one member
receives a majority of the votes. After each rounds of voting the two members who receive the
least votes will be removed from the next ballot, at which time they will be given the opportunity
to endorse another candidate.

Delegates will be tasked with giving policy plans and strategic visions for the future of the party
at scheduled times during conference. After speeches are given, all members will be given one
vote to support the candidate who they believe best represents the party and has the best
chances of leading the party to victory at election time. All delegates are encouraged to run and
gain the opportunity to direct party policy and lead the fractured party to victory at the midterm
elections!

List of Convention Delegates

Michel Coteau – MPP of Don Valley East
With a strong passion for education for people of all ages, Michel Coteau advocated for equity
and increased technology in Ontario classrooms and promoted adult literacy. He is now the
Liberal MPP for the Don Valley East constituency, proudly supporting his people and their
interests. He has also held a number of Cabinet Positions in the Ontario Provincial Government
including the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sport and the Ministry of Citizenship and
Immigration.

Kathleen Wynne – MPP of Don Valley West
As the former Ontario Premier, Kathleen Wynne has become a household name among
Ontarians. She began her political career with grassroots work in Toronto before joining the
Liberal Party and becoming the Liberal nominee for the Don Valley West riding in 2003. Wynne
then served for multiple provincial ministers and was promoted to Minister of Education in 2006,
Minister of Transportation in 2010 and finally Minister of Municipal Affairs, Housing and
Aboriginal Affairs in 2011. Wynne submitted her bid for Liberal Party leader in 2012, where she
easily won the leadership position. She was officially sworn in as Premier in 2013, making her
the first female Premier and the first premier in Canada to be openly gay. She served 5 years as
Ontario’s Premier until she stepped down as leader of the Liberal Party. She currently represents
her riding of Don Valley East as an MPP.

Marie-France Lalonde – MPP of Ottawa-Orleans
Although Marie-France Lalonde was born in Ontario and raised in Quebec, she brings her
Francophone background to the table, making her the best option to become the First Minister of
Francophone Affairs in Ontario. She currently lives in and serves the riding of Ottawa-Orleans as
their MPP. She also has an economic background as she has served in the Ministry of Economic
Development, Employment and Infrastructure with a focus on economic development issues.

John Fraser – MPP of Ottawa South and Interim Party Leader
John Fraser is an Ottawa native that worked his way up through the ranks from parliamentary
assistant to Interim Liberal Party Leader. He also assumes the position as MPP for the Ottawa
South riding. Fraser also has a business background and has managed a number of small and
medium sized local business for the last 18 years. After the resignation of Kathleen Wynne in

2018, Fraser was unanimously endorsed by the liberal caucus to become the Interim Party
Leader. He continues to serve in this position today.

Nathalie Des Rosiers – MPP of Ottawa-Vanier
Des Rosiers has not only gone to law school but has also taught law at the University of Western
Ontario. She was also the president of the Law Commissions of Canada from 2004 to 2005 and
was one of the key influences to discourage the practice of “carding”. She entered politics as a
Liberal Candidate for a 2016 by-election in the riding of Ottawa-Vanier and won, defeated both
other candidates. She has also served as a Parliamentary Assistant to the Ministry of Energy,
Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Natural
Resources and Forestry. Des Rosiers has been inducted into the Order of Ontario in 2012 and the
Order of Canada in 213 for her work in civil rights and Francophone advocacy. Today, she
continues to serve her riding of Ottawa-Vanier as MPP.

Mitzie Hunter – MPP of Scarborough-Guildwood
Mitzie Hunter studied business at University of Toronto, getting both her BA and MBA. She
involved herself in charitable organizations, taking the role of CEO of the Greater Toronto
CivicAction Alliance, CAO of Toronto Community Housing and Vice President at Goodwill
Industries of Toronto. She began her career in politics in 2013, running as the Liberal candidate
in a by-election. In 2014, she was appointed as an Associate Minister for the Ministry of Finance
and then promoted to Minister of Education. She currently fulfills her role as the MPP of the
Scarborough-Guildwood riding.

Michael Gravelle – MPP of Thunder Bay-Superior North
Michael Gravelle was born, raised and educated in Thunder Bay. He has a background in film
and communications as he worked as a publicist for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and
was the founder of the North of Superior Film Association. He began his career in politics in the
1995 provincial election winning the riding of Port Arthur, now known as Thunder Bay. He
continues to hold this position until today, marking 23 years and counting as MPP of the
Thunder Bay-Superior North riding.

Charles Fox – Candidate for Algoma-Manitoulin
For over 35 years, Charles Fox has been working towards bringing together business,
governments, community groups and First Nations. He has done this by serving in a diverse
range of positions including Ontario Regional Chief for the Chiefs of Ontario, a member of
Bearskin First Nation and as Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation. On May 9​th​, Fox was

nominated as a Candidate for the Algoma-Manitoulin riding marking his first steps into Ontario
provincial politics.

Robert Quaiff – Candidate for Bay of Quinte
Robert Quaiff is a long-time councilor and the current mayor of Prince Edward County. He is a
well-known public figure in the Bay of Quinte riding. The 2018 election was his first attempt to
enter Ontario provincial politics. He finished in third place behind his Conservative and NDP
counter-parts. Robert Quaiff is presently still a liberal Candidate for the riding but is unsure of
his future in provincial politics.

Francesca Dobbyn – Candidate for Bruce-Grey-Owen-Sound
Francesca Dobbyn’s political career is defined by her strong passion for helping her community.
She has served as executive director of the local United Way where she has given aid to the Grey
Bruce Children’s Alliance and the Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force for over 13 years. She has
also served as festival coordinator and municipal tourism director in her city. On April 21​st​,
2018, Dobbyn was nominated as the Liberal Candidate for the Bruce-Grey-Owen-Sound riding
where she finished in third place.

Yvan Baker – Candidate for Etobicoke Centre
Yvan Baker has a strong business background, graduated from both Schulich School of Business
and the Tuck School of Business. He entered the workforce as a management consultant with the
Boston Consulting Group. He has also worked with a number of charitable organizations and
projects included Leave out Violence, the Emerging Leaders Network and Global Grassroots. He
is also a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal awarded for outstanding
public service. He is currently the elected Liberal Candidate for Etobicoke Centre after finishing
in second place for his riding.

Sly Castaldi – Candidate for Geulph
Sky Castaldi is a figurehead in her community as she has participated in many different
organizations including Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis as the executive director and the
Legal Clinic of Guelph and Wellington County as a member of the board of directors. Castaldi
has lived in Guelph and was educated there. Her passion for her city makes her the perfect
candidate for the riding of Guelph. However, she lost to Green Party leader Mike Schreiner in
2018 by a large margin. The liberal party hopes to regain Guelph, a former liberal party
stronghold.

Deanna Sgro – Candidate for Black Creek-Humber River
A practicing lawyer who specializes in debt collection, Deanna Sgro has worked for two of
Canada’s largest collection agencies over the past 17 years. A report surfaced exposing Sgro for
professional misconduct in 2013. It accused her law firm of using harassment and threats to
collect debt. She hid this from the Liberal Party upon nomination for the candidacy of the Black
Creek-Humber River riding. She finished in third place in the most recent election, losing a long
held Liberal stronghold.

Don Matheson – Candidate for Huron Bruce
An all around Canadian man, Don Matheson is a long-time hockey coach and a beloved high
school history teacher. He has always tried to empower his students and now he is taking that
passion to the next level with his candidacy for the Huron-Bruce riding. He believes strongly that
under the Wynne government, Ontario was heading in the right path and his campaign centered
around fighting to keep Ontario heading in the same direction. In the most recent election,
Matheson finished in third place behind the PCs and the NDPs.

Doug Lawrence – Candidate for Kiiwetinoong
Irish born, Doug Lawrence moved to Canada in the late 1950’s where he grew up and studied in
Thunder Bay. He has a background in psychology and sociology as well as an engineering
degree. He also boasts a business background as has managed a successful engineering business
in Northwestern Ontario. He retired in 2010 and went on to coach hockey for many years as well
as volunteer his free time to recreational activities in his community. He was elected for Liberal
Candidate for the Kiiwetinoong riding in 2018 where he placed in third, losing by a large margin
to the NDPs.

David Henderson – Candidate of Leeds-Greenville
 ​ avid Henderson is an active political figure and served as Mayor of Brockville before entering
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provincial politics. He has been involved in politics for a long time and understand the direction
the Liberal Party wanted to take Ontario in. He acknowledged the defeat of the Liberal Party in
the 2018 election and vows to rebuild the party with a “pragmatic plan that builds Ontario up,
that helps everyone in this province and makes it strong economically.” The riding of
Leeds-Greenville is a PC stronghold, preventing Henderson from winning the riding. He finished
in third place.

Imran Mian – Candidate of Mississauga-Erin Mills
Mississauga has been home for Imran Mian for 28 years. He has a successful business and
technology career and is currently Vice-President of mobileLIVE Inc. One issues that strongly
concerns Imran Mian is affordable housing. He is concerned about with the ability of
low-income families and younger people to purchase their own homes, especially in
Mississauga. He wants to take his affordable housing plans to the Provincial level by running as
the Liberal Candidate for the Mississauga-Erin Mills riding. In the 2018 election, Mian finished
third in a close race.

Kevin Flynn – Candidate for Oakville
Before Kevin Flynn began his political career, he was a small business owner in Oakville where
he also served as Chair of the Financial Department for the Royal Botanical Gardens. He began
his political career in 1985 as a New Democrat when the NDP has a limited supporter base. He
then moved to the Liberal Party where he ran for the riding of Oakville in the Legislative
Assembly. Flynn has always worked to preserve green space and environmentally-sensitive land.
He was responsible for reserving 1286 acres of land in North Oakville as public green space, a
move which was received very positively from his community. In 2014, Wynne appointed Flynn
as Minister of Labour. In the most recent election, Flynn ran as a Liberal Candidate for the riding
of Oakville. He finished in a very close second place, only 4000 votes behind the PC contender.

Yasir Naqvi – Candidate for Ottawa Center
Yasir Naqvi is a proud Pakistani-Canadian that represented his riding of Ottawa-Center from
2007 to 2018. Naqvi has a background in Law and international relations. He began practicing
international trade law at Lang Michener LLP, eventually leading to him becoming a partner. In
2007 he left Lang Michener to join the Centre for Trade Policy and Law Carleton University.
Naqvi has an excellent reputation as a one of the hardest working MPPs in Ontario. He was
appointed as Minister of Labor under the Wynne government and then moved to the position of
Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. In the 2018 election Naqvi failed to
secure his fourth term as MPP for the riding of Ottawa Center, finishing in second behind the
NDPs.

Lawvin Hadis- Candidate for London-Fanshawe
Lawvin Hadis has served as a staffer for the Liberal party for some years. She acted as a
Communications Advisor and Press Secretary before being nominated as a Liberal candidate for

the London-Fanshawe riding. She has also worked as a Legislative Assistant for the Minister
Responsible for Early Years and Child Care. She strongly advocates for early youth development
and education. In the most recent election she finished in third place behind NDP and PC
opponents.

Alvin Tedjo - Candidate for Oakville North - Burlington
Alvin Tedjo ran on the promises of high-quality child care, affordable education and expanding
healthcare coverage. He has a passion for ensuring fairness for all families within his riding.
Before he was a Liberal Party Candidate, he served as a director of government relations at
Sheridan College in Oakville, as the founder of Canadians for Paternity Leave and as the
vice-president of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care. He was also a senior policy adviser
to the minister of training colleges and universities and was recognized as a Top 40 Under 40
and Young Citizen of the Year. Tedjo finished in second place in the last election, well behind
the conservative front runner.

Arthur Potts - Candidate for Beaches - East York
Arthur Potts has a background in Philosophy and Industrial Relations. He worked as a lobbyist in
the city of Toronto and at the provincial level and is well known for is aggressive lobbying
tactics such as buying dinner for former Toronto Mayor MIller at an auction. Potts political
career is successful as well, passing legislation in 2016 preventing loyalty points with large
companies from expiring. He was also appointed as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. He was defeated by the NDP front runner in the most recent
election putting him in second with 27% of the vote.

Rino Bortolin - Candidate for Windsor West
Councillor Rino Bortolin currently serves as the councillor for Ward 3 in the city of Windsor. He
was nominated for the Liberal Candidate position and ran on the platform of expanding home
care, adding more long-term care beds and targeting investments in children’s health. He also
prided himself on the promise of better representing Windsor as a major city. Bortolin has a
background as a chef and entrepreneur, running his own restaurant out of Windsor. He has
served as Treasurer of Queen Victoria Public School Parent Council for the last 5 years. He has
coached for Windsor Soccer Club and has taken part in both the Downtown Business and the
Erie Street Business Improvement Areas. In the most recent election, Bortolin took a hard loss,
finishing in third place behind the NDP and PCs.

Kate Graham - Candidate for London North Center
Kate Graham has served the community at London City Hall, most recently as Director,
Community and Economic Innovation. She has experience across multiple levels of government
and has been involved in both the economic and cultural sectors of the city of London. She also
teaches at King's University College in London and was named one of London’s Top 20 Under
40 in 2015. In the most recent election she was defeated. However, she has recently been taking
a leading role in the liberal party during the rebuilding process.