Establishment candidate Sandra Pupatello announces bid to be next Ontario premier

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Political pundits are already handicapping former Ontario cabinet minister Sandra Pupatello as the odds- on favourite to win the Ontario Liberal party leadership contest and thereby  become the next premier of Ontario.

By choosing to formally announce her candidacy at the Ryerson University Digital Media Zone business incubator Pupatello sought to emphasize the job creation vision on which is staking her claim to be the next Ontario Premier.

Pupatello was a member of the Ontario Legislature for 16 years but chose not to run in the October 2011 provincial election.  From the time the Liberals formed a majority government under Premier Dalton McGuinty in  2003 to 2011 Pupatello held such diverse portfolios as economic development and trade, international trade and  investment ,  community and social services,  education,  and  women's issues in successive McGuinty  cabinets

In a not so veiled criticism, however, of the leader she seeks to Pupatello complained that in the past year there had not been much discussion let alone action on job creation which is her primary goal.  There is a an obvious danger that such criticism, albeit justified, may not please delegates to the Liberal leadership convention.

Referring to her time as minister of trade and development Pupatello reminded her supporters that "Three years in a row we created more jobs by foreign direct investment than any other jurisdiction in the height of the recession," and promised the faithful that she is “…going to take all that experience and I am going to pour it into the premier's chair."

Pupatello is already the subject of a Conservative attack ad on You Tube which that  labels her as “another tax and spend Liberal”.  Calling the attack ad  “hilarious” and accepting the Tory criticism as a badge of honour Pupatello stated that  "The idea that (Conservative leader Tim) Hudak is coming out with attack ads and I'm just announcing my candidacy is a good indication he better be worried, because I'm going to put him to work”

Pupatello traced her involvement in politics to the time she was 14 years old when she began working on the election campaigns of former federal cabinet minister Herb Gray who she called her “political guru”.  Grey has endorsed Pupatello as has Windsor area MPP and Minister of Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, who is not seeking re-election, and current Transportation Minister Bob Chiarelli

If Pupatello wins the leadership convention that will be held January 25 to 27 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto she would become the first woman premier of Ontario

Liberal insiders who spoke off the record agreed that Pupatello would have little difficulty beating her rivals who so far include Toronto MPP’s Kathleen Wynne and Glenn Murray.  Mississauga MPP Charles Sousa is set to announce his candidacy as is Toronto MPP Eric Hoskins while observers are wondering whether former education minister Gerard Kennedy delay in indicating his intentions will hurts his chances if he does decide to run as financial resources and campaign volunteers are being already locked-up by the declared candidates.

True to her reputation as a member of the former provincial Liberal rat pack Pupatello stood her ground despite a hostile reaction from several members of Toronto media to her announcement that if she wins the leadership, she would first win a seat in a by-election before bringing the legislature back.

It is highly likely that Pupatello will run in retiring finance minister Duncan's riding of Windsor-Tecumseh which adjoins her former riding of Windsor West now held by fellow Liberal Teresa Piruzza.

Viresh Fernando is a Toronto based Chartered Accountant, Lawyer and writer
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