WELLINGTON-HALTON HILLS 鈥� It appears Joseph Racinsky, the Progressive Conservative candidate for Wellington-Halton Hills, will not attend any debates or all-candidate events hosted by local organizations leading up to the Feb. 27 provincial election.
Racinsky declined to attend two events planned in Georgetown, causing one debate to be cancelled and another to be 鈥渞ejigged鈥� into a meet and greet.
He has also declined an invitation to an Optimist Club of Puslinch debate in Aberfoyle.
That event will proceed without him, with at least four other candidates having confirmed their attendance.
According to his campaign manager, Racinsky will instead be focusing on door knocking during this election campaign.
Several other PC candidates have also publicly stated they will concentrate on door-to-door visits instead of attending debates.
While some have suggested the party has directed candidates not to attend debates, PC officials refused to confirm or deny the existence of such a policy.
鈥淥ntario PC candidates will spend every day of the campaign at people鈥檚 doors, speaking to voters about our plan to protect Ontario,鈥� a PC Party media spokesperson told the Advertiser via email on Feb. 10.
MPP Matthew Rae, the incumbent PC candidate in nearby Perth-Wellington, has confirmed he will attend debates in Palmerston and Stratford next week.
Georgetown debate
Margaret Teasdale, president of the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) Georgetown unit, said her organization was planning a debate but regretfully cancelled it when Racinsky declined to attend.
Teasdale said the group booked the John Elliott Theatre in Georgetown for Feb. 12 and invited all the candidates.
Racinsky鈥檚 campaign manager said he would be 鈥渦nable鈥� to attend, she said.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 have a debate without the two main parties being there. So, we made the decision to cancel,鈥� Teasdale said in a phone interview, noting the riding has voted “Blue” for more than 30 years.
She noted the CFUW is a non-partisan group, and has held debates before every federal, provincial, and municipal (mayors only) election for more than 50 years.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe that after 50 years we鈥檙e not having a debate,鈥� she continued. 鈥淧eople need to be informed, and this was a service we offered to the community.鈥�
Teasdale said current MPP Ted Arnott always attended debates 鈥� even during the previous election campaign, when some of the party’s candidates did not 鈥� 鈥渟o we have never faced this before.
“It鈥檚 strange that they don鈥檛 want to be part of these things.鈥�
Arnott, a Conservative, has held the seat for some 30 years and announced last fall he is not running again.
The PC Wellington-Halton Hills Riding Association had planned a nomination event so party members could choose the new local candidate and three nominees had been approved to run by the nominating committee.
But after the writ was dropped and with such a short campaign window, Racinsky was appointed the Wellington-Halton Hills candidate by the party.
Racinsky is a first-time councillor in Halton Hills, winning his seat in 2022.
Halton Hills meet and greet
Melanie Frazer, president and CEO of the Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber was contemplating a debate but 鈥渞ejigged鈥� its event to be 鈥渕ore of a forum,鈥� once Racinsky confirmed he will not be attending.
The chamber event is planned for Feb. 19 from 9 to 11:30am at the Club at North Halton, 363 Maple Ave. W. in Georgetown.
Frazer explained each candidate will have 10 minutes to explain their platform and answer a few prepared questions from the chamber. Following that will be an informal meet and greet.
The event is open to the public, but attendees are asked to pre-register at as space is limited.
The Centre 色控传媒Chamber of Commerce is not planning an all-candidates event, but CEO Brock Aldersley said he鈥檚 preparing questions to pose to each candidate to relay to the membership.
The 色控传媒Federation of Agriculture (WFA) and the Optimist Club of Puslinch are also hosting debates, on Feb. 18 and Feb. 20 respectively.
Racinsky has confirmed he will not attend the Puslinch event. It鈥檚 not known if he will attend the WFA event, which is virtual.
‘This is coming from the top’
Asked why Racinsky is not attending these events, especially in 色控传媒County where he is largely unknown, his campaign manager Evan Holt offered the following explanation:
鈥淥ur plan to protect Wellington-Halton Hills means being present in our community, at people鈥檚 doors, and listening to concerns about the unprecedented economic uncertainty Ontario is facing.
鈥淛oseph will spend every day of the campaign doing just that.鈥�
Green Party candidate Bronwynne Wilton said she is disappointed the debate in Georgetown isn鈥檛 going forward, and 鈥渄isappointed for democracy, really.
鈥淕eorgetown doesn鈥檛 know me that well and I was looking forward to the debate,鈥� she said.
“If the PC candidate is not going to participate, how much can people in 色控传媒County get to know who he is?鈥�
Liberal candidate Alex Hilson said he feels the same way.
鈥淚 think public discourse is a huge part of the democratic process,鈥� Hilson said in a phone interview.
鈥�(Racinsky) is a first-time candidate appointed by the party and he鈥檚 not even willing to show up for the job interview.
鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 speak to democracy. It should be a ground-up process, and this is coming from the top.鈥�
‘Riding the coattails of Ted Arnott’
New Blue Party candidate Stephen Kitras said he was out of town when the writ dropped and has only recently returned.
So, he wasn鈥檛 too bothered that he had not been invited to the CFUW or Halton Hills chamber events.
鈥淚 am in the Puslinch and [WFA] one and I would very much like to have a meeting in my hometown (Fergus) where I have lived for 37 years,鈥� he stated in an email.
NDP candidate Simone Kent said she will be 鈥渁t every event I can possibly attend,鈥� including in Puslinch, the WFA debate and the meet and greet in Georgetown.
She said it鈥檚 a loss for voters to be denied the opportunity to see all the candidates in person.
Racinsky 鈥渟eems to be riding the coattails of Ted Arnott,鈥� Kent said.
Consensus Ontario candidate Ron Patava stated in an email he will be at the WFA debate.
Puslinch debate
The Optimist Club of Puslinch is hosting a candidates鈥� night on Feb. 20 at the Puslinch Community Centre in Aberfoyle.
Candidates will be on site beginning at 6:30pm to mix and mingle.
The formal part of the event begins at 7pm with opening remarks from each of the candidates in attendance.
They will then be asked questions from the floor through the event moderator.
WFA event
The 色控传媒Federation of Agriculture has a Q and A planned for Feb. 18 from 7 to 9pm. This event will be virtual.
Candidates will share their vision for Ontario and answer questions from attendees about agricultural concerns, organizers say.
Email wellington@ofa.on.ca for the zoom link or for more information, or phone 519-323-7294.
*With files from Georgia York.
