With a little less than 24 hours before election day in Ontario, EloraFergusToday is giving candidates Matthew Rae, Ashley Fox, Jason Davis and Ian Morton one last chance to make their case for voters in the riding of Perth-Wellington.
As before, we asked the candidates a set of questions – this time, they were asked following the final all candidates debate in Stratford Feb. 20. The following replies are unfiltered.
Question 1: You've all had some time now to digest what you heard at the all candidates meeting last week in Stratford - citing something specific from that meeting, how has that information helped to shape the final week of your campaign?
Ian Morton (Green candidate): It was a great event last week, and a welcome opportunity to share our extensive plans and connect with voters. The most important thing I heard that is shaping how I approach this last week, and something I also hear at doors is that people are frustrated with Ontario’s current direction. When our conservative candidate spoke, rarely did we hear a positive response or any applause. When I shared the plans of the Green Party and myself it was met with applause, appreciation, and hope. I saw the frustration, the anger, the disappointment that Ontarians, and the people of Stratford and Perth-Wellington are experiencing as our government ignores the needs of so many of its citizens. And I saw the hope and belief that people had that maybe we could all be better off and have our issues solved by our government.
I have a renewed vigour and belief that I and the Green Party are on the right path. A path that includes all of the people of this province, not only a select few. It has reminded me of the importance of each and every vote and that I am fortunate to have a clear vision and plan for the future. That future is bright. It is a better future for all, and it will also be a Green future.
Ashley Fox (Liberal candidate): That discussion at the Stratford all-candidates meeting reinforced what I’ve been hearing across Perth–Wellington: transportation remains a critical issue for our communities.
The data shared shows how underutilized services can be when they are not properly integrated with local needs. However, rather than abandoning rural transit, we need a real strategy to improve accessibility and affordability.
Matthew Rae (Conservative candidate, Perth-Wellington incumbent): It was clear that the people want a government that will continue to invest in and protect Ontario, their communities, and their families. Whether it is expanding primary care teams so more people have access to health care locally, or investing in housing-enabling infrastructure to build more affordable homes. If re-elected, I will continue to advocate for these types of investments to ensure a strong Ontario and Perth-Wellington.
Jason Davis (NDP candidate): The event at the local was eye opening to me, when the community was given the option to ask any questions of their potential elected leaders, every single question related back to services society and citizens rely on to survive. Healthcare, affordability, education, and housing. In the healthcare portion I had concerned citizens stating that after paying hundreds of dollars a month for private coverage they still cannot afford their medications and it broke my heart. Last election we were running on universal pharmacare and dental care, today we are running to just try and keep our hospitals open, we need to be doing better.
Question 2: As evidence from the cross-section of people who attended the meeting Thursday, there are some distinct demographics that have distinct areas of interest: the older group have an interest in long-term health care and how Ontario will weather the coming trade dispute with the US, while younger people have an interest in housing affordability, food insecurity and improved health care. Take a look at the weakest part of your platform and tell me how you would address that (your own thoughts, not party policy) given what you heard from the public.
Rae: I always work with local municipal representatives and stakeholders to advocate for the best interests of the people of Perth-Wellington. If re-elected, I will continue to work with them to ensure Perth-Wellington receives its fair share of provincial funding, building on investments in primary care, expanding care to over 3,500 additional families; building new schools and increasing education funding to historic levels; and investing in critical infrastructure like our roads and bridges, and housing-enabling infrastructure.
Davis: I think the weakest part of our platform and all platforms for that matter is that we do not have any official platforms that are viable to saving post secondary education in our province. As I've mentioned several times we've been using international students as the main funding for our schools and with the new federal limitations on student visas, programs are being cut, schools are declaring bankruptcy, and people are losing their jobs. We need a clear solution to save our education system and that solution can't just be astronomical increases in tuition.
Morton: The weakest part of our platform? That is honestly really tough for me. I am so happy with the areas of focus for our policies. We are striving to help with all the issues that are hurting the people of Ontario and Perth-Wellington. I personally, as an individual thinker, would like to see even more steps for our provincial government to step up and help people with affordability. Specifically, instead of our minimum wage moving to $20 as we plan, which is a huge improvement, I want to see an increase up to a living wage, or we can provide incentives for businesses to pay a living wage to their workers. This will incentivize and not put businesses further behind. People are struggling to survive in these trying times, and we need to move aggressively to help families to not just survive, but to thrive. We have a lot of great policies to help with affordability, but we need to do whatever we can to ensure that we solve the problems facing our most vulnerable among us. Dignity, respect, and ensuring a future for all remains as a high priority for me and the Green Party.
Fox: The four-hour minimum standard of care in LTC isn’t enough. With PSW attrition at 25% annually, and 63% of RPNs looking to leave the field, we need real solutions to retention and staffing shortages.
I will advocate for higher direct care hours, fair competitive wages, and stronger accountability for LTC operators. Expanding training, offering fair compensation, and enforcing compliance will ensure quality care for those who need it most. I will continue to fight the Ford government's cruel Bill 7.
Caregivers deserve respect, and residents deserve dignity. I’ll fight for both at Queen’s Park.
Question 3: You all made sure to point out Perth-Wellington's strengths during the debate. Once again, in your own words and not relying on party policy, I want you to state how you believe Perth-Wellington can come out of this election with its leadership traits on display and help lead Ontario's future.
Davis: If Perth-Wellington wants strong leadership they need to start electing new representatives, even if we didn't elect the conservatives for 1 or 2 elections we would see huge changes, in that the conservatives may actually decide to fight for Perth Wellington rather than just accepting it as a safe seat. When you look at battleground seats you see party leaders making stops in those districts, we see platform legislation being specifically designed for those areas. We don't see that in Perth Wellington, so not only do we need to elect a strong candidate who is willing to fight for the needs of our region but we also need to start to stop allowing our region to just be a safe bet for the conservatives, there's a reason two out of 10 emergency room closures have come from our riding. That reason is that we are a safe bet for the cons.
Fox: Perth–Wellington has always been a leader—whether in agriculture, small business innovation, or the strength of our rural and urban communities. We know how to solve problems, adapt, and support one another. Coming out of this election, I believe our riding can set the tone for Ontario’s future by showing that collaboration, community-driven solutions, and accountability matter.
Morton: The best way to show leadership is to understand when it is time for a new course of action so we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. All the residents of Perth-Wellington know there are serious issues. Now is the time to be leaders. To take the course towards change in order to finally embrace a plan and Party that has the answers and the policies to move us to a much better future. We can’t keep repeating the mistakes of the past and expect anything to change or be better. It is time for the positive, effective policies of the Green Party to lead the way. To solve our affordability issues, the housing crisis, reinvest in public healthcare and education, to protect farmland and our food security. To strengthen our economy by embracing the planet-friendly green economy that is upon us, whether we want it or not and invest in our small businesses that are the foundation of our communities. We need to prioritize the ideals of community and that we are strong together. This can be done in one simple way. Vote Green. Show your leadership by recognizing what must be done and acting upon it. We can be a leader into the future by embracing innovation, local businesses, farms and farmers, caring and helping for our most vulnerable and creating strong local communities.
Rae: Collaboration and the ability to work with anyone on issues of importance is key. In the legislature, I have a track record of working across party lines as my Private Members Bill, the Growing Agritourism Act, 2024 demonstrates, having received all party support. If re-elected, I will go back to Queen’s Park ready to work with my colleagues to be a voice for the needs of everyone in Perth-Wellington.