Kermit the Frog once pondered, “It ain’t easy being green,” but in southwestern Ontario, “It ain’t easy being red” these days.
We’re talking about Liberal red, as in a candidate for next month’s provincial election.
Kudos to Margaret Schleier Stahl for coming forward to represent the party in Chatham-Kent Leamington. But in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, at the time of penning this editorial May 14, there was no candidate. (Update, on Wednesday night, Mike Radan was named the Liberal candidate for the riding.)
Ryan O’Hagan had announced his intention to run for the Liberals in that riding on May 8, but five days later, was out.
As of press time, it wasn’t clear what happened, but apparently the vetting process for candidates forced a change.
O’Hagan may have been spared several weeks of pain.
Lambton-Kent-Middlesex is the riding that has rural wells going murky as nearby wind turbine construction and operation is thought by many to be the cause.
The turbines are the brainchild of the Wynne Liberal government. And they are not very popular in this part of the province.
Then again, we doubt the premier really cares. Her efforts to get re-elected remain focused in larger urban centres. It’s as if the government sacrificed non-Liberal-held rural ridings in order to appeal to city folks who are happy we have erected renewable energy sources in this province.
There is one near Exhibition Place in Toronto, but good luck finding another in or around the Greater Toronto Area. Out of sight, out of mind.
Instead, those eyesores are located in our neck of the woods. Actually, a map of turbine locations looks suspiciously like a map of punishment – for ridings that currently don’t have a Liberal MPP at Queen’s Park.
Schleier Stahl may not have the direct water well issues to deal with as she campaign in C-K Leamington, but she could be in for some tough questions when going door-to-door and attending debates for something she had no control over – the placement of wind turbines in the riding.
The Liberals have governed Ontario since 2003. For 15 years, we’ve seen our debt spiral upwards, and have had the laughable Green Energy Act forced down our collective throats, as the corporations building wind turbines line their pockets with provincial cash, and residents see constantly rising electricity prices.
