If Tony Clement takes this seat, he will keep it for sometime. He is lose to the GTA but he and Bob Dechert will be Ontario fiscal conservatives voice in Ottawa.

Parry Sound-Muskoka is the type of riding that must be won with a strong ground war. The identity of the local candidate and their ability to present themselves as part of the community matter more here than in Tony’s previous riding, where central campaign trends appear to have done him in. At Queen’s Park Tony was the guy you knew was door-knocking every single week, regardless of whether there was an election. If anyone is capable of putting in the effort and pulling out a win here on his own merits, then it is Tony Clement.

No one works harder than Tony.

I think Andy will win because of his roots in this constituency, with Tony being a flown-in candidate. People here don’t take him seriously since he has lost every election that he has been in since the downfall of the Mike Harris Tories. He has been working hard, but having him run in this constituency just seems really fake. He couldn’t win in his home riding and he is desperately trying to get back into politics and so why not run in Parry Sound-Muskoka?

When Tony Clement was Minister of Health for the
Harris Government he stopped the MRI machine for
Bracebridge Hospital. Who , in his right mind , would vote for this jerk ??

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE TURN BLUE!!!!!
This riding will be VERY close - less than 1-2% separating the libs and cons. harper was here a few days ago - expect martin here in the last week of the campaign

For sure it’s going to be a Tory government and not much doubt that a government mp will be able to get more accomplished in the riding than an opposition mp. Best to elect Clement.

Tony needs to be in Ottawa — he is sound and pragmatic representative who will be a likely be cabinet potential.

Note to Gary wasn’t that the case the last time ?
Note to APS I hear there’s a need for squeegy kids in Ottawa good job for our Tony eh?
Go Libs

Clement is an interesting case. How does he claim a connection to this riding? Does he own a cottage there? Clement ran in a Toronto municipal election in 1994 before getting elected from Brampton in 1995. I thought his father was a PC MPP in the Ontario Legislature representing a southern Ontario riding. If he does not win this time he can forget it.

NDP: prevent a Conservative from getting elected. Bite the bullet, and vote Liberal. Remember, if the Conservatives get a majority, the NDP will have no influence at all. Greens - if you vote Liberal, you help prevent an environmentally irresponsible Conservative party from taking a majority.

Geez, what I wouldn’t do for a little proportional representation.

Harper is already questioning the legitimacy of judges in this country. This is a text-book Republican party tactic. Divide and conquer. To the NDP supporters in this riding, PLEASE don’t let the Conservatives in. Please vote Liberal and let’s bring back a Liberal/NDP minority government.

What really scares me is the thought of a Liberal win. If the “Notwithstanding clause” is removed as Paul Martin promises it turns over all significant decisions in the country to the Supreme Court. That means rule not by even 9 appointed judges but by as few as 5 which would make up a majority decision. I would much prefer decisions made by the collected wisdom of the Canadian public exercised through their parliamentary representatives. Any use of the “Notwithstanding clause” has to be reviewed every few years anyway. Sounds like a very reasonable set of checks and balances. Remember every case reaching the Supreme court is just a game of legal leapfrog with one level of court often overturning another and with disagreement among legal experts every step of the way. We need to be very careful about subverting the democratic will. Paul Martin and his party are the scary ones! Remember Andy Mitchell has marched lockstep with his leadership from day one, going against the majority of his riding membership on a number of issues including the gun registry.

Tony will win.

Paul Martin is the scary one eh, Scary because we have no deficit or a huge surplus that Steven Harping cant wait to get his hands on. Scary because he has a sound fiscal background in government and business, a proven record that despite what Stephen Harping tries to have you believe does exist. And Harping has a proven back ground in ah.. what again is it that he did previously to gain the experience to be the PM? Oh yeah the old family tradition ,harping. How Canadian eh. Really think Clement will do something for the region ? Well if not maybe he’ll buy a cottage or something, make good on local representation and pretend his voice spreaks for us when he votes as he’s told to by his boss.

Tony Clement is a VERY intelligent man and would be a fabulous MP for this riding. Quite frankly, he would have been a better leader of the CPC than Harper. Muskoka is lucky to have the chance at having him represent them.

To David Gates -

Tony Clement’s father, Hon. John Clement, was a minister in the governments of John Robarts and Bill Davis. He represented a Toronto riding.

The comments of, “nofool”, just above, are typical of the liberal supporter of today…one which will continue to support the inept and unscrupulous campaign as Martin continues to be involved in to the end with the futile idea of retaining power only for self grandeur purposes.

Thanks Phil. I know I could have looked it up about Tony Clement’s father.
Andy Mitchell reminds me of a stuck pig - sqealing and running around. But pigs are intelligent and Mitchell may save himself from the Liberal wreck. Clement was a credible cabinet minister in the Harris and Eves governments but he is piling up the losses: Two leadership races and two elections. If he cannot win in a seat whose provincial counterpart is Tory, I am not sure where he could win.

Tory ‘carpetbaggers’ have never won in the riding. The locals are much more astute than Tory headquarters gives them credit for. Remember Lewis McKenzie etc. Andy Mitchell is a solid representative. Tony Clement is best remembered for his failures.

I like to think that voters in Parry Sound-Muskoka are smart …. I hope they don’t surprise me!
Tony will be a fantastic MP and will represent and serve his constituents well. It would be a huge loss for the riding if he is not elected. He is one of the hardest working politicians in the country!

Harper grew up in Toronto. He went west to atend University.

memo to tony two tier twenty time luggage loser - get a real job. quit banging your head against the wall expecting the same result - that’s insane.

Tony Clement is a man of great intelligence and ability. He will make a great asset to the incoming Conservative government. He should win handily.

It will be a close race at the end, but the Fiberal will take it.

Peter Clarke
Are you saying Harris government was bad for Parry Sound - Muskoka?

* Brand new hospital in Parry Sound - approved by Tony Clement
* Expansion of SMMH in Bracebridge - approved by Tony Clement
* Extension of 400 Highway to Parry Sound
* 4 Laneing of #11 Highway between Huntsville & Burk’s Falls
* Medical school in Sudbury - Tony Clement initiative (and Andy last time I checked Education, including Medical Schools was still a provincial responsibility under our constitution).

Sounds to me like PSM did all right during the Common Sense Revolution.

AND if you are one of the folks who insist that Tony is responsible for negative outcomes that may or may not occured during the Harris government then doesn’t the same logic mean that you must accept that the current Liberal incumbents including Mr. Mitchell are responsible for what happened during the Cherien decade? Seems fair to me…

AND finally:
While I don’t make my political choices this way if you are in the crowd that supports Andy because he “brought home the bacon” as an MP then maybe you should think twice about sending him back to Ottawa to sit in opposition with the remaining members of his ruined party…

Sorry Brian, but when I can’t help thinking of Mister Bean, whenever I see Tony.
But seriously, crow as you like, you better hope for a majority, or the Tories will be on the opposition benches again.
Remember 1972? Stanfield had a plurality of seats then, but what other party could the Tories find to co-operate with?
Oh yeah, that’s right. They can’t co-operate with themselves.

Tony Clement by 2,000 votes! Parry Sound-Muskoka will want a place in the new Conservative Government!

Andy Mitchell has been an excellent MP who has represented this riding very well and deserves to be re-elected. He is respectful towards those who hold different opinions, and he actually believes in the bills he votes for. Imagine that– a Liberal who’s actually Liberal! Brampton Tony is trying to use Muskoka as a stepping stone to get a job, as his last three tries have failed. We’re still paying the bills from his years with the Harris Tories. We don’t need more of that! Any all the way!

Liberals had a plurality of seats in 72, not the PC’S - and anyway, Tony eeked out a win last night!

OK there seems to be some confusion here. Never met the guy but there seems to be a lot of “Tony is such a great guy” talk. Well folks, he just might be a great guy but will he do anything good for the common people of this riding. As a conservative he obviously will not. Conservatives values: cut social programs, cut taxes for the rich, help large corporations, forget about the poor, children, people at risk, etc. oh ya, forget about thinking twice about the environment.