The Liberals are in for a real wake-up call in this riding. The large margin of victory for Wilfert last election was a product of a result of the lack of credibility of the Conservative candidate. The Candidate was under-financed and entered the riding just a month and a half before the vote. Joe Di Paola has electoral success in Richmond Hill as his trademark. First being elected to Council at 26 years of age he has become known as the Town’s favourite son. His outreach efforts to the various ethinic communities are extensive, so much so that the Town’s Urban characteristics will actually be to his advantage. Joe Di Paola will not only win this seat but be a real leader among the Conservative Caucus in Ontario. His victory will be studied as a blueprint by the Party as to how Conservatives can win traditional Liberal seats. I’ve been a resident for 12 years, and I have seen Joe at his best! This time around, he has been reaching out to many of his constiuents in Richmond Hill and is offering a viable, and fresh alternative to Liberal mismanagement of tax dollars for which the residents of this town demand a new innovative government to replace.

I don’t know where Jonathan gets his information but obviously he doesn’t live in Richmond Hill. Joe Di Paola doesn’t even have the support of the Mayor. He is know as “no show Joe” for his weak attendance record on council. He is known as a joke in his own party and that is why over 75% of his riding association is working for Bob Callow. Di Paola is known as a “say anything but do nothing guy” except run up expense bills on council and unlike Jonathan’s claims, mine can be backed up by the local paper.

In comment to Paul,the only reason that people have worked for Callow’s campaign is that they need as many fights to pull of with Temelkoviski as possible. DiPaola’s riding is as safe as it can be and many Richmond Hill residents are ridicously tired of the Liberals. and trust me, Joe is a councillor that hears the wishes of his constituents. I live in Ward 6 myself (joe’s part of town) and how dare Paul try to tell me that what ive seen from Joe is all wrong. He is a very dedicated person, and unlike Wilfert, he actually has a record of doing SOMETHING for Richmond Hill. And also, the mayor of Richmond Hill is a Conservative supporter, and the only reason why he hasn’t come out to support is the fear of his own political career being at jeporady considering the last time he supported Merrifield, he lost by 16 000 votes

Quick word for both Brandon and Jonathan,since they seem to be the same person or team, Bill Bell doesn’t have to worry about his career – he has been telling it like it is for the past 15 years. Also check your facts, it is well known in the party that Joe didn’t get one vote from the current riding executive during the nomination contest, that is why over 80% of them are working for Callow -they can’t stand him. Di Paola will only win this seat if the conservatives are ahead by 10% in Ontario – Reale will win Thornhill before Di Paola – southern york region will be red

Also a follow-up just check Bob Callow’s site http://www.bobcallow.com and Mayor Bill Bell has endorsed him and that includes the north part of Richmond Hill. Also York Chairman Fisch and Richmond Hill Councillor Lynn Foster is there. So it isn’t fear, they just can’t stand Di Paola

Joe has a outside shot. Wilfert is a right wing Liberal who ALWAYS calls back his constituents, I know, I was one of them. Wilferts vote on SSM helps him. Joe is a excellent counciller who comes through for his constituents. If Harper goes over 40% in the election it may be enough to carry Joe through. I hope he pulls a win.

In regards to the debate on Joe Di Paola’s credibility, I can say that in the years of Mr. Di Paola’s constituency, Richmond Hill has grown and flourished. I’ve lived here for 14 years, and can honestly say that I am astonished by the way this great town has expanded and evolved in such a short period of time. To say that Mr. Di Paola had nothing to do with this is naive, since any politician, regardless of attendance, does a hard job so that their incumbency can be protected. And in regards to the local newspaper, which I presume is the Liberal – I don’t think that it is a coincidence that there is a slight similarity between the paper and the party.

No doubt the town has expanded but
bigger is not necessarily better of course.The town has evolved into a decentralised commuter town with only a vestige of charm left in the old village portion at Yonge and Major Mack.Doesn’t everyone so enjoy the extra traffic and traffic lights and the disappearing open spaces replaced by rows of ugly house and strip plazas. A Developers paradise and a Council’s happy tax windfall .Oh well ,par for the course in the GTA.I am not a tree hugger but this will all come back to haunt us or our children if left unchecked.A strong Green Party showing would sent the right message to those in power.

I believe that the comments of “No show Joe” are completely misrepresenting the facts. I heard this rumor and I checked the Richmond Hill Council website. Look for yourself and check the meeting minutes. You will see that Joe Di Paola has regular attendance of the meetings which Paul claims to be false.

The website URL is http://www.richmondhill.ca/meetings/meetings.asp?textonly=

If you have concrete evidence to support your claims, please share it before Monday 23 when I go to vote.

Can you mention some of the accomplishments of Wilfert since you must have reason to support him and attack Joe Di Paola.

Wise comments, Neil, but the protection by the provincial government of the Oak Ridges Moraine will ensure that us Richmond Hillianites (if I can say that) will have some area to appreciate nature. Besides, if I go east of Leslie or west of Dufferin above Major Mac, I’ll find all the natural, undeveloped (at least for now) land I want. If people want the old town style, they should move to Main Street in Unionville. Richmond Hill is only a casualty of the growing expansion that had to take place due to population increases in the GTA, and although Richmond Hill has turned into a bedroom neighbourhood and small (and large) business haven, it has been a considerably smooth process due in part to the expertise of the Richmond Hill Councillors, one of which was Mr. Joe Di Paola. The responsibilites of the federal government are different than that of the municipal, so maybe it would be good for Mr. Di Paola to in fact leave municipal government, if this is your take on Richmond Hill, and take care of duties that would not affect Richmond Hill as much as the ones he has right now. Getting a more left-wing councillor in his place, after all, may contribute to your view of your living space. I support the environment, but when you have a growing population that needs housing, you need to expand, and in the interests of the majority of Richmond Hill citizens, who have repeatedly re-elected mayor Bill Bell and Joe Di Paola in Ward 6, this is what they want.

I must a agree with Ted that currently Di Paola has an outside chance, but only because of Harper and the National Party, not he as a candidate. Remember in a good sweep good people go out and crap comes in. Lets hope someone in Di Paola’s office, if he wins, knows how to answer and return phone calls, because Di Paola himself doesn’t base on my interaction with him as my councillor.

Bryon Wilfert, like many of the Liberal MPs, has learned to use power
to his advantage.

As the post states he is Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of
Environment – while Canada’s track record on Environment is worse than
the USA – I guess he did a great job.

Mr. Wilfert was Vise-chair on the standing committee on HRDC while the
money was mismanaged when the Auditor General informed Canadians that
$1 billion was mismanaged. Mr. Wilfert failed to protect Canadians from
this Mismanagement and according to his speeches at the time he
wouldn’t ask where the money went.

In 2000 Mr. Wilfert’s website stated the following (his website is
saved and on file): “Bryon Wilfert calls for a cut in Gasoline Taxes in
the 2000 Federal Budget – February 24, 2000″ However, in
parliament, in 2003, Mr. Wilfert as Parliamentary Secretary to the
Minister of Finance argued against lower Gas Taxes. (see Hansard for
Mr. Wilfert’s own words).

Mr. Wilfert’s website (2002) states that he was appointed to Prime
Minister’s Caucus Task Force on Urban Issues which was to address
Environmental issues, Aboriginal people and Crime-related issues facing
large urban centres. Since 2002 has the environment improved, have
Aboriginal needs been meet, or what about Crime in our large urban
centres – is it better as a result of Mr. Wilfert’s work or worse?

Mr. Wilfert’s current website states that he has been on the Standing
Committee on National Defence and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern
Development. Well, our defence is so bad that even the NDP believe we
need to do something more for Defence and didn’t Ontario just have to
relocate a whole Aboriginal town because of bad water. It is now
reported and has been reported for years that many Aboriginal towns
have very bad water and housing problems. But Mr.Wilfert failed to help
these people – their problems are still here.

Furthermore Mr. Wilfert in the last year in parliament has voted for a
pay raise for himself while voting against increasing benefit for
people collection IE.

This is Mr. Wilfert’s record.

The Tories are constantly phoning me asking for donations for their election expenses – and to vote for them. Good thing I put an end to it by dialing *60. I don’t think the Tories will win in Richmond Hill. I even got an ‘anonymous’ letter to my door some sort of chain letter that started in Alberta to vote conservative err Reform for the people of Alberta.

Dipola is not an active member of the RichmondHill council, overspends on his budget (this information was in the local Richmond Hill newspaper a while back).

The fact that he is running for higher office should force him to resign from the town council.

Dipaola is often a no show at town council, is this the guy you want as your MP?

No show Joe seemed to be out of it at the all candidates’ meeting on Tuesday. He had a permenent smile on his face, like lack jaw, couldn’t find his closing speech and seemed generally confused. Maybe he should balance his meds better and talk to Councillor Elio since he is an expect on meds and all things green – say no more.

Alas the choice in richmond hill is between 2 right wing candidates. Bryon Wilfred (liberal incumbent) is as right-wing on social issues as the conservative candidates. Bryon is one of the oppurtunitics candidates, i.e run of the liberal platforms although he does not believe in it himself. He would have run conservative in the prior years if he knew that the conservative had a chance in richmond hill. The only soliace is knowing that even if Bryon Wilfred is to take this ridding for the liberals he will languish on the opposition back-benches for years to come.

Since the liberal party in now reduced to core urban area of progressive supporters it is time to send Bryon Wilfred and his right wing colleagues into the wilderness. Hopefully, the liberal party can rebuild it’s support among the more centerist and left of center voters and govern the country again. For this to happen the liberal’s need to stop being a big tent to appeal to everyone and focus on their core message. For a start they need to strongly indicate to right wingers such as Bryon Wilfred that there is no place for him and his conservative views in the liberal party.