Ford campaigns in Niagara Falls, mum on local PC candidates dodging debates

PC leader Doug Ford will stop into Niagara Falls today (May 20) to continue his campaign although the party has given no indication of any announcements to be made by the Premier.

Yesterday, he visited Niagara-on-the-Lake and St. Catharines where he committed to twinning the Garden City Skyway, saying no other party would do so.

That was quickly refuted to Insauga by Liberal leader Stephen Del Duca, who told us, “Ontario Liberals will twin the Garden City Skyway and deliver real relief to commuters in the Niagara Region. The Ford Conservatives waited four years to include it in their platform. After the past four years of broken promises, nobody should believe that they’ll follow through on their latest platform.”

All that being said, the one thing Ford has been vague on is why three of Niagara’s local PC candidates are dodging local debates.

Ford maintains they’d rather concentrating on door-knocking and meeting constituents. However, in declining local debates, PC candidates are issuing identically-worded statements, which many believe means the mandate is coming from above.

Sal Sorrento, the PC candidate for St. Catharines, Fred Davies, the PC candidate for Niagara Centre and Bob Gale, the PC candidate for Niagara Falls all declined to take part in a local TV debate last week and a local radio debate this week.

Davies and Gale also shunned South Niagara Chambers of Commerce events, even though the five questions each candidate would answer was provided in advance.

Only incumbent PC Sam Oosterhoff from Niagara West has participated in debates.