I am thrilled and excited to be the Progressive Conservative candidate for Parkdale-High Park. I’d like to thank you for giving me this incredible opportunity to make a difference. I’d also like to pass along my thanks to Tim Hudak and the Ontario Progressive Conservative party for their support. This is a great party with a proud history and I am humbled by this assignment. I accept this nomination and will work very hard for the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party.
Thank you to the Parkdale-High Park Progressive Conservative Riding Association. Without your hard work and donations, we would not be in a position to compete for this seat. The board members and membership represent a strong foundation for a terrific campaign.
A BIG thank you goes out to Taylor Train. The "Train" is on track for victory, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for a majority win for the Federal Party! Thank you for taking me door-to-door, and energizing the conservative base in our riding.
Some of you may be asking, WHO IS JOE GANETAKOS? Well firstly, I am a proud husband to Mary and father to Jack, our 15 month old son. I am 39 years old & I was born and raised in Toronto. I love Parkdale-High Park & am proud to have called this riding my home for the past 6 years. I am a dog-walking baby-strolling resident of the riding. At work, I am a project manager & video game designer.
I’ve also been lucky …. I studied computer 3D modelling and animation at the University of Toronto. I studied graphic design at George Brown College. And I studied Fine Arts at the Ontario College of Art. My interests outside of work include politics, sports, technology trends & Martial Arts. I am a member of the International Game Developer Association. I am also a member of Kilwinning Lodge 565. And as a local sports fan, I firmly believe that the Leafs will win the Cup - in my lifetime.
As I said, I was born and raised in Toronto, born into a family of the arts, and ardent art supporters. My mother works for different companies as a freelance Executive Assistant. My father was one of the founding members of a great Toronto success story, the Toronto Sun. He worked as Entertainment Editor for the Sun until he went to the CBC to develop and build Canadian talent, a role he continues to this day working with talent like Rick Mercer. My sister is a television producer and award-winning writer who works on comedy, animation and such popular talent shows as Canadian Idol. My brother is a working musician who has toured with such artists as Nelly Furtado and is in Niagara Falls tonight rehearsing for a new show.
The love of my life, my wife Mary, who hails originally from Kingston, works full time with some of the more challenged members of the Parkdale-High Park community, in support of adults with mental health issues. Our son Jack is currently contributing to our education by showing us what new mischief he learns every day at our local Day Care. As you may have gathered by now, family is very important to me, as is our community.
As we know, in Parkdale-High Park we have a difficult challenge ahead of us. Our opponent, Cheri Dinovo, is a strong & respectable candidate. But, quite frankly, she is in the wrong party, the NDP. The rosy principles of the NDP are not in the best interests of this province. You simply cannot spend & spend to solve all the problems of the world. We need to live within our means. But I have a confession to make. I used to be an NDP’er not too long ago. And yes, I’ve learned a lot since then. When I was voting NDP, my heart was in the right place, but my vote was in the wrong party. With age, wisdom and fatherhood, I have learned that there is a big difference between wishing it were so and making it happen. I’m not the first NDP voter to figure this out. And on election day, I won’t be the last.
I have embraced the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party because I feel that they are the most in touch with what Ontarians actually care about. I believe that being in government requires facing difficult decisions, and I believe that governments should not unfairly burden future generations with the cost of these decisions. I am convinced that the Ontario PC party under the leadership of Tim Hudak has the best chance to re-establish Ontario’s place as a leader in Canada. My experiences in business have taught me that that strong fiscal management is imperative for success. I believe that government can play a positive role in the economy and I believe the PCs are the best party to encourage businesses to set up shop in Ontario, creating new jobs & revitalizing investment in the province. It is for reasons like these and more, that I am putting my name forward for public office under the leadership of Tim Hudak's Progressive Conservatives.
My upbringing has given me a strong foundation of compassion and empathy. I have many areas of interest that I will bring to this position, but I will bring up just a few tonight. I believe that hardworking Ontario families that play by the rules need relief. I believe that investments in mental health for children and adults should be a priority. I believe that we need to demonstrate respect for seniors who are on fixed incomes. I believe that the government must support arts and culture, as they bring in Billions of dollars in revenue and create many jobs for the province. I believe we must demonstrate transparency in how Ontario tax dollars are spent.
Our current government is an utter disappointment. Spending has ballooned under the watch of the Liberals. Ontario is swimming in debt. Good paying jobs have fled our borders. Once the engine of confederation, Ontario is now a have-not province. All the while families are struggling to keep up. We are working harder to keep less money in our pockets. It does not make sense. We see the Liberal government squander money with one hand and then turn around and tax us with the other!
My friends, at the end of the day, WE NEED CHANGE. We need to put an end to Dalton McGuinty's promise-breaking, loose-spending, tax-hiking ways once and for all. We need change - and I want that change to start right here in Parkdale-High Park. Tim Hudak and I will offer a clear choice to families in our riding in the next election.
But nothing is going to be handed to us. We must work harder and longer than our opponents. We must spread our message of change to every voter across Parkdale-High Park. Rob Ford`s victory and the Federal Conservatives growing strength show that conservatives can be competitive in Toronto.
We can do this, we absolutely can win. But to win, I need your help. Help me identify and build the biggest volunteer team this riding has ever seen. Help me raise money to cover the cost of lawn signs, advertisements, phone lines and office space. Help me identify our conservative supporters between now and the election. Help me convert supporters of other parties to our cause, and convince first time voters to vote PC. Help me deliver our supporters to the polls on October 6th.
Thursday October 6th, 2011 will be that day.
I am Joe Ganetakos and I want to be your Member of Provincial Parliament.
Thank you.
