Elections Ontario offers new ways to vote

Afficianados of politics, and political junkies, will recall that election days and the actual process of balloting were once very different. They are about to change again, and for the better.

Elections Ontario will institute some new processes and formats in 2011, that include more days to vote (29), and more ways to vote (technology, assistive devices and special ballots). And they have created a friendly online way to inform you, please visit: http://www.wemakevotingeasy.ca/en/more-days-more-ways.aspx

There are actually several other changes that have taken place touching on election finance, voting place accessability and so on ..... If you have an enthusiastic interest in all of these, then visit the main Elections Ontario website: http://www.elections.on.ca/en-CA/

We're Off and Running

This week marks the real kick-off of the provincial general election campaign in Parkdale-High Park.

Tonight, our riding association has organized a fundraising event hosted by our candidate Joe Ganetakos, and PC critic for industry and economic development Peter Shurman, MPP (Thornhill) that (casting a glance over advance ticket sales) bodes well for our summer activities. If you aren’t attending, you can still indicate your support by visiting this site: https://secure.ontariopc.com/riding/?id=68

Tomorrow, our first print piece – a summary of the main points of #changebook and a “hello” message from Joe – arrives from our printer.

And on Saturday, we begin our first canvas. If you would like to volunteer for this canvas, or any other activity please leave your contact info at 416-604-8484, email parkdalehighpark.pc@gmail.com , or follow http://www.twitter.com/Ganetakos_ONPC

A PC government will provide tax relief for families

One important step that a PC government would take to provide tax relief for families is to allow all couples to share up to $50,000 of their income for tax purposes.

For a typical family earning $70,000 – one spouse earning $50,000 and another earning $20,000, this plan would provide $476 in savings. For a single earner family earning $70,000 the savings would be nearly $1400.

Under Dalton McGuinty, Ontario families have been hit with more and more new and unexpected taxes, taking more and more out of the family budget. If Dalton McGuinty is re-elected, he will hike taxes again, just like he has done in the past.

QUICK FACTS
1) In 2003 Dalton McGuinty promised not to raise taxes but after the election brought in the largest income tax hike in Ontario history with his so called health tax – that doesn’t even go to health care.
2) In 2007 Dalton McGuinty promised not to raise taxes but after the election brought in the largest sales tax hike in Ontario history with his HST tax grab and sneaky eco-taxes.
3) Under Dalton McGuinty, hydro rates have increased eight times since 2003 by a total of 84 percent, and a whopping 150 percent for families with activated smart meters.
4) Despite promising Ontario families that his expensive energy experiments and Green Energy Act would only raise rates by 1 percent, Dalton McGuinty now admits in last year’s Fall Economic Update that bills will rise 46 percent by 2015.

BACKGROUNDER
How an Ontario PC Government Will Help Families:
- For the past eight years, more new and unexpected taxes and costs have been sprung on families in Ontario. The HST, health tax, eco taxes and skyrocketing hydro bills are just some examples.
- If Dalton McGuinty is re-elected he will raise taxes again, just like he has done twice before. And Ontario families will pay the price.
- A Tim Hudak government will provide tax relief for families and let all couples reduce their taxable income through income sharing.
- An Ontario PC government will change the tax system to allow all couples to share up to $50,000 of their income for Ontario tax purposes. For a typical family earning $70,000 – one spouse earning $50,000 and another earning $20,000, this plan would provide $476 in savings. For a single earner family earning $70,000 the savings would be as much as $1400
- This income sharing plan builds on the Government of Canada’s proposed Family Tax Cut. That plan is scheduled for implementation when the federal budget is balanced. A Tim Hudak government will call on Ottawa to implement their tax relief for families earlier, at the same time as Ontario’s in order for families to receive more tax relief sooner.
- While the federal government’s Family Tax Cut would enable income sharing for couples with dependent children under 18 years of age only, the Ontario PC income sharing plan would apply to all couples in Ontario, regardless of their family size.

What Else An Ontario PC Government Will Do To Help Families:
We will create more opportunities for newcomers to Ontario. We will make Ontario a magnet for the world’s best and brightest by reducing barriers for potential new Canadians. To ease newcomers’ transition we will improve transparency of foreign credential recognition and create a tax credit for employers who sponsor language training.

We will lower income taxes on middle-class families. A PC government will give families tax relief and spur economic growth by lowering income taxes 5% on the first $75,000 of taxable income, putting $258 back in the pocket of taxpayers earning $70,000 per year.

We will provide relief for families from rising hydro costs. A PC government would provide relief for families and seniors facing rising energy costs by removing the HST from home hydro and heating bills, and removing the debt retirement charge from home hydro bills.

We will unplug the mandatory “smart” meters. We will end mandatory so-called time of use pricing. We will stop forcing families to be showered and ready for school and work before 7 a.m. or compelling seniors to do laundry late into the night. The smart meters forced on our homes – at a cost that recently blew by $1 billion – have become nothing but government-sponsored tax machines. We will let you decide whether to use the time-of-use pricing system.

Changebook - the Ontario PC Party plan to bring change for Ontario families

For three days this weekend, more than 1,700 members of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party (including 14 from this riding) attended training, education and technology presentations, and also listened to reports from the campaign manager, director of policy, staff and executive of the Party. On each day, there was also an important presentation by Tim Hudak.

At the conclusion, delegates were presented with the document that we will spend the next 18 weeks convincing Ontarians is a balanced plan for government. "Changebook" is the culmination of three years of consultations with Party members and citizens - the inspiration of thousands of conversations, letters, emails and phone calls.

Please take the time now to read it for yourself online at: http://www.changebook.ca

Or download it, here: http://www.ontariopc.com/pdf/Changebook_en.pdf

If you wish to obtain print copies (the party will make it available in 16 languages), please contact us.

Reprint of Joe Ganetakos' Acceptance Speech From April 21, 2011

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 6^th.

Thursday October 6^th, 2011 will be that day.

I am Joe Ganetakos and I want to be your Member of Provincial Parliament.

Thank you.

Guest Column from Candidate Joseph Ganetakos

Who is Joseph Ganetakos?

I work in interactive entertainment, am a father, community advocate and High Park dog-walking and baby-strolling resident of Parkdale-High Park. I love Parkdale-High Park and am proud to call this my home. In recent years, with the onset of fatherhood, I have become more and more concerned the City and Province that I love is headed in the wrong direction. As it is with anything you love, I am compelled to strive to make our community better and stronger and it is for this reason that I am putting my name forward for public office under the leadership of Tim Hudak’s Progressive Conservatives.

I used to be a staunch NDP’er from the Howard Hampton days. My apologies. I greatly respect current MPP Cheri DiNovo and the passion that the NDP bring to community advocacy. So why the switch? As it is with age, I have grown wiser with time and feel that the rosy principles of the NDP are not in the best interests of this province. You simply cannot spend and spend to solve all the problems of the world - people need to take responsibility. We need to live within our means.

I embraced the PCs because I feel that they are the most in touch with what Ontarians actually care about – community, family and financial prudence. Under the leadership of Tim Hudak, I am convinced that the Ontario PC party has the best chance to re-establish Ontario’s place as leader in Canada. This is not a far right party but rather a progressive party of pragmatists and realists. A PC government would provide a better place to set up shop, create new jobs and revitalize investment in the province. Ontario can lead again.

With the NDP and Tories, you know what those parties’ priorities actually are. With the Liberals and Dalton McGuinty, I am not sure what they stand for. I believe that being in government requires people to make tough decisions, not the most popular decisions, and not postponing the payment for these decisions to future generations. Despite the Liberal’s lack of a philosophical anchor, the decisions that Liberals have made have been poor for the long-term interests of Ontario. There is ample evidence that this Liberal government has run its course – billion dollar scandals, increased taxation coupled with record deficits, out of control spending, higher energy bills, and a lack of priorities.

If elected, I intend to help everyday Ontario families by representing the principles of community, family and financial prudence in a PC government.  After witnessing failure after failure under Dalton McGuinty’s Liberal party, I simply cannot allow the mismanagement of such a tremendous province to go on any longer, and I would be honoured to represent this great riding in the Ontario legislature.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions. I need your help, through a donation or volunteering, or both! Change is coming to Ontario! Circle your calendar Thursday October 6^th, 2011 as the day that Ontario can lead again.

Joseph Ganetakos

Provincial Nomination Meeting Called for Parkdale-High Park

The Provincial Nominations Committee has called a nomination meeting for the riding of Parkdale-High Park

Under the Rules Governing Candidate Nominations of the Ontario PC Party, the Provincial Nominations Committee (PNC) has called a nomination meeting for the riding of Parkdale-High Park which will take place as follows:

Ontario PC Nomination Meeting
Date: Thursday, April 21st, 2011
Registration: 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Meeting: 7:00 PM
Location: Swansea Town Hall, “Rousseau Room”
95 Lavinia Avenue, Toronto, ON  M6S 3H9

The official notice of meeting was mailed to members on Friday April 1, 2011.

Members that have received this notice in the mail will not have renewed their membership in time for the mailing and will be required to update their membership prior to attending the meeting.

Expired memberships as well as new membership must be received by 5:00 PM on Thursday, April 7th, 2011 in order to be eligible to vote at the nomination meeting.

You can join or update your membership here: https://secure.ontariopc.com/riding/?id=68&type=membership

Candidates as of April 1st

Currently, the PNC has approved the candidacy of Joseph Ganetakos for the Progressive Conservative nomination in Parkdale-High Park. You may contact Joe at:

Web: www.josephganetakos.ca
Email: joseph@ganetakos.ca
Twitter: @Ganetakos_ONPC

The deadline for candidates to submit nomination papers is 5:00 PM on Thursday, April 7th, 2011. Submissions must be made to Ontario PC Party Campaign Headquarters:

Ontario PC Campaign Headquarters,
85 Richmond Street West, Suite 900,
Toronto, ON.