Standing outside of Nipissing MPP Monique Smith’s office on Main Street Tuesday morning North Bay City Councillor Judy Koziol officially announced she is seeking the nomination for the Nipissing Conservatives in the October 10th provincial election.
Standing outside of Nipissing MPP Monique Smith’s office on Main Street Tuesday morning North Bay City Councillor Judy Koziol officially
announced she is seeking the nomination for the Nipissing Conservatives in the October 10th provincial election.
“We are standing outside Monique Smith’s office because I think in the end this is what the choice is going to be … it’s going to be her or myself,” states Koziol.
“And I think that’s the representation that the citizens are going to have to decide that they want. If they want our current member or do they want me.”
Koziol is the first Conservative candidate out of the gate and says following her passionate OMPF rant during a recent council meeting that she has gained great support for her candidacy from the public.
“They have expressed to me, and I don’t think it was to get me to run at that point, just that they weren’t happy with the current representation provincially,” she states.
“They didn’t feel that their issues were being heard, they felt that they were getting more of the Liberal Party line than they were actually getting representation of their riding.”
Koziol says issues there are a number of reasons that helped her decide to toss her hat in the ring, but says her main reason for running is the current representation at Queen's Park.
“In the end what I think it is … her leadership versus mine. I think it’s going to come down to … do you want your current member, and do you think they are representing you the way you want, or do you want someone like myself,” she states.
“I think that’s proven that the kind of leadership that I bring to the table at council is something that the citizens identify with.”
Koziol also questioned just how much it is going to cost taxpayers to build the hospital, and at the same time adds that she is convinced the MPP doesn’t think OMPF funding is an issue for the city.
“My main concern with that (hospital) is, I take it as if I was a home owner, I’m a home owner and I’m building a home I’d like to know what the price is before I actually build it. As a current city councillor we’re supposed to pay 10 percent of that hospital. I’d like to know what that 10 percent is because maybe we haven’t put enough money aside for that,” she states.
“As far as the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund, I believe it was Mr. Sorbera in the Nugget, I think if you read that article closely we’re not going to get that money. I would be very surprised if there’s going to be money, so I think that’s done and the citizens will be footing that bill here locally.”
The councillor didn’t seem concerned with the possible backlash from the public over the fact that she was just re-elected to council saying if she wins the nomination, at that time she will reveal plans involving her seat on city council.
“First of all let’s be clear, I’m running for the nomination,” says Koziol.
“The nomination is a long stretch ahead; I will be facing other candidates to seek to become the next candidate for the riding. After that however, once I win the nomination, I do have a game plan in mind that I think will satisfy my current councillors concerns.”
Koziol says she announced early because she has a battle ahead and considers herself the underdog.
“I obviously have not been the MPP for four years,” she says.
“I guess … I’m the underdog if I had to say anything. People will tell you that is all about name recognition obviously our current member has had lots of name recognition, she has been handing out lots of cheques.”
Meanwhile Monique Smith says she will be seeking the Liberal nomination and is proud of her record.
“It’s a democratic process, happy to see others in the race, I’m delighted to stand on my record and what I and the McGuinty Government have delivered for Nipissing and North Bay,” she states.
“Certainly we’ve had some great accomplishments here locally. We are seeing shovels in the ground next week on the hospital, shovels in the ground in Mattawa, we’re building a children’s treatment centre, we’ve already opened it in it’s temporary sight, building the transit system with gas tax money from the province, we’ve seen development on the Waterfront."
"We’ve seen construction in almost all of our schools across the district with upgrades, we’ve invested in Canadore and Nipissing and we’ve got the four-laning of the highway well underway, so I’m happy to run on my record and delighted to see that the campaign has started.”
