Thunder Bay resident Pete Lang mocked Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty for not attending the Northern debate on September 23, 2011.Steve Ladurantaye/The Globe and Mail
There were few fireworks in the first debate of the Ontario election campaign, as the two party leaders who traveled north took turns pushing party platform planks and hammering at Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak met in a packed Thunder Bay conference centre, in a debate format that discouraged direct confrontation. Ms. Horwath wore a black jacket and green shirt, while Mr. Hudak stuck with a white shirt and blue tie.
The leaders were asked questions by representatives of local business groups, and each were given three minutes for opening statements. The questions were largely centred around the cost of electricity and jobs.
The audience was restricted to those who had bought a ticket to a conference taking place in the hotel, but the debate was broadcast over the Internet and both parties set up spillover rooms that allowed their supporters to watch. Mr. McGuinty didn't make the trip, citing scheduling problems.
His decision has raised eyebrows in the community, especially because several incumbents are in tough fights to retain their seats. Resident Pete Lang showed up outside the debate with a caged chicken and a sign around his neck reading "Dalton's Chicken!" and mocked the Liberal leader for not showing up.
"Where is he? Why is he ashamed to show his face here?" he said. "The North is more than just a resource colony. We need jobs and respect."
Mr. Hudak took aim at Mr. McGuinty from the start, expressing regret he chose to visit Hamilton rather than make the trip.
"I'm disappointed he chose not to be here," he said. "It's kind of par for the course – in Northern Ontario's greatest time of need Dalton McGuinty has been AWOL. He's been absent without leave."
Ms. Horwath used her address to tell the audience that the party understood its issues in a way the other parties do not.
"In the north things hit harder," she said. "There are longer distances, colder winters, higher energy prices. There's a long list of shutdowns and closures and staggering job losses."
In his absence, Mr. McGuinty was a frequent target for his rivals. Both leaders said they would repeal the Far North Act, legislation brought in by the McGuinty government to regulate land use in the north.
Mr. Hudak called the act "darn good for the caribou," but not for Ontario families. Ms. Horwath said she would create a new legislative committee northerners have more representation at Queen's Park.
All three leaders will debate in Toronto on Tuesday.