Mike Barrett
A happy Frank Klees was one of the few Progressive Conservative candidates to win a seat in yesterday’s election.
Newmarket
October 10, 2007 11:58 PM
Liberals win back-to-back majority
Joan Ransberry
It was a bittersweet night for veteran politician Frank Klees.
While holding on in Newmarket-Aurora by a narrow margin at press time and beating Liberal Christina Bisanz,
Mr. Klees watched as his party, including PC Leader John Tory took a provincewide beating at the hands of the Grits.
“I knew going in it was going to be close,” Mr. Klees said.
For the official resultsand referendum outcome,check out yorkregion.com
Party supporters, gathering at Aurora’s Dinardos, were both quiet and sombre as they watched a big screen TV showing Liberals leading minutes after the polls closed at 9 p.m. Within 20 minutes, TV stations were predicting a Grit majority before 9:30 p.m. A Liberal majority is bad news for York Region, Mr. Klees said.
“With a Liberal majority, not $1 will come to York Region for transportation until 2011. It isn’t an easy fight. But I look forward to serving the residents of Newmarket-Aurora and will continue to advocate for the priority issues ... transportation, health care, including long-term care.”
The faith-based school issue dogged the campaign while Mr. Klees knocked on doors across the large riding.
“The issue came up often,” he said.
“People had their minds made up based on misinformation put out by Dalton McGuinty.”
This was not a smooth sailing campaign for any of the candidates, including Mr. Klees.
“Because of the timing, it came right off the summer, I found people to be quite disconnected,” Mr. Klees said. But during the last 14 days, people did become engaged.”
Winning in Newmarket-Aurora did not hinge on one thing. Rather it was a 200-strong campaign team.
“I had lots of help from lots of people,” he said.
Mr. Klees stressed that he’d continue to broker the best deal for his 130,000 constituents in one of the largest ridings in Ontario.
“Even though the faith-based school issue drove a wedge through the campaign, we have gridlock in our hospitals in the emergency departments,” Mr. Klees said.
“We have far too many people occupying hospital beds. They belong in long-term care facilities where they can get the best care. Long-term care needs more attention. It has fallen behind. We have an aging population.”
During the past 30 days, Mr. Klees often crossed paths with Ms Bisanz and New Democrat Mike Seaward.
“It was a competitive campaign,” Mr. Klees said. “Everyone was certainly sincere in their approach”.
First elected to the legislature in 1995, this marks Mr. Klees’ fourth election win. When the Liberals won the 2003 election, Mr. Klees had no trouble holding on to his seat, representing the neighbouring riding of Oak Ridges. Early in the spring, he decided to gamble a secure political career, shifted his interest to Newmarket and Aurora where in 2003, the Liberals picked up a 2,000-vote margin from Newmarket and Aurora voters.
His political career includes holding three separate cabinet posts, while he was Ontario’s education critic in the last term. Meanwhile, he took an unsuccessful run at the party leadership in 2004, losing to Mr. Tory.
The 56-year old was born in Germany, coming to Canada with his parents when he was five. Although his education includes theology, the Aurora resident co-owned Municipal Gas Corporation for many years.
He’s married to Jaine and the couple have two adult children.