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County’s mayor running for provincial Liberals in new Bay of Quinte riding

Bay of Quinte MP Neil Ellis and Prince Edward County Mayor Robert Quaiff waved their way along the Pumpkinfest parade route earlier this month.

Prince Edward County mayor Robert Quaiff will take a run to be the first provincial representative for the new Bay of Quinte riding.

Following speculation since last year, Quaiff announced his intention Monday afternoon, noting he looks forward to the job.

“I am honoured to announce that I will be nominated as the Bay of Quinte Ontario Liberal Party candidate for the June 2018 election,” he said. “In my current positions, as Mayor of Prince Edward County, chair of the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus and a member on the board of directors for Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) , I have worked closely with Premier Wynne and cabinet ministers for the past several years and have come to respect the Ontario Liberal Party’s plan to build Ontario up and ensure no one is left behind.”

In the meantime, he said he will continue to carry out the duties and obligations that come with being mayor until the provincial election campaign begins. The Prince Edward Hastings riding is being split into the Bay of Quinte and Hastings-Lennox & Addington ridings as part of the redistribution process and to follow the federal election boundaries.

Quaiff served on County council from 2000-2003, then again from 2010 to 2014 before winning the mayor’s chair.

The nomination meeting is set for Saturday, Nov. 18th at 2pm at the Wellington and District Community Centre (Rotary Hall), 111 Belleville St., Wellington.

Incumbent Prince Edward-Hastings MPP Todd Smith will carry the Conservative Party banner in the new riding. The local NDP party has not yet selected its candidate.

Filed Under: Local News

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  1. Dennis Fox says:

    The relationship between being a good business person and being a good politician is non-existent and even less meaningful.

  2. Emily says:

    The article states that the Mayor will continue until the campaign begins. I wasn’t supporting or non supporting anyone for replacement but shared the skuttle butt. Having said that I am not convinced that running media enterprises would make one “eminently” qualified as opposed to a broader experience base. As for the Community and Economic Development Commission, there is much debate in regards to productiveness. I expect it depends if you are directly receiving benefit from that.

  3. Dennis Fox says:

    Instead of pushing for anyone at this point, wouldn’t it be wiser to find out what Quiaff has in mind? He doesn’t have to give up his seat to run provincially.

  4. Gary Mooney says:

    Emily, you were a bit brief on Bill Roberts’ CV.

    In the business world, he was General Manager of TVO and then CEO of Vision TV.

    While on Council, he has chaired the very productive Community and Economic Development Commission.

    Bill would be eminently qualified as a candidate for Mayor.

  5. Emily says:

    I believe the Mayor stated that he would step down once the provincial election writs have dropped presumably in late April early May. Obviously there would not be a municipal election to replace the Mayor that close to the municipal ballots in October. We certainly could have someone appointed by Council to fill that role in the interim.

  6. Dennis Fox says:

    Emily – The “artsy movie critic” you mention can only become mayor if people vote for him. If he is not up to the job, then spread the word. The last thing this community needs is non-leader who only has his eye on the camera.

  7. Emily says:

    I think you are on the money Fred. And with Sophiasburgh dropping to 1 Councillor at this time,the artsy movie critic becomes Mayor. So obvious.

  8. Fred says:

    This really has the odour of a deal being struck. They got him to run but I suspect if he loses there will be an appointment. Wait and see!

  9. Dennis Fox says:

    Paul – I agree with much you have stated. PEC’s problem will be finding a person capable of leading this bunch around the horseshoe. Quaiff believed he had most councillors on board to do away with the current size of council – yet many just didn’t do what they promised the electorate they would do. I just don’t see anyone there capable of bringing them together to make the tough, yet right decisions. Hopefully a new face will appear within the next year to take them in the direction that you mentioned.

  10. Paul Cole says:

    I wish our Mayor Robert Quaiff Good Luck in his run for MPP of the new Bay of Quinte riding hopefully his voice in the Ontario legislature will bring about positive change for Prince Edward County. Mayor Quaiff received a tough row to hoe when elected Mayor it will take many years to reverse the direction Prince Edward County is headed in and to resolve some of long standing issues. So again Good Luck Robert Quaiff. I also hope your next year as Mayor you can get the County on track to success….

  11. Candice Woodard says:

    I questioned the major 2 months ago about his position if he joined the Liberals. Took a month to get an answer and only after I sent follow up email. Reply was typical politician’s vague answer. Skirted the intent of my question re his position on WT in South Marysburgh. How can he continue support if he joins the McGuinty/Wynne camp?

  12. Fred says:

    Marnie; if the Harris Tories hadn’t deregulated our publicly owned Ontario Hydro , turbines would not have been a concern.

  13. Chuck says:

    I agree with you on that Dennis. Particularly because we do not know Patrick Brown’s agenda. We do know what that party saddled us with last time however. We are still paying. Kinda like the devil you know expression!

  14. Dennis Fox says:

    I think the County is snookered – if we are going to vote for someone based on their leader. None of the parties have one and look at what Mike Harris did to us with amalgamation and downloading – not to forget the closures, across the province, of hospitals and schools. I’m not a Wynne fan by any measure – but we need to think carefully about who to vote for. This knee-jerk reaction vote has never proven to be worthwhile.

  15. Marnie says:

    Go, Todd, go. After the turbine fiasco the last thing our riding needs is a Liberal MPP in office.

  16. Barbara Wallace says:

    Unless you are planning to fight from within the Liberal Party, Robert, I am quite disappointed. I see nothing to respect in that party under Wynne.

  17. Dennis Fox says:

    I too believe that Quaiff has tried to be a good mayor and I don’t blame him for the size of council fiasco – but I certainly did not share his sense of what were and were not priorities. However, it leaves me wondering who on council is capable of leading a group that doesn’t want to be lead? For me to support anyone who is currently on council – well let’s just say they still have a lot to prove to me.

  18. paul says:

    The damage to the county environment is unconscionable under Wynne and will impact the quality of life in the County forever. Liberals must unite and vote Conservative to end this despicable behaviour. stop this madness.

  19. Gary says:

    Robert has been a strong Mayor. May not agree with every decision but he has demonstrated leadership. He cautioned Council strongly that their feeble attempt at restructuring Council could result in an OMB decision that they would have no say in and no turning back. That was an example of leading even if ultimately many chose not to follow.

  20. hockeynan says:

    I Guess Quaiff will have to change his tune on IWT.

  21. Dennis Fox says:

    Then again, the Mayor can maintain his seat on council until the results of the provincial election are known. There is no rule forcing any municipal politician running in the provincial election to step down prior to a provincial election.

  22. Chris Keen says:

    I am surprised. As chair of the EOWC, and as mayor, surely the contempt and lack of interest the Liberal party has for rural Ontario is crystal clear. The only building up I see is their continuing zeal to erect unnecessary IWTs all over Ontario, and waste billions of our tax dollars apparently as a way of thanking campaign contributors. Wynne refuses point blank to deal with the rural infrastructure crisis which certainly is not insuring “no one is left behind”! I can’t see much to “respect” about this party under its current leader.

  23. Johnny says:

    Is this the same Mayor who has castigated the Liberals for their plan to put wind turbines in the County? Now he is joining them?

  24. Dennis Fox says:

    Chuck – I’m pretty sure I know who you are referring to. Let’s hope someone with credibility steps forward.

  25. Michael Reagan says:

    Dennis, yeah we all saw it on Countylive last year.

  26. Chuck says:

    Come on Dennis, heir apparent is obvious. He’s been campaigning the whole term thus far.

  27. Dennis Fox says:

    Didn’t the mayor issue a press release, sometime ago, stating that he wasn’t interested in anything other than being the mayor? Man what a side show this is going to become with the rest of council jocking for position.

  28. Gary says:

    This is great news for our County.

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