John Tory Coasts To By-Election Victory

Conservative leader can now take on McGuinty
`I will never forget the trust you have placed in me'

ADRIAN WYLD/CP - Conservative party leader John Tory, 50, waves to supporters as he stands on a stage with his wife Barbara Hackett after winning the riding of Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey during a by-election in Orangeville yesterday.

ROBERT BENZIE AND RICHARD BRENNAN
QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU - Toronto Star
March 18, 2005

ORANGEVILLE—Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory has coasted to an easy victory in the Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey by-election, securing him a long-awaited seat in the Legislature.

Last night's win was the first electoral victory for Tory, who has been active in municipal, provincial and federal politics for more than 30 years.

"I will never forget this moment. I will never forget the trust you have placed in me," said the 50-year-old businessman, who finished second to David Miller in the 2003 Toronto mayoral contest.

"I will join you in saying that a premier who doesn't keep his words is a premier who shouldn't keep his job," Tory, flanked by former premiers Bill Davis and Ernie Eves, told cheering supporters at a victory party that doubled as a St. Patrick's Day celebration.

With all polls reporting last night, the Tories won 56.3 per cent with 15,610 votes, the Liberals' Bob Duncanson won 16.7 per cent, the NDP's Lynda McDougall, a 49-year-old teacher, got 14 per cent and Green Party Leader Frank de Jong, 50, won 10 per cent.

Tory's election means he can take a seat in the Legislature after being sworn in when it resumes on March 29.

He has led the Conservatives since Sept. 18, but had to wait for Eves to vacate the seat in January before he could contest a by-election.

The official opposition party is hopeful he can outperform Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty in the Legislature's daily question period.

"It will showcase a different style of leadership. (Tory) is a man of integrity and a man who will keep his promises as opposed to a guy who's Pinocchio," said MPP Tim Hudak (Erie Lincoln).

"McGuinty is seen as a weak leader, a guy who doesn't keep his word," said Hudak.

Conservative strategists have expressed confidence that voters will rally to them when they see the contrast between McGuinty and Tory, a political moderate compared to his right-wing predecessors, especially former premier Mike Harris.

Davis, who governed from 1971 to 1985, said he was "very delighted" by both his protégé's landslide win and the direction of the party.

"He's talking about the right things," said Davis, whose centrist politics were unfashionable during the Harris-Eves era.

"I'm delighted by what John has been doing and saying. This will help right across the province," he said.

Eves, who governed for 18 months in 2002 and 2003, agreed it was "a great result for John and a great result for the party."

The one controversial issue that dogged Tory throughout the six-week by-election campaign was that he does not live in this riding 90 kilometres northwest of Toronto.

Nor does he intend to run here in the Oct. 4, 2007 provincial election, as he plans to contest a Toronto riding.

Liberal candidate Duncanson, a 50-year-old environmentalist, said the by-election was good practice for his run in 2007. "We came into this to build a profile towards 2007. I think we accomplished that." Duncanson said he promised his party and the constituents of the riding that he was in it for the long haul.

"Obviously I would have hoped to do better but it was a challenging task to go up against the leader of a party. It would have been foolhardy to think I could win," Duncanson said.

Despite the riding being a traditional Conservative stronghold, the ruling Liberals threw everything they had at winning.

McGuinty and nearly all of his cabinet stumped for Duncanson and the Liberals road-tested some negative campaign themes that they may use against Tory in the 2007 provincial election.

Candidates had to cope with a wary electorate. Yesterday's by-election was the third time in three years that voters here have cast ballots for an MPP.

In Eves' 2002 by-election, the Conservatives won 46.6 per cent of the vote compared to 35.7 per cent for the Liberals.

The Tories did better here in the 2003 provincial vote, winning 56.6 per cent to the Liberals' 28.8 per cent.

With Tory's win the standings in the Legislature are: Liberals 71, PC 24, NDP 8.