LAURIE WEIR

We asked the candidates running in the Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston riding in the Feb. 27 provincial election, the same five questions. 

Candidates are: Wendy Dilliston-Whitaker, Ontario Party; John Jordan (incumbent) Provincial Conservative; John MacRae, Ontario NDP; David Motton, New Blue Party; Shane O’Neill, Independent; Rob Rainer (Liberal) and Marlene Spryut (Green Party). 

As we receive responses from the candidates, we will update this list. 

OUESTIONS

1. Ontario’s Economy & U.S. Tariffs – With the potential for new U.S. tariffs on key Ontario industries, what concrete steps will you and your party take to protect local businesses and jobs in this riding?

2. Cost of Living & Affordability – Many Ontarians are struggling with the rising cost of essentials like groceries, housing, and utilities. What specific measures will you push for to provide relief to residents in this riding?

3. Healthcare & Rural Services – Wait times, doctor shortages, and ER closures remain critical concerns. How will you ensure that this riding gets the necessary funding and resources to maintain and improve local healthcare services?

4. Transportation & Infrastructure – Rural and suburban communities often struggle with transit and infrastructure funding. What commitments will you make to improve roads, bridges, and transit options here?

5. Accountability & Representation – This riding has been a long-standing PC stronghold. What would you say to voters who feel taken for granted, and how will you demonstrate that their voices are truly being heard at Queen’s Park?

CANDIDATES

JOHN JORDAN

Incumbent (Progressive Conservative candidate).

Jordan serves as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Agribusiness. With a background in leadership across multiple sectors, he spent 16 years with the School Board before leading the integration of three community health organizations into ConnectWell Community Health. His advocacy for team-based care helped establish ConnectWell as a multi-sector organization serving marginalized communities with over 200 employees.

1. Ontario’s Economy & U.S. Tariffs

Doug Ford is committed to fighting for business in Ontario at every level, with a proposed 6-month deferral of Provincial taxes for Ontario businesses in the wake of punishing tariffs.  Ontario would not allow US companies to bid on provincial contracts until tariffs are addressed. All provinces are at the table to discuss breaking down barriers to interprovincial trade and we’ve already seen how this party gets it done when it comes to cutting red tape and getting down to business. The Ford government has made more Historical Investments in Health Care, Long Term Care, Infrastructure and others without a single tax increase. Under the threat of impending U.S. Tariffs, Premiere Ford is ready to respond with funding for impacted businesses to retool, meet payroll, and remain competitive by attracting a new customer base.

2. Cost of Living & Affordability 

We have introduced funding for new energy efficiency programs, and expanded opportunities for homes and businesses to save on energy costs – and that’s money back in the pockets of our hard-working consumers. We’re working with Municipalities and Developers to cut red tape and get more homes built to accommodate supply and demand and create more affordable options for people of every age. Growing our Agrifood business by 30% by 2032 will grow our economy and improve food security and in addition to the reduction in the fuel tax, we will continue our fight against the Carbon tax.

Our work with our partners in Agriculture is ensuring that we have a strong base for the Agri-Food Sector. With a nod to addressing Food Security, we’re projecting a 30 percent growth in our Agri-Food sector by 2032. We’ve increased targeted funding to beef and dairy farms, grain operators, syrup producers and agri-food management and production facilities throughout the riding. Looking to the future, healthy investments in Research and Development and new technologies are encouraging growth and stability for next generation farmers.

3. Healthcare & Rural Services

We continue to advocate and work with our municipal partners and organizations to bring connected health care home to our riding. To date, we’ve invested $3.1 million dollars to bring a new model of interprofessional care to Perth and the surrounding area. We’ve expanded Family Health Teams in Carleton Place, and Almonte and increased based funding to every hospital in our riding. The Paramedicine Program in our region is an exemplary model for expanding care at home and closing the gap between traditional models and the specific needs of a rural population.  

A new MRI in Smiths Falls is up and running and we’ve just celebrated the opening of a State-of-the-Art Emergency Department in Carleton Place. There’s still more work to be done and I look forward to the opportunities that lay ahead.

4. Transportation & Infrastructure

I’ve been working closely with my Municipal Partners to pursue funding for the many Infrastructure challenges that have resulted from an unprecedented growth in population. Funding for the community Infrastructure fund was doubled in 2022 from $200 to $400 million dollars. Our government also increased the Ontario Municipal Partnership fund by $100 million over two years bringing the total to $600 million dollars by 2026.  This is the main general assistance program available to municipalities and over $17 million was allocated to our riding for 2025. The Town of Perth recently received just under $3 million to expand and manage their lagoon and Carleton Place received just under 35 million to expand its water treatment facility.

I have had many conversations with the Minister to ensure there is an awareness and an understanding of the specific challenges of rural environments and there are a number of outstanding proposals on board including Communal services in Frontenac Township and the Smiths Falls Water Tower.

Regarding transit options, there is work currently being done on highway 7 to improve traffic flow, and we continue to work with the Ministry of Transportation to address issues of safety and reduce timelines for project management and completion. The Connecting Links Program provides Lanark County Transportation with annual investments of over $500 thousand dollars. This investment supports LCT’s mandate to provide safe, reliable transportation for some of our most vulnerable population.  

5. Accountability & Representation 

Lanark Frontenac Kingston has benefited on many levels from a very positive and productive relationship with Queen’s Park. Municipal partners, constituents and business members have met one on one with Ministers both at Queen’s Park and here at home for tours and round table discussions in our riding. We’ve hosted Lisa Thompson from Rural Affairs, Paul Calandra in his role as Minister for Housing and for Long-Term-Care, Raymond Cho – the Minister for Seniors and Accessibility, Michael Parsa, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, Agriculture Food and Agri-Business Minister Rob Flack, and PA Andrew Dowie from the Ministry of the Environment. Wherever possible I am a huge advocate for bringing people together to address the specific needs and concerns of our rural communities. It’s my job to ensure the voice of Lanark- Frontenac-Kingston is at the table.

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SHANE O’NEILL

Independent 

A 36-year-old Carleton Place resident, blood donor, and freelance writer who has worked various jobs to manage rising costs. He grew up in Kanata, played minor hockey in Lanark Carleton, and enjoys paddling and skiing. Concerned about leadership failures and municipal fiscal challenges, he is running to advocate for young families, better-funded schools, and accessible healthcare in Lanark and surrounding communities.

1. Ontario’s Economy & U.S. Tariffs 

Trade and tariffs fall under federal jurisdiction in S. 92 & 93 of Canada’s Constitution, but all levels of government must present a united front against unfair U.S. trade actions. I will continue to advocate for businesses in Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston and across Ontario by expanding access to tariff-free markets, as Canada has free trade agreements with 50 countries and more than one billion consumers outside of the United States.

If elected, I will work with Queen’s Park and Ottawa to defend local industries, and in the event of broad tariffs, I will push for provincial and federal support through Ontario Works and the federal Employment Insurance to protect affected workers in Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston.

2. Cost of Living & Affordability 

Affordability is my primary concern as a candidate and has only gotten worse since the last election. The cost of living has increased across Ontario, and particularly in medium and small-sized communities like Carleton Place, Almonte, Perth, and Smiths Falls. These areas have experienced rapid growth in recent years, yet housing supply has failed to keep pace with demand, driving up the cost of homeownership and rent. Unfortunately, no major party has presented a comprehensive plan to tackle this crisis. If elected, I will push for bold, tangible solutions that address the root causes of the affordability challenges in our communities.

One of the key drivers of the housing crisis is the imbalance between supply and demand. The provincial government and municipalities must create incentives for developers to build a variety of housing types—single-family homes, townhouses, multiplexes, and rental units—at scale. Ontario already has tools to encourage homebuilding, but they are underutilized. I will advocate for reducing development fees and streamlining approval processes to accelerate construction. Additionally, I support banning exclusionary zoning to allow for more diverse housing options, including multi-tenant housing and “missing middle” developments like duplexes and triplexes.

Beyond housing, the rising cost of food and essentials is straining household budgets, particularly for families and those on fixed incomes. To provide immediate relief, I will push for the provincial government to reduce the PST portion of sales tax on manufactured food, children’s clothing, and baby supplies. Lowering these costs will help ease the financial burden on young families and low-income residents. Additionally, I will support measures that strengthen Ontario’s local food supply chain to ensure greater resilience and affordability in grocery prices.

Another critical issue is the need for sustained investment in infrastructure to support growing communities. I will advocate for a more equitable distribution of tax revenues between the province and municipalities to prevent the “race-to-the-bottom” funding model that has left towns struggling to maintain essential services. Infrastructure such as wastewater treatment, stormwater management, roads, bridges, and emergency services must be properly funded to accommodate population growth without placing excessive financial pressure on local governments.

If elected, I will champion policies that make life more affordable by addressing the structural challenges in housing, taxation, and infrastructure investment. The provincial government must take decisive action to incentivize smart development, reduce costs for families, and ensure municipalities have the resources they need to thrive. By working collaboratively with all levels of government, we can build a more affordable and sustainable future for residents of Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston.

3. Healthcare & Rural Services

Since the 2022 provincial election, the Almonte General Hospital has had 36 unscheduled ER closures due to lack of nurses and in my community, the Carleton Place & District Memorial Hospital has ensured 25 days of unplanned closures in the same period. This makes these hospitals among the most frequently closed hospitals across Ontario. As a resident and a taxpayer, this is unacceptable. 

It doesn’t need to be like this. If elected, I will advocate for a more fair and equitable distribution of provincial taxes in order to better fund our healthcare system and ensure that universal access to healthcare remains a priority at Queen’s Park.

4. Transportation & Infrastructure

My primary concern as candidate for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston is to advocate for a more fair and equitable distribution of provincial taxes in order to better fund our municipalities. For decades, the burden of building and maintaining critical infrastructure in our communities has fallen squarely on the backs of local residents. This has given municipal governments no option but to increase development fees on new building construction, to increase property taxes on homeowners and to increase user fees for residents on almost all local services. This has been the primary driver of inflation and the increased cost of living in our province. 

This “race-to-the-bottom” continues to harm our most vulnerable residents, like seniors, people living on fixed incomes and young families. It’s well past time for elected officials at the provincial level to step up and rebalance the distribution of our provincial taxes away from pet projects and $200 rebate cheques, and on to municipalities so our communities can remain safe and affordable places to raise the next generation of Ontarians.  

On transit specifically, if elected, I would also advocate for the provincial government to expand the GO Transit regional transportation network to Eastern Ontario for the first time and speak up for our communities that have been ignored by representatives at Queen’s Park for decades. 

5. Accountability & Representation

I believe all elected officials have an obligation to speak to and for their constituents, first and foremost. As I’ve knocked on doors and spoken to residents across our riding, Many residents of Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston have told me they feel unheard. 

Representation should be about advocating for the people, not just following party lines. If elected, I will be an active presence in our community, listen to and respond to residents’ concerns, and vote in the best interests of our riding—not the interests of any political party.

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ROB RAINER

Liberal Party candidate

Current Tay Valley Township Reeve. Former councillor, consultant, executive director or equivalent of six non-profit or charitable organizations, writer for a consulting firm, letter carrier, co-operative store clerk, shipper receiver and sawmill and warehouse labourer.

1. Ontario’s Economy & U.S. Tariffs

If elected as the new MPP, I will task my staff to survey local businesses to help understand (1) how the tariffs would or could impact them; and (2) what support businesses believe they might need to withstand the period of time in which the tariffs may be in place. Such knowledge would inform what steps I could or would take within the Liberal caucus and at Queen’s Park to push for those supports that could or would make a significant difference for businesses, generally, and that would be fiscally manageable by the province. 

The Ontario Liberal Party has also pledged to: 

• Offer a bonus to patriotic nurses and doctors who want to come back home to Canada from the U.S. and help solve Doug Ford’s health care crisis and get you a Family Doctor. 
• Save people in Ontario up to $1,150 a year immediately through our More for You Tax Cut, keeping more money in your pocket and taking the HST off your home heating and hydro bills. 
• Cut the small business tax rate in half, 3.2% to 1.6%, and increase the eligible income threshold, saving small business owners as much as $18,000 a year.
• Backstop Ontario businesses with a new Fight Tariffs Fund that gives them access to lower-than-market interest rates (at government rates). This will allow our businesses to protect and create jobs by reducing the cost of borrowing money to operate or invest in their businesses and workers.
• Ensure stimulus spending on infrastructure is focused on the projects communities in Ontario need the most – hospitals, schools, roads and transit.
• Lead an across-government effort to ensure we spend taxpayers’ money wisely – including directing departments and agencies to exclude American companies like Elon Musk’s Starlink from procurement opportunities – and invest the savings back into supporting this stimulus plan.
• Work with other provinces to eliminate nonsensical interprovincial trade barriers and build a truly Team Canada approach to growing our economy.

2. Cost of Living & Affordability 

If elected as the new MPP, and as a longstanding champion of basic income as a vital form of social security, I would strive to find allies within the Liberal caucus and within other parties to push for a made-in-Ontario form of basic income that should, at the least, provide greater social security than what is available at present. The Ontario Liberal Party has also announced many proposed measures that the Party would seek to move on should it form the next government, for example: 

• Lowering the personal income tax rate on middle class Ontario families, helping almost half of all taxpayers in Ontario. For an average household this change will result in tax savings of about $950 annually;
• Eliminating the provincial portion of HST on residential home heating and hydro bills, resulting in an annual savings of about $200 per household;
• Removing the hidden tax on home building to save real people up to $170,000 on the cost of a new home;
• Making rent more affordable by introducing phased-in rent control;
• Making it cheaper to get a post-secondary degree by eliminating the interest on OSAP loans, and delaying repayment until young graduates make at least $50,000 a year;
• Permanently doubling the monthly benefits to recipients of the Ontario Disability Support Program, and indexing benefits to inflation.

3. Healthcare & Rural Services 

If elected as the new MPP, I will task my staff to survey hospitals and medical clinics in the riding to flesh out what resources (people, equipment etc.) they are lacking that’s resulting in stresses on their facilities and people, and what they most require to fill the gaps. I will invite input from representatives from these facilities to work with my office in coming up with actions that I could take forward within the Liberal caucus, and within Queen’s Park, with aim to match funding available now or that could be made available in the near term (i.e., one to two years) to help fill the gaps.

The Ontario Liberal Party is also pledging to:

• Create two new medical schools and expand capacities in existing medical schools, doubling the number of medical school spots and residency positions;
• Deliver team-based care with evening and weekend support, integrated home care for seniors, and accessible mental health services for children, youth, and teenagers; 
• Accelerate the process to integrate at least 1,200 qualified and experienced internationally trained doctors over four years through the Practice Ready Ontario program to first match and then exceed the capacity of similar programs implemented in other provinces like Alberta and British Columbia;
• Eliminate fax machines, enhance virtual care, introduce centralized referral systems with patient portals, and implement interoperable electronic medical records to let doctors and other healthcare professionals in the circle of care focus on patients instead of paperwork;
• Incentivize family doctors to serve in rural and northern communities, and mentor the next generation to prevent future shortages.

4. Transportation & Infrastructure 

If elected as the new MPP, I will task my staff to survey the 12 municipalities in the riding to help understand (1) the municipal infrastructure funding gaps they are experiencing (including re: roads and bridges); (2) the state of public transit in their municipalities; and (3) their ideas for establishing and/or improving public transit. I would also task my staff to study North Grenville’s apparently successful “NGTransit” initiative, which they have recently expanded, and research other examples of apparently successful public transit services in rural areas. We would of course talk with the Lanark Transportation Association as to their perspective on service delivery and possible expansion. And I would talk with fellow MPPs from rural ridings in Ontario to learn about any initiatives in their ridings that might be inspiration for possible new transit services in Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston. 

5. Accountability & Representation 

I consider myself to be (and other people have observed me to be) a warm and approachable person, with very good listening skills. I also pride myself on being as accessible and as responsive to people as I can be. I believe I have demonstrated these qualities in the six-plus years I’ve served on Tay Valley Township council. A promise to the people of Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston is that, if I become the next MPP, I would always welcome hearing from them, and to engage in respectful dialogue, as we seek to address the many challenges in the riding, and to capture opportunities for improving the health of people, communities, and the environment. We need a fresh, team-based approach to tackling what needs to be tackled re: health care, education, childcare, elder care, housing, agriculture, conservation, climate change, and much more. We need people in and from our many communities in the riding to join hands in working on all of these things, and at this time of profound uncertainty, worry, and fear given what is going on in our world today. 

Editor’s note: If you are a candidate in this riding who hasn’t responded, or would like to participate in the Q&A, please send an email with your responses to ljweir@pdgmedia.ca

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JOHN MACRAE

New Democratic Party (NDP) Candidate

1. Ontario’s Economy & U.S. Tariffs?

This is a very challenging time for all of us but especially the many workers and farmers in our riding whose livelihoods depend on trade with the U.S including members of my family. The NDP and I reject Doug Ford and PC Candidate John Jordan’s claims that this election was necessary to address the tariff and trade war crisis with the Trump administration. The $ 175 million spent on the election could have been much better used to support those impacted by these challenging times. If elected the NDP commits to:

• Partner with Ontario employers and unions to protect jobs now;
• Work with trade-exposed industries, like the auto industry, to provide direct support, creating new supply chains, and finding new export markets for their goods in Canada and abroad;
• Support the auto sector to bridge any interruption in production and preserve Canadian auto jobs.
• Promote interprovincial cooperation and break down trade barriers;
• Launch a Buy Ontario campaign to promote Ontario goods;
• Direct Ontario government-funded agencies to procure locally;
• Negotiate a joint federal-provincial income assistance program to support people whose livelihoods are impacted by tariffs;
• Create a Premier’s Task Force on the Economy with business, labour and civil society;
• Continue working with trade-exposed industries to create and maintain new supply chains and new export markets;
• Invest in retraining opportunities in post-secondary and the skilled trades;
• Accelerate infrastructure projects (transit, school repair, home building) to keep people working;
• Support farmers by removing the cap from the Risk Management Program.

2. Cost of Living & Affordability.

The cost of living has hit all of us but has not impacted us all equally. I decided to run in this election to call attention to, and if elected address the growing gap between the rich and the rest of us. In light of the challenges faced by many of us, the government’s misuse of its power and money to favour its developer friends is another source of my inspiration to run for the NDP. Addressing the affordability crisis is our number one priority. We will make sure the resources of the government are put to work for everyday people and we will be focussed on helping those that need it, not the wealthy few. Our commitments to address the cost of living include:

• A monthly grocery rebate of up to $120/month to help middle and lower-income families offset the rise in grocery costs.
• Addressing price gauging by bringing transparency to grocery prices by forcing big retailers to publicly post when they raise prices more than two per cent in a week. We’ll crack down on price fixing and other unfair practices by establishing a new watchdog to enforce competition laws and keep food prices fair.
• Creating real rent control
• Cracking down on renovictions, demovictions and other illegal tactics.
• Build or acquire at least 300,000 permanently affordable rental homes in non-profit and co-op housing, as part of our costed Homes Ontario plan, which sets a goal of 1.5 million new homes in 10 years.
• Double the payments of the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) to ensure those living with disabilities can live in dignity.

3. Healthcare & Rural Services.

The citizens of Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston deserve a government that will fix public healthcare and deliver real solutions.  Years of PC and Liberal governments have dangerously eroded our public healthcare system. I’m proud that the NDP is the only one of the three leading parties to have a firm commitment to the public delivery of healthcare services. This commitment is particularly important for smaller towns and rural communities that will suffer under the expansion of for-profit healthcare delivery. We will address the LIberal’s and PC’s shortfalls in funding and services with the following commitments:

• Recruit and support 3,500 new doctors, investing $4.05 billion over four years to hire more doctors
• Cut red tape so doctors spend more time with patients, not paperwork.
• Fast-track solutions in the first 100 days—more family health teams, shorter specialist wait times, and flexible care options.
• Clear the path for 13,000 internationally trained doctors ready to serve Ontarians and we’ll increase residency spots province-wide.
• Establish and legislate safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios to make sure that patients can get the care they deserve.
• Consult with nurses to make sure the ratios work for communities across the province.
• End the reliance on private, for-profit nursing agencies that are costing Ontario’s health care system hundreds of millions a year.
• We will scale up our nursing workforce, starting with the hiring of at least 15,000 nurses over the next three years to ensure safe staffing ratios and end the reliance on private agencies.

4. Transportation & Infrastructure.

Safety on our rural highways and town roads is a serious concern as is the lack of affordable transportation options for seniors, or others who don’t have a car to get around. The NDP is committed to supporting rural municipalities by ending the downloading of services and infrastructure costs. We would also cover 50% of municipal transit budgets. A municipal transit system is not out of the question for rural municipalities and I’m encouraged by the efforts of the Lanark Transportation Working Group to explore new options and the ongoing work of Lanark Transportation Association and Frontenac Community Services. We can be inspired by examples like the Temiskaming Transit in northeastern Ontario. If elected I would collaborate with stakeholders across the riding to explore options and work with them to access provincial transportation funds to expand the options for public transit in the riding. 

The NDP would also introduce more accountability and transparency into the allocation of infrastructure funds ensuring communities with the most need and most suitable projects are funded.

5. Accountability & Representation.

While addressing the growing gap between the wealthy and the rest of us was my main motivation for running, the fact that this riding is taken for granted as a “safe” PC seat was another key reason for me to run. Electing an NDP MPP would certainly send a message that Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston can’t be taken for granted anymore.

  I’ve heard from community members that they are disappointed that their MPP doesn’t’ stand up for them on key issues like the controversial housing development of the Perth Golf Course being proposed by friends of the PCs. I will not be afraid to stand up for the interests of the riding even if they contradict what the government’s position is, regardless of what party forms the government. I will make every effort possible to hear from and work with citizens and stakeholder groups across the whole breadth of this very large and diverse riding.