GUELPH POLITICAST #303 - Christmas With Mike

In less than two weeks, we enter the year 2022, and that’s an election year in Ontario. In the spring, Premier Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives will aim to make a case that they should be re-elected for a second term, but the knives will almost certainly be out for them. But what about the one Green MPP in the legislature? What kind of year will 2022 be for him?

Three-and-a-half years ago, Mike Schreiner made history winning a remarkable 46 per cent stake of the vote and becoming the first sitting member of the Green Party in the Ontario Legislature. Some saw it as a sign of the Green Party’s growing relevance in Canada’s political picture; others saw Guelph voters sending a caucus of one to the provincial parliament, but even the most cynical would have a tough time saying that Schreiner hasn't been effective.

Re-election though many not be easy. The Liberals have been seriously rebuilding themselves for the last few years to be back in fighting shape, and the NDP will be looking to breakthrough and seize government power for the first time since 1995. Meanwhile, the PCs will be playing defense, but Ford himself has made repeated visits to Guelph this year, and has said out loud that he thinks he can win Guelph in 2022. In a way, this is going to be a tougher election for Schreiner than 2018.

On this holiday edition of the podcast, Schreiner will talk about this term at the Ontario Legislature, and whether he thinks that he’s silenced the doubters who thought one person couldn’t make a difference at Queen’s Park. He will also talk about how the pandemic changed things politically, and the unique challenges of running for re-election next year, plus the weight of expectations to create a bigger footprint for the Greens in the legislature. And does Schreiner have any regrets this Christmas?

So let's have a nice holiday visit with Guelph's MPP on this week's Guelph Politicast!

You can find Mike Schreiner’s constituency website here, and you can learn more about Green Party policy and direction here. He is also active on social media, and you can find him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Bookmark this for later, but the Ontario Provincial Election will happen on or before Thursday June 2, 2022.

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