Riding Profile: Scarborough-Guildwood

What are the key issues in your riding?

PC - Ken Kirupa Transportation and subways, job creation, accountability at Queen's Park

LIB - Mitzie Hunter Improvement of transit, youth jobs and seniors

NDP - Adam Giambrone Mergers of hospitals, public transit and seniors, particularly changes and cuts made to physiotherapy.

GREEN - Nick Leeson Subways, health transformations, cuts to physiotherapy, job creation, especially for youth

If there is one thing about the riding that you would change, what would it be?

PC - Ken Kirupa The first thing I would do is replace the RT. I would keep promoting the subway to Scarborough. It will take some time, but one chunk at a time.

LIB - Mitzie Hunter I believe everyone should have opportunities to achieve their potential, especially youth.

NDP - Adam Giambrone I would provide rapid transit that would go into riding so that people are not spending 35-40 minutes on a bus. That's the one thing people want delivered.

GREEN - Nick Leeson My primary concern is changing the way democracy is done here. We had one all-candidates meeting. The Liberals are living off disengaged voters by calling for an election during a long weekend in August.

Do you live in the riding?

PC - Ken Kirupa I've lived in the riding for eight months but I've lived in Scarborough for many years.

LIB - Mitzie Hunter I plan to move in should I be elected. I grew up here, spent high school years here

NDP - Adam Giambrone I live in Davenport. Transit expansion in Scarborough, that's where I worked and focused on as TTC Chair and you never get to know a neighbourhood as much as when you're campaigning and going door-to-door.

GREEN - Nick Leeson I live just slightly to the north of Scarborough-Guildwood

How can you improve the relationship between the city and the province?

PC - Ken Kirupa If you have common values between the province and the city, and share fiscal responsibilities, things will go well.

LIB - Mitzie Hunter I have a really great relationship with city councillors through work I've done with Toronto Community Housing. I've worked as a community builder for many, many years. I see myself building on that relationship.

NDP - Adam Giambrone It would be up to the Liberal government to set the tone. The province has backtracked on a lot of commitments. TCHC building as a rule was a provincial responsibility before it was downloaded to the city. The Liberals treat Scarborough as second class citizens, they are ignored. This byelection, won't change the government but it does send a strong message that people are tired of scandals and mismanagement of taxpayer money.

GREEN - Nick Leeson There is something to be said about the recent push to get parties to cooperate. If we engage in an honest debate about things, if people present both sides fairly then it's easy to have a meeting of the minds.

Did you always want to be in provincial politics?

PC - Ken Kirupa I'm not a career politician. My mom liked to be in the community. I get it from her. My grandmother was protesting in 1961 back in Sri Lanka. Maybe I got it from her too.

LIB - Mitzie Hunter I got a call weeks ago and it made perfect sense. It definitely felt right for me because I'm working on issues I am passionate about.

NDP - Adam Giambrone A lot of what an MPP does is act as a leader in the community. Reason I'm running now is that I pushed transit as far as I could (at the municipal level.) I can push for delivery of transit lines. 

GREEN - Nick Leeson No, not at all. If you told me a few years ago I'd be voting green or running as a candidate I'd laugh. Things that have happened in the last few years have made me see the connection between what we are doing and how it will affect other generations. We need sustainable economics.

What is one thing most people would be surprised to know about you?

PC - Ken Kirupa I have older kids who are 26 and 28 years old. I also have a small dog.

LIB - Mitzie Hunter I can't swim but it's something I do want to learn!

NDP - Adam Giambrone People think of me as the TTC guy. Most people don't know I'm an archeologist.

GREEN - Nick Leeson I fully support the LRT  plan, and people are surprised by that. Subways, yes, absolutely but only where it makes sense. It's not about protecting the environment at any cost. There has to be a cost-benefit value.