Steven Del Duca was in Kingston on Saturday afternoon as provincial leaders continue to gear up their campaigns for the upcoming election.
The provincial Liberal leader took in Kingston’s Science Rendezvous with local MPP candidate Ted Hsu before a brief visit to the farmer’s market at Springer Market Square.
In a short media scrum, said Hsu’s track record in the community speaks for itself.
“I’m really delighted to be here today in Kingston and the Islands standing along Ted Hsu, someone whose track record of exceptional public service is so well known here in this community,” Del Duca said to media.
“I know how hard Ted and his entire team are working in this election campaign.”
The former transportation minister from 2014-2018 says the “new” Ontario Liberals would look to make significant changes from Doug Ford’s Ontario government.
“We know here in this community and across Ontario it is a clear choice between the Ford Conservatives who want to keep dragging this province backwards and people like Ted Hsu and the rest of the new Ontario liberal team,” Del Duca said.
“Committed to making sure we have real progress and that our province is a place to grow.”
In recent days, the Liberals have taken aim at some of the Ford Conservatives’ plans.
Prior to this afternoon’s Kingston stop, Del Duca declared from Ottawa that an Ontario Liberal government would make vaccines in schools mandatory.
“The Doug Ford Conservatives’ approach to the pandemic was chaotic and confusing. Their hyper-political approach undermined confidence in vaccines and prolonged lockdowns and suffering — particularly for our kids,” said Del Duca in a statement.
“The best way to get back to normal is to make classrooms safer.”
If elected, the Liberal party would expand the list of universal vaccines for students to include COVID-19 and require staff to be vaccinated.
The release states that current exemptions under the Immunization of School Pupils Act would continue to apply.
Del Duca also said recently that the Ontario Liberals would scrap plans for the 10-billion dollar Highway 413 project, and instead divert that money into building new schools and making repairs to existing ones.
The party estimates that investment will cover the building of 200 new schools and “urgent repairs” to 4,500 in the province including improvements to ventilation.
Recent polling data has the Liberals sitting in second place, with the NDP party closely behind.