As part of our Ontario Votes election coverage, BradfordToday plans to profile each of the candidates in the York-Simcoe riding. Here's our look at Franco Colavecchia, the Ontario Moderate Party hopeful:
The local moderate candidate is encouraging residents to become the change they want to see.
Since Ontario Progressive Conservative leader and then-premier Doug Ford called an early election on Jan. 28, candidates have been lining up to offer their visions for the riding of York-Simcoe before voters go to the polls on Feb. 27 — about 15 months ahead of schedule.
“I want to show people that there is another way of life. The problem is not so much in our government — the problem is you,” Franco Colavecchia said. “Do you want a better life? You have to change first.”
The Ontario Moderate Party candidate, Colavecchia, is a mushroom farmer who has lived in the riding for 25 years, was attracted to the lifestyle promoted by the party and wants to use his life’s experience to help make life better for others in York-Simcoe.
Currently, he feels the biggest issue of this election is the threats of tariffs against Canada from the United States government, and U.S. president Donald Trump’s comments about making Canada the 51st state.
“The people need to understand that we are already a de facto colony of the United States and that things are so bad because of that,” Colavecchia said. “But the Trump administration wants to squeeze us even harder.”
He also worries that Canada’s military output is too low to ensure our independence and to be helpful enough to our international allies such as Ukraine.
While issues of international trade and military production are generally under the federal purview, various provincial leaders, including Ford, have visited officials in the U.S. in effort to prevent the tariffs.
When it comes to what can be done here at home, Colavecchia would like to build a technical college and a technical university in York-Simcoe.
“We simply don’t have any technicians and engineers for any serious industrial projects,” he said.
Founded in 2014 and led by Yuri Duboisky, the Moderate party describes itself as politically centrist with the aim of combining civil liberties and moderate economic liberalism with environmental sustainability.
Their main goals are improving manufacturing and industry in Ontario, reducing taxes, promoting healthy eating and promoting renewable energy.
The party takes issue with Canada’s system of social democracy and how “power has been kept in the hands of two major political parties,” for too long, and suggests it would be better to have a party with no “political agenda” to bring together the “best minds from both sides” with an impartial committee to vote on major proposals.
For more information about the party's campaign, visit its website.