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The voters have spoken, and once again, you have placed your trust in MPP Caroline Mulroney and Premier Doug Ford. I extend my sincere congratulations to Caroline and her team for their hard work and dedication throughout this campaign, especially given the challenging weather conditions we all faced. I would also like to thank all the other candidates who braved the ice and snow to provide York-Simcoe with another political option. It takes courage to run.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to my wife, Nicole, and my sons, Blake, Brennan, and Moe, for their unwavering support and hard work. Thanks also to my parents, my mother-in-law, and all of my family for their encouragement. I deeply appreciate the financial support from my donors and everyone who motivated me along the way.
It’s clear that the fear of tariffs has been a major concern for many voters. Premier Ford and his team have successfully leveraged this issue, positioning Doug Ford as “Captain Canada” in upcoming negotiations with President Trump. I sincerely hope he succeeds in these efforts. While we may not always agree on what “true conservatism” means, I will always support initiatives that strengthen York-Simcoe, Ontario, and Canada. My priority is the success of our region, province, and country — above any political affiliation.
For those of you with questions about the New Blue party, I encourage you to reach out to me at [email protected]. York-Simcoe has long been a strong conservative riding, and I believe you deserve a true conservative option. Many of you have expressed concerns about the possibility of another Liberal (Wynne, McGuinty) or NDP (Rae) government, or even a Trudeau-like administration. You see the PC party as your only defence against left-wing policies.
But I urge you to closely watch the PC party over the next four years. Ask yourself:
- Are Premier Ford and the PC party truly conservative?
- Do their policies align with the principles of common-sense conservatism?
- Are they standing up for the values you expect, much like Pierre Poilievre does at the federal level?
If they do, then great — Ontario wins, and I will gladly focus my efforts elsewhere. But if they don’t, the New Blue party will continue to fight for a true conservative alternative, bringing balance to Ontario’s political landscape.
One major concern in this election was the lack of media coverage for our party. Did you see our leader, Jim Karahalios, on any mainstream media platform? Despite being the fifth-largest political party in Ontario, running 108 candidates, we received little to no coverage.
On a local level, I want to thank Karen Wolfe (Rogers TV) for interviewing candidates who were willing to participate (only four did), and Michael Owen and editor Chris Simon (BradfordToday) for their thorough coverage of issues through candidate interviews. (Only five participated.) However, it was disappointing that there were no live debates or meet-the-candidate events in York-Simcoe. In past elections, we had debates in Georgina and candidate meetings in Bradford. Why was this absent this time? Was it due to timing, voter apathy, candidate avoidance, or something else? Regardless, I believe we need more community engagement in the political process.
As for me, I will continue to speak out — on social media, at municipal council meetings, and wherever I see issues that need addressing. If you ever need a voice, reach out to me, and I will do what I can to help.
Thank you, York-Simcoe.
Brent Fellman
New Blue party candidate, York-Simcoe
