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Amaroso gets Liberal nomination, says Sault needs to have a voice at the table

Sault's first female mayor said she will campaign on experience as elected leader, ability to work with all political stripes
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Terry Sheehan, Sault Ste. Marie MP, with Debbie Amaroso, after she was officially nominated to be the Liberal candidate for the yet-to-be-called provincial byelection for the Sault riding, Apr. 29, 2017. Darren Taylor/SooToday

Debbie Amaroso, former Sault Ste. Marie mayor and city councillor, formally accepted the Sault Ste. Marie Provincial Liberal Association’s nomination Saturday to run as the party’s candidate for the Sault riding in a yet-to-be-called byelection.

Amaroso will be running for an unpopular Liberal government helmed by Premier Kathleen Wynne, but emphasized she will be running to represent the Sault as an experienced political leader in what will still be a Liberal majority government for another year .

“Certainly, I think experience helps, absolutely, and we can’t deny the fact that I have worked hard for this community and have delivered successful results before and I’m certainly hoping to be able to have the opportunity to do that again,” Amaroso told reporters after the nomination meeting at the Water Tower Inn.

“I really sincerely believe that this is an opportunity for Sault Ste. Marie,” Amaroso said of her candidacy.

“We are a year away from an election, the Liberals maintain their majority government…and so I think we need to be at the table, we need to be able to capitalize on this next year, to bring back some opportunities,” Amaroso said.

“The Port of Algoma is something that’s critically important to move forward in this community and I want to be able to see if we can do more with that in the next year.  I think that there has been some movement with OLG and I think there’s more that can be done in this next year.”

“Those are the things I worked on when I was mayor and I think that in this next year we have the opportunity to push forward (with those projects),” Amaroso said.

“I think it needs to be made clear that this byelection will not change the government of the day.  It will continue to be a Liberal majority government and so we in Sault Ste. Marie need to be able to capitalize on that opportunity.”

“Do we want to be at the table, or do we not want to be at the table?  I believe we have greater experience being at the table.”

Amaroso said she is pleased with the Liberal government’s budget, introduced in the Legislature Thursday, especially in regard to items concerning health care.

The government announced it would launch a pharmacare program for anyone under 25, regardless of income, and a three per cent funding increase for hospitals (an additional $7 billion in health care spending over the next three years).

The Progressive Conservatives and NDP have each emphasized hydro costs as a defining issue provincially and in the Sault riding.

Amaroso, however, indicated she does not want the byelection campaign to be hemmed in by one issue.

“I know hydro is a major, burning issue and I know that’s an issue that’s upset a lot of people, but I think the announcements that have come (from Premier Kathleen Wynne) with 25 per cent decreases coming up on the urban bills and up to 42 per cent on the rural bills will start remediating that type of disparity, it’s important that has happened, but that’s something the other parties are taking task with.”

“I’m focusing on Sault Ste. Marie (on a number of different issues), I think that’s where our focus needs to be for the next year.”   

“We are just a little over a year away from a provincial election and we need to make the most of this upcoming year.  We need to focus on key community issues and creating sustainable positive change here in Sault Ste. Marie,” Amaroso said in a speech to party members gathered at Saturday’s nomination meeting.

“That means we need an MPP down at Queen’s Park fighting for us, an MPP with the experience of fighting for our community,” Amaroso said, pointing to her good working relationships with city hall, federal MP Terry Sheehan (who formally nominated Amaroso at Saturday’s meeting) and the current cabinet.

“As your Mayor, I showed you how to get things done collaboratively…I did that by working together with my colleagues regardless of their political stripe.  You saw me working with both our former Conservative MP and our former Liberal MPP.  The results were securing OLG for our community and investments in the Port of Algoma, thus bringing the potential of real economic growth,” Amaroso said.

Speaking to reporters, Amaroso repeated she will be basing her campaign on her experience, as a former mayor and city councillor, to work with people from all ends of the political spectrum.

“I have always prided myself on really looking at results and not politics, I have prided myself on my ability to bring people together, no matter what their political stripe…that’s one of my strong points.  It’s up to the community now to allow me to have that opportunity to fight for Sault Ste. Marie once again.”

She also spoke of her efforts, as mayor, to keep taxes low and deliver improvements to local roads, bridges and public transit.

The byelection for Sault Ste. Marie, which must be called by June 30, 2017, will elect a representative to succeed former Liberal MPP David Orazietti, whose time as Sault MPP expired Dec. 31, 2016 after he announced his intention to leave provincial politics.

Ross Romano will be running as the Sault’s Progressive Conservative party candidate, while Joe Krmpotich will be flying the NDP’s colours.

Amaroso’s campaign office will be opening at 109 Queen Street East (“within the next week or so,” she said).


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Darren Taylor

About the Author: Darren Taylor

Darren Taylor is a news reporter and photographer in Sault Ste Marie. He regularly covers community events, political announcements and numerous board meetings. With a background in broadcast journalism, Darren has worked in the media since 1996.
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