Thumbs up for Tony Martin

For Tony Martin, it feels a lot like 1990.

That was the year the former soup kitchen manager was first elected as Sault MPP, riding a tidal wave of NDP popularity that brought Bob Rae to power in a majority government.

Today, Martin is preparing to seek a fourth term of office.

He has a new campaign office across the street from Ernie's Coffee Shop. (Please don't tell Premier Ernie Eves, but Martin has been recently sighted there dining on Ernie burgers.)

Last night, local New Democrats held their annual general meeting at the Steelworkers Hall, and formally launched Martin's campaign in the as-yet-uncalled provincial election.

Martin's best guess is that the governing Tories will be forced to call an election shortly after next week's controversial budget, which will be presented at community meetings and by interactive satellite and Internet broadcast instead of at the traditional venue, the Ontario Legislature.

By Martin's reckoning, that means we could be going to the polls on April 24, May 1 or May 8 (these things are always done on a Thursday).

Clearly, the opposition parties are on orange alert for an imminent election.

Gayle Broad is his campaign manager

Martin's campaign manager (none other than Gayle Broad, president of the Ontario NDP) took out a full-page advertisement in today's Sault Star (which interestingly enough, didn't bother to send anyone to last night's campaign launch).

Also in high gear is Liberal candidate David Orazietti, who's been knocking on doors nightly and was in his new campaign office across from Memorial Gardens when we dropped in last night. Background

Martin says it feels like 1990 again, both province-wide and here in Sault Ste. Marie.

"There's a feeling out there that's not dissimilar to 1990. The only thing that's dissimilar is that this time, we're ready for it," Martin says.

Party memberships have more than doubled

He points to favourable polls, and the fact that party memberships have more than doubled in the past six months, both here in the Sault and province-wide.

For the first time ever, the party is receiving financial support from the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, Martin says.

He points out that the New Democrats are attracting some notable candidates in this election.

For example, Sid Ryan, high-profile Ontario president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, is running in Oshawa.

Earl Manners, the equally high-profile president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF), is the party's candidate in Haliburton-Victoria-Brock. (Interestingly, local OSSTF president David Orazietti is running for the Liberal Party here in Sault Ste. Marie.)

Martin's prediction

All this buzz around the party makes Tony Martin confident that the NDP will at least end up holding the balance of power in a minority government.

It's not out of the question that the New Democrats could form the next government of Ontario, he tells SooToday News.

To access the full text of the NDP's Northern Ontario platform, please click here.

Photo coverage of Martin's campaign launch

Bud Wildman, Peter Denley Guest speaker Gilles Bisson, MPP Timmins-James Bay Party faithful Tony Martin gets a halo

New executive elected

About 50 people turned up at last night's annual meeting/campaign launch. Here's the newly elected 2003 executive for the Sault Ste. Marie NDP Riding Association:

President - Paul Lalonde

Federal vice president - Shawn Meades

Provincial vice president - Statton Orchard

Federal treasuer - Theresa Sweezey

Provincial treasurer - Madge Sanderson

Secretary - Susan Hall

Membership secretary - Ray Dawson

Youth officer - Todd Walton