The Northwest has given the nod to Sandra Pupatello.
MPP Michael Gravelle on Thursday publicly endorsed the former cabinet minister as his choice to lead the provincial Liberals when a new party leader is chosen next month. Thunder Bay-Atikokan Bill Mauro publicly threw his support behind Pupatello last month.
The Minister of Natural Resources said it’s his belief the 50-year-old Pupatello offers the strongest voice for Northern Ontario, a telling factor in his decision to back the former Windsor West MPP who left the political world in 2011 for the private sector and a job with PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Both first elected in 1995, Gravelle called her a special political performer, feisty and full of fight, someone who dealt the job creation while Minister of Economic Development and Trade.
“As much as I respect my other colleagues who are running, and have great affection for them, I just decided Sandra is the best person to represent Northern Ontario’s interests. She is focused on jobs and the economy in a fierce, but very positive way,” Gravelle said, adding Pupatello was a huge supporter of the Northern Ontario Growth Plan.
“She has a great social conscience as well, which is very important to us as Liberals. So I believe Sandra will be a very dynamic leader, a dynamic and remarkable premier and somebody who can also strongly lead us into the next election.”
With so many qualified candidates, it wasn’t an easy decision, Gravelle said.
“It was difficult for me, and while my health situation has had somewhat of an impact, it really was more about the fact I was tossing and turning this about in my mind for a period of time, because I really did feel there are a number of leadership candidates who would be excellent as leader and as premier,” he said.
“But ultimately I came down on the side of Sandra because she is a remarkable politician. She never backs down from a fight, she’s got a northern sensibility, and perhaps that’s because she does come from Windsor. Sandra is an incredible fighter and certainly will be able to take on Tim Hudak and Andrea Horwath. She knows how to get things done.”
Pupatello, along with fellow leadership hopefuls Kathleen Wynne, Charles Sousa, Ed Hoskins, Gerard Kennedy, Glen Murray and Harinder Takhar will be in Thunder Bay on Sunday for a northern debate at Lakehead University.
Gravelle said the timing of his endorsement was no coincidence.
“I thought it was important to get it out before the one northern leadership debate took place … I also wanted to have a chance to speak to my riding association, which I’ve actually done three or four days ago, told them what my choice would be and asked them to support me,” he said.
The leadership will be decided on Jan. 25-27 in Toronto.
