Thursday, July 29, 2010

Someone Else Wants Murdoch's Job

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Grey Bruce
by Jonathon Jackson    

There's a third candidate for the Progressive Conservative nomination in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound in the next provincial election.

Bill Walker announced his candidacy on Thursday morning in his home community of Hepworth.

He's a political newcomer, but he is a longtime community activist.

Walker says he's a different Bill, referring to outgoing longtime MPP Bill Murdoch, but he has the same interest in representing the people of the riding.

Walker says Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound needs a strong member who will stand up for issues that are important to this area of the province.

Those issues include health care, energy and education, but he cites the Green Energy Act as a particularly flawed piece of legislation that unjustly takes local control of wind farms away from municipalities, where it belongs.

Walker's work career includes stints in municipal government, the health care sector and tourism, where his jobs have included coordinator of the Wiarton Willie Festival.

Walker was also the organizer of the Wiarton Terry Fox Run for 10 years as well as a chairperson of a number of area special events.

He was also part of hospital campaigns in Lion's Head and in Wiarton.

Currently Walker works for Bruce Power and lives in Port Elgin, which is in the neighbouring Huron-Bruce riding. But he says his close and continuing ties to the Bruce Peninsula make him a solid candidate to represent Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.

Two other people have announced they intend to seek the PC nomination.

South Bruce Peninsula Councillor Mark Wunderlich and Durham area raw milk farmer Michael Schmidt will seek the nomination.

The nomination meeting to replace Bill Murdoch as the Conservative candidate for Bruce Grey Owen Sound will be held on October 6th.