Page 9 - October 19, 2017

Thursday, October 19, 2017
sisTer aCT
The Independent
Page 9
Lyne Archer of Petrolia was taking a few snaps of her sister, Louise Aude e of Bright’s Grove among the scarecrows in Victoria Park in Petrolia. The display by the Volunteer
Business Group was taken down this week.
Heather Wright Photo
Case to run for NDP provincially
Warwick mayor says Liberals have disrespected rural Ontario
OCNA_Ad1_med 09.17.indd 1
17-09-26
7:56 PM
Heather Wright
ing. “We know we can make life even better for families in small and rural towns,” says Hor- wath in a news release. “As the mayor of Warwick, Todd has a record of ghting for what the people in his
With a few keystrokes you can sample thousands of opinions, a oat in a sea of information. But as the volume increases, the accuracy and reliability of professional journalism is essential.
Professional journalists are committed to balanced, independent and non-partisan reporting. They cut through the spin to give you the information and perspective you need.
With today’s information overload, gathering and sorting the facts, weighing and interpreting events, and following the story from beginning to end is more important than ever.
The Independent
The New Democrats in Lambton- Kent-Middlesex are ready for the next provincial election.
Todd community need – Case whether that’s good
The party has elected Todd Case as its candidate for the vote expected next spring.
local schools, invest- ment in local small businesses, lower
Case is currently the mayor of War- wick Township in Lambton County. He says the provincial government has forgotten rural Ontario.
hydro bills or health care that families can count on. He and I believe that families in the south-west need more services, not less.”
essential to democracy.
A strong and independent media is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Journalists hold o cials accountable to the people they are elected to represent, and they help citizens and communities to be informed.
“It’s not just a disconnect, it is disre- spect,” says Case.
Case also likes the NDP’s pharma- care plan.
an independent voice.
In a world of competing interests, journalists are committed to the principle of independence, and the pursuit of accuracy and fairness.
relentless.
Professional journalists follow the story—events and their impacts—long after the headline right to the end.
He points to issues like funding of small rural municipalities as proof of the disrespect. Case says his munici- pality has lost about $700,000 from the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund in the last ve years. He says that makes a huge impact in a small community. It’s an issue which lead him to be- come the NDP candidate.
The Liberals recently announced people under 25 would have free medication, just weeks after the NDP introduced its plan to pay for hundreds of common medications with a plan to add more to the list each year.
committed to the
public interest.
The rst allegiance of journalists is to citizens and pursuing stories for the broader public.
getting answers.
Journalists make it their business to go out and ask the questions and get the answers that citizens want.
creating
a forum for public debate.
Journalism seeks out controversial issues and accurately reports con icting points of view, to help foster an informed
public debate.
Case has run federally for the Liber- als but says he’s been a card carrying member of the provincial NDP for the last two provincial elections.
“Frankly, the Liberal plan wasn’t a bad move but it didn’t solve the real problem in our aging population.”
When the Liberal government started reducing funding to small municipal- ities, Case travelled to Queen’s Park to try to convince the government it was a bad idea.
But he says his main priority will be bringing fairness back to rural Ontario. “Things need to change. Government
telling the truth.
with a purpose.
At the time, he also met with the op- position leaders, including NDP Lead- er Andrea Horwath. And Case says he was impressed with her. “I align very well with Andrea Horwath’s platform,” he says adding the leader is “down-to- earth.”
needs to treat people equally. “People talk about the GTA, I talk
telling
“Every poll that’s put on out there, she’s the one leader people like - every time.”
Case is the second candidate to be nominated for the vote, which is ex- pected in June.
Explaining the context, balancing diverse points of view and presenting the complete picture are challenging goals, but essential ingredients of telling the whole story.
a watchdog over the powerful.
Journalism asks the hard questions. It plays a vital role as a watchdog over those in positions of power and in uence.
*This statement of principles was drawn from several sources, including the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), the Pew Research Journalism Project, and the American Press Institute.
Horwath was at the nomination meet-
The sitting MPP, Conservative Monte McNaughton, has also been named a candidate. The Liberals have yet to hold its nomination meeting.
And Case is also keen to nd ways to bring power rates down and likes the NDP plan to lower hydro rates and buy back Hydro One shares the Liberals have sold.
committed to
storytelling
about the GWA - the greater Warwick Area. Everyone should be treated fairly.”
the whole story.
It’s about uncovering and reporting the truth.
Journalism seeks the information that is most important to citizens and communities, and continually strives to present it in ways that are interesting and relevant.
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Nominations are open until November 30, 2017.
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Mansimran Anand Brampton, ON
2016 Ontario Junior Citizen