WELLAND - It's unlikely
residents in the Welland-Thorold riding will see Freedom
Party candidate Barry Fitzgerald knocking on their door.
It's not that he and campaign manager, Chris Patterson, don't want your vote or aren't committed to the party - they just think there's a better way.
"Other parties meet as many people as possible so that they don't have time to talk about the issues. They'll stand at a plant gate for 15 minutes when 200 people are coming in to work - how much time does that give them to talk to people," Fitzgerald said, as he talked about his campaign strategy.
"Going door-to-door is not a productive way of campaigning, especially in the summertime. We want to meet people where they have time to talk and discuss issues, so we're looking at meeting people in doughnut shops and maybe the malls."
Patterson, who is a student at Queen's University, said he became involved in the Freedom Party after seeing election signs in the 1988 byelection. "The signs said - free markets, free minds - so I sent away for more information. I found I agreed with what the Freedom Party said and after I met Barry at a meeting - I decided to get involved. I was impressed with Barry's efforts around the city."
Both men agree the party has a long way to go to make itself known to the electorate and to get Freedom Party candidates elected.
"We're hoping to make more people aware of us, to show them we exist is a major task in itself," Fitzgerald said. "We've found people haven't heard of us, despite our efforts."
"We want the party to grow," says Patterson. "The more votes we get, the more competitive we'll be in the future."
Both say campaigning will be easier when the printed material from Freedom Party headquarters arrives. It recently did.
"We are the other choice in the continuing high cycle of taxes," Fitzgerald said. "Other parties offer no alternatives in spending. The Liberals have spending plans, but they have to be financed; the Conserva- tives have complained about Liberal tax increases, yet they now call for a freeze ... but we know their freeze can be expected to thaw out at any time. And the NDP's plans to make the rich and the corporations pay are also totally unrealistic in acheiving their goals," Fitzgerald said.
"They also offer no real solutions as to how to decrease taxes," Patterson said.
Fitzgerald said the Freedom Party began six years ago in London, Ont., and will field 10 candidates in Ontario's Sept. 6 election.
Fitzgerald was the Freedom Party candidate in the 1988 byelection when he was defeated by incumbent MPP Peter Kormos.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Page
last updated on April 28, 2002
