Freedom Flyer 34

Staff: Mariposa Times

Local Mariposa resident Charles Olito wants to be the next MPP for Victoria-Haliburton-Brock. Mr. Olito is running as a candidate for the Freedom Party and he says the reason he is running for office is "because of the attack by Government on the individual. I simply want to see some freedom and fairness return to the political arena. Is there a better reason to do so?"

Mr. Olito lives on a farm in Mariposa Township. Together with his wife, he raises farm animals and views farming as a way of life. Retired, he embarked on a career in teaching after he graduated from the University of Toronto Teachers College in 1969. He is grateful for the time he spent in teaching and he considers himself lucky for the many years of employment in a field he loves. However, he fears that unemployment and poor employment prospects will keep thousands of people from knowing the feeling of fulfillment a steady job can bring.

"What I want is a better Ontario for all of us" says Mr. Olito, "and the principle and the platform of the Freedom Party is 'A Better Ontario.' This is very much in line with my view of what a Democracy is." The choice of running as a Freedom Party candidate was, he says, very 'natural.' "Our choices in life are either regulated or taken away from us. High taxes prevent us from leading the kind of life we want. I believe that we should be treated equally before and under the law and be allowed to live in a society that allows a peaceful 'live and let live' existence. That's what the Freedom Party stands for and that's why I stand by the Freedom Party."

Mr. Olito believes that, "Victoria-Haliburton-Brock has not prospered under a Conservative rule," he says. He points out that under the Conservative government, provincial debt has actually increased by over $20 billion dollars. In this riding, and across the province, Mr. Olito is quick to point that property tax payers are at risk if they elect another Conservative government. "Provincial social and health programs like social housing, social assistance, subsidized child care, land ambulance service and public health are open-ended programs. They are totally susceptible to the state of the economy, and other demographic trends."

According to Mr. Olito, there are factors that can influence our economy overnight and the cost of these programs, which the Harris government downloaded to municipalities, could "go through the roof" overnight. "These are programs that must be paid for by the taxpayer on the property tax bill. If I were elected, I would work with municipalities to develop a plan to re-establish payments for these plans at the provincial level and not the local, municipal level."

Of course, Mr. Olito feels that he and other members of the riding have taken a step backward since the election of Harris and the Conservatives. He points to the chronic doctor shortage in many parts of Victoria-Haliburton, the barriers to sound Health care, the failure of the Conservatives to fund a healthy educational system and economic stagnation in the area. "Many of these shortcomings are a sign of poor provincial policies but many are a sign of poor local representation. Other than a jail brought to this area, I see nothing that our Conservative M.P.P. has brought to the riding of Victoria-Haliburton-Brock. I mean, will the arrival of the jail spell good times for our residents? We need basic freedoms, economic prosperity and a 'Better Ontario' and I can work to deliver that once I am elected to Queens Park."

Mr. Olito does not have the comforts of a large infrastructure to run his campaign. He is running the entire operation out of his home office and he likes it like that. "I just want the residents of Ontario to start to think about what they want from a politician. I find that the 'mainstream' parties all blend in and here I am, working out of my home saying to you vote for me because I will work for you and not for any system. Let's make Ontario a better place."