BARRIE, Ont. – Principles are important to Stephen Hufnagel.
In fact, says the Ontario Party candidate in Thunder Bay-Superior North, he’s based his whole life around them.
Now it’s time to take them to Queen’s Park.
Hufnagel, who lives in Barrie, Ont., said the province needs to live by a strong set of values, not just for families, but for life and society as a whole.
“Up until now, there hasn’t been any party that I’ve seen that has had a platform that they’re willing to stand behind that has reflected the same principles and values that we hold to as a family and as Christians,” Hufnagel said, reached by Zoom in southern Ontario.
The other parties don’t really know what they stand for, changing platform planks each time the wind changes direction.
That’s no way to govern, Hufnagel said.
It’s especially harmful in the education sector, where his wife teaches kindergarten in the public school system.
“We have seen the education system degraded, not just by the Wynne government, but by the Ford government, that promised to make changes to it and what did he do? He just basically reinstated it. In kindergarten they’re not even taught to read or write, in a way that is functional,” Hufnagel said.
“They’re playing.”
Hufnagel said rather than producing children that are able to think, the education system is producing robots that simply follow instructions.
“Basically everything the (Ontario Party) stands for I can completely agree with,” Hufnagel said.
“They’re touching on all the important facets of what makes a society thrive.”
Hugnagel said it’s clear the Northern Ontario economy has been hurt by government policy, an area that needs to be addressed.
“Even the roads, that are critical to the economy in the North, is something the Ontario Party is going to take a stand toward improving,” Hufnagel said, promising to make Northern Ontarians voice to the legislature by taking the time to listen.
“Being in politics isn’t something for me, it’s for the people.”
