Hamilton

Ontario election 2014: Kathleen Wynne pledges support for agri-food sector

Ontario Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne pledged support for the province's agri-food sector and GO Transit at her campaign stop in Waterdown on the last weekend before the election, while continuing to field questions about the gas plants cancellation scandal.

Liberal leader makes stop at candidate Ted McMeekin's campaign office in Waterdown

Liberal candidate Ted McMeekin, left, greets Ontario Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne in front of his campaign office in Waterdown, in northern Hamilton. (Sunnie Huang/CBC)

Ontario Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne pledged support for the province's agri-food sector and GO Transit at her campaign stop in Waterdown on the last weekend before the election, while continuing to field questions about the gas plants cancellation scandal.

Wynne toured the Waterdown Farmers' Market in the northern Hamilton community before meeting with Liberal supporters Saturday morning at the campaign office of Ted McMeekin, Liberal candidate for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale. 

Wynne said she will build on the strength of the province's agri-food sector, which she said contributes over $30 billion to Ontario's economy. Part of her job prosperity plan includes the investment of $40 million a year for 10 years to support the sector, she said.

"That means whether it's traditional manufacturing, whether it's traditional food processing, we need to find those businesses and work with them so they can become advanced manufacturing," she said.

Dodging a question about disagreement among some Liberal candidates on the controversial downtown Hamilton LRT decision, Wynne shifted the focus to GO service and said getting full-day, two-way GO service for the city is a "high priority."

"Every time I come to the Hamilton region, I hear about the desperate need for that kind of connectivity," she told local Liberal supporters.

In response to reports Saturday morning that Progressive Conservative Party Leader Tim Hudak is questioning whether Wynne's transition team was linked to the alleged destruction of documents related to the cancellation of two gas plants, Wynne said it is not true.

“They had no access to that information. We know that information is with the Legislative Assembly.”

Wynne added that it is not appropriate for her to interfere in an ongoing investigation.

On the possible outcome of a minority government, Wynne said she will work with whatever configuration the voters decide.

After wrapping up her Waterdown stop, Wynne then headed to Niagara Falls. She planned to be back in Hamilton at 4:15 p.m. to meet with local Liberals at Unit 2, 23 Redmond Dr.