By Doug Draper
Joyce Morocco, a city councillor in Niagara Falls, Ontario, has been nominated by members of her Liberal Party to run in a byelection that could set the tone for an Ontario election, expected as soon as this coming spring.
Ontario Liberal candidate will run in Niagara Falls Riding byelection. At her side is veteran Liberal St. Catharines MPP and cabinet minister Jim Bradley. Photo by Doug Draper
Morocco was acclaimed to run for the Liberal at a meeting in Niagara Falls this past January 9th, and will face Conservative candidate and Niagara Falls regional councillor Bart Maves, a former MPP in the riding that includes Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-Lake during the Mike Harris years of a decade ago, and possibly Niagara Falls city councillor and CAW local 199 president Wayne Gates, who has announced his interest in running for the NDP.
The byelection will decide who replaces Kim Craitor, who was the Liberal MPP in the Niagara Falls riding for 10 years before suddenly resigning the position late last summer.
At the nomination meeting for Morocco, veteran St. Catharines Liberal MPP and the province’s environment minister Jim Bradley, praised her for her many years of community involvement in health care and other areas, and for her willingness to “listen to people” before deciding what position to support on issues.
“There are those in political life tat can tell you the cost of everything and the value of nothing,” said Bradley. “Joyce has a different approach to politics that is much more consultative and more consensus building.”
Niagara At Large is now posting the January 9th media release from the Joyce Morocco campaign for our readers’ information. NAL will also post information from the NDP nomination meeting, when it occurs, and from the Conservative Bart Maves camp.
Joyce Morocco Nominated as Ontario Liberal Candidate in Niagara Falls – Morocco will fight for jobs, security, and a new Niagara hospital
Niagara Falls, January 9th, 2014 – Joyce Morocco was nominated tonight as the Niagara Falls Liberal candidate, pledging to be a strong voice at the table with Premier Kathleen Wynne to fight for jobs, a new hospital, and wage and retirement security for local families.
“I’m running to be your MPP to fight at the table alongside Premier Kathleen Wynne to deliver for Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Fort Erie,” said Morocco. “I know times are tough for many, and we have a lot of work to do to ensure we’re creating and keeping the best jobs, investing in people, and building our community. I will fight hard as a member of the government to ensure that happens.”
Morocco has a strong record of delivering for Niagara by bringing a new Community Health Centre to the area and playing a leadership role in raising $9.2 million for a new ER as chair of the Greater Niagara General Hospital Foundation. Her active involvement in the community has been recognized with the Volunteer of the Year award by Festivals and Events Niagara.
As a Niagara Falls city councillor, a small business owner, and President of Destination Niagara, Morocco has dedicated herself to creating jobs and strengthening the region as a place where families can grow, find opportunity, and be proud to call home.
In her speech, Morocco detailed her plan to fight in government to support local job creation, wage and retirement security, and a new hospital.
“We need higher wages for the middle class and those trying to join it. We need good middle class jobs with decent pay and benefits. That’s why I’m so proud to have this opportunity to join Kathleen Wynne who is leading the charge on these vital issues,” said Morocco. “Tim Hudak will eliminate jobs, drive down wages, and weaken pensions. And the NDP has no plan at all and won’t present one because NDP ideas are bad for the economy. We remember what the NDP did to our economy when unemployment skyrocketed.”
Ontario Liberals recently pledged to take the next step toward a planning grant for a new Niagara hospital, and Morocco said she’ll make sure it gets built.
“I will fight to bring that hospital to Niagara Falls – and I’ll make it happen – because our communities need a state of the art health care facility,” said Morocco. “The other two parties both say they support a hospital – but where I come from, actions speak louder than words.
The NDP just voted against a new Niagara hospital at Queen’s Park, and local families know the PCs only close hospitals.”
“I will fight for you, with you alongside Premier Kathleen Wynne to deliver for Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Fort Erie,” concluded Morocco. “With the Premier at my side, and with all of you on our proud Niagara team, I am proud to be the Liberal nominee for this riding.”
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.)
Niagara At Large 
I love it. No talk about decreasing the cost of living (taxes, electricity, fuel costs…..) Just talk about increasing middle income wages! HELLO! who is going to pay for it….. Answer….. either business or government (which if you don’t know this yet means us the taxpayer). So I guess her answer is to make this province/region even more unattractive on both fronts. Higher taxes and higher resource costs……Where do they find these jokers!
Man these people just don’t get it do they!!!!!
And to see Bradley (the guy who introduced .05% BAC legislation in Ontario in an attempt to pander to MADD) makes me sick. Yeah I know its not right to drive impaired but having a couple of pints on the way home from work or a glass of wine or two with dinner doesn’t make a person blind as MADD would have us believe! He has personally circumvented the Charter of Rights and placed the police in a position of Judge Jury and Executioner. Wish we had the backbone BC has because if you will recall they quashed that bill, but hey we in Ontario wouldn’t say shit if our mouth was full of it.
Why he has been so resilient is testimony to the stupidity of the public in general!
Just sayin….
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By Government actions to date, I conclude the only reason Joyce Morocco (Niagara Falls Riding Liberal riding candidate) mentioned Fort Erie is because “The Fort” is part of the riding. While the horse people are making plans for the coming season the Premier is waiting for reports.
The Premier can arbitrarily decide to build a useless subway in Scarborough; she can do likewise, mak e a positive a decision on the future of the Fort Erie Race Track. The horse people are moving out because the Premier stalls to be enlightened. The owners and trainers are looking to other tracks for the summer meet. This action will create a negative economic impact on Fort Erie and neighbouring community.
The Premier gives employment to the seasonal workers to gather the grapes for the Wine Industry. She offers money to Niagara Falls to build a hospital that will not happen for another 10 years (over 20 years for the new St. Catharines Hospital). She gives Fort Erie the “back of her hand”.
McGuinty closed the Fort Erie Slots because it was losing money. What a crock! Suggestion: Keep the money in Canada, more important locally. The Government should ‘buy out’ the present owner (Nordic Gaming) and give it to the non profit consortium to run. It made money last year despite the Government stalling tactics!
By the time Premier Wynne gives the ok for the “Year of the Horse Festival” it will be the “Year of the sunken ship”.
Premier, Joyce, pay attention to Fort Erie Horse”.
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