Lambton-Kent-Middlesex will remain a Progressive Conservative (PC) riding for the next few years.
MPP Monte McNaughton was re-elected in the riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex for a fourth term Thursday night.
McNaughton was first elected in 2011. He was named Ontario Minister of Labour, Training, Skills Development in 2019 and previously served as Minister of Infrastructure.
An election night celebration was held at the Mount Brydges Royal Canadian Legion.
Chants of “four more years” could be heard as McNaughton stepped onto the podium to deliver his victory speech. He began by thanking his family and supporters.
While speaking with media, McNaughton said he’s excited to serve the riding again. He detailed his plans for the next few years, which include promoting the skilled trades, expanding infrastructure, and making life more affordable.
“By the end of this term, we’re going to have every single household in the province of Ontario connected to broadband high-speed internet so that’s going to benefit the people of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex,” he said. “Life’s become unaffordable for so many people so that sticker fear reduction, ensuring we keep hydro prices affordable… those are going to be important initiatives.”
McNaughton also eluded to past “accomplishments” in regards to the redevelopment of the Wallaceburg hospital.
“One of my biggest accomplishments is delivering a brand new hospital for the people in Wallaceburg. There’s been a lot of history around that hospital — I mean, I remember being at protests 15 years ago with thousands of people from the community. They were going to close that hospital and today, they’re getting a brand new hospital.”
McNaughton also said there’s a lot of opportunities for growth in rural communities moving forward.
“There’s going to be a lot of people relocating to our rural communities, which I think is a great thing because it ensures that our local schools are populated, [and] we’ve got families to support our local arenas,” he said. “Housing is going to be a big issue and we’ve committed to building 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years.”
Unofficial election results by 10:50 p.m. reported that McNaughton had 59 per cent of the votes with a margin of over 14,600 votes.
New Democratic Party candidate Vanessa Benoit finished second, followed by Ontario Liberal Party candidate Bruce Baker and New Blue Party of Ontario candidate David Barnwell. Other candidates included Green Party of Ontario candidate Wanda Dickey, Ontario Party candidate Aaron Istvan Vegh, and None of the Above Direct Democracy Party Dean Eve.
-With files from Colin Gowdy
