Why I'm the best candidate: Ken Kirupa

I came to Ontario from Sri Lanka in 1988 to make a better life for my family, believing Ontario offered significant opportunities and rewarded innovators and hard-workers.  I started working two jobs to make ends meet, and after years of hard work, I have been able to provide a better life for my family.  Both of my children benefitted from the public school system; my son Darren recently started his career as a lawyer, and my daughter Dinoba recently completed her studies in Political Science at the University of Toronto.

The Ontario I arrived to 25 years ago was prosperous and there were opportunities for all.  However, over the last few years, I have been disappointed by the decline of our great province. As a resident of Scarborough-Guildwood, I understand the issues that affect our community every day.  My family attended schools here; use the transit system; and are cared for by local hospitals.   I have entered this race to give back and proudly represent a community and a province that has offered me so much.

I would bring a strong voice of accountability back to Queens Park.  Sadly, the current government has wasted billions of taxpayer dollars on botched ideas, secret deals, scandals, bloated bureaucracies, partisan decisions and overall mismanagement of funds.   Given the current state of our province, it has become clear that difficult decisions are required to put our province back on to a path of prosperity.  We can no longer continue on the current unsustainable path.

My professional career has consisted of over 9 years in the banking industry at one of the premier banks in Canada Bank of Montreal.  I currently work as a realtor with ReMax Crossroads Realty Inc.  These roles have provided me a greater understanding of the impact that the current jobs and economy crisis has had on ordinary Ontarians.  I have witnessed firsthand a declining labour market impacting families throughout Ontario – personal debts have risen, and retirement savings have been dipped into.  The latest statistics have put unemployment in our community at over 13% compared to the provincial rate of about 7%. As your representative, I will champion jobs for our community, especially for our youth, as part of the comprehensive Ontario PC plan to put us back onto a path of prosperity. 

I have been campaigning in Scarborough-Guildwood since late last year and I have heard from my neighbours that subways continue to be a priority for our community.  Gridlock in our city costs us over nine billion dollars in lost economic productivity, and we need to act now to address the current and future transit needs and to unlock the economic potential for our community.  The Ontario PC party brought a motion in March 2012 to bring subways to Scarborough, but the Liberals voted it down.  Now, in the midst of a by-election, the Liberals have chosen to change their view. A government that has pulled these tricks before will not fool the people of Scarborough.  I am the only candidate that is truly committed to delivering subways to Scarborough.   A fiscally prudent government can deliver this promise as part of a long-term vision for economic development without the use of new tax tools that would disproportionately affect our community financially.

Scarborough-Guildwood is a community that has disproportionally been affected by senseless acts of violence.  This is a problem that cannot be oversimplified; it deserves a multi faceted approach from all levels of government.  As a voice for our community, I will pressure the provincial government to take a serious comprehensive approach of relevant education, economic development, law and order and community development to address the violence in my community; one that has not been a priority for the current government. 

My interests in politics are founded in the belief that community service is important.  Ontario has made possible a life that I could not have imagined over 25 years ago.  I am passionate about Scarborough and as your MPP, I will hold government accountable and deliver economic growth and jobs to the community.  As your neighbour and representative in Scarborough-Guildwood, I will commit to the issues that are important to us and bring a voice of change to Queens Park.