Members of the citizen’s action group, We Are Oshawa, confronted Oshawa’s long time MPP, Jerry Ouellette, outside the $40-a-seat Oshawa Chamber of Commerce all-candidate debate on Thursday morning.  The group says it is unacceptable that Oshawa’s 19 year incumbent MPP chose not to show up to the People’s Debate that focused on social issues, such as retirement security and poverty, which was free and open to the public.  We Are Oshawa partnered with students to host the People’s Debate which was held at the Regent Theatre on May 29^th. 

“As a student and a young parent, I cannot afford to spend $40 to hear my MPP speak,” says one of We Are Oshawa’s spokespeople, Jesse Cullen.  “I contacted Mr. Ouellette’s campaign personally over a half dozen times to invite him and he didn’t even have the courtesy to return our phone calls or emails.”

"His silence speaks loudly as to what his priorities are", adds Tiffany Balducci.  “It is clear to us that Mr. Ouellette is more interested in pandering to corporate and business interests than to listening to the concerns of working class and those living in poverty in our community.”

For more information, please contact:

Jesse Cullen: 905.441.9112

Tiffany Balducci: 905.391.1571