Mississauga News endorses Charles Sousa for Ontario Liberal Leader, says his private sector experience is "invaluable"

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A great endorsement from the major paper of Ontario's third largest city!

It’s time to put Charles in charge.

We endorse Sousa, the 54-year-old MPP for Mississauga South who has held three Cabinet posts since first being elected in 2007. He has a 20-year background in banking that could prove invaluable in dealing with Ontario’s financial challenges.

Read more here!

Youth support from across Ontario for Charles Sousa!

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I remember when I first started volunteering for Charles Sousa back in 2007. Charles had just been nominated as the Liberal candidate for the fall general election, following the departure of Tim Peterson from the Liberal caucus. Charles was a first time candidate running in a riding which had never voted Liberal provincially before 2003 against an incumbent the PC's were treating as a star candidate. I've seen as Charles' campaign has grown from his kitchen table and the back of his van to a province wide effort, and that's why I'm so proud to stand with Young Liberals from across Ontario who Charles has inspired to get involved.

Below is the release on Charles' youth support. I encourage you to share it across Twitter and Facebook if you support Charles.

http://www.votesousa.ca/youth-support

In the week leading up to the Ontario Liberal Party’s Leadership Convention on January 25^th, Sousa’s campaign continues to build with Sousa’s message of real renewal which has been resonating with youth from across the province.

“I am very grateful to have the support of so many engaged young people”, said Sousa. “Their enthusiasm and commitment to our party and our province is vital and extremely encouraging. Without them, there is no real renewal.”

With the opposition raising the spectre of another provincial election so soon after the last one, Sousa’s ability to lead the party is top of mind for many Liberals.

“Charles is a man I can see as Premier of Ontario, and someone I can see standing up there, defending our record against Horwath and Hudak. I think he is the right choice for these times and I am proud to support him,” said Roy Sengupta, Member of the Ottawa Centre Provincial Liberal Association.

His focus on creating jobs and growing the economy is resonating strongly with many students and recent graduates.

“Charles is running to be Ontario’s “Jobs Premier” and his plan to create and save jobs will greatly benefit recent university and college graduates like me,” said Tyler Anderson, studying at York University.

“He had me at ‘Jobs’,” added Abdullah Sherif, a Young Liberal from Scarborough Centre.

For others, it’s his social conscience and work at the community level that convinced them that Sousa is the right candidate for Premier.

“Charles inspires me to be a better person and to continue to get involved within the community. His loyalty to the people and his dedication to make a difference is why I have chosen to support him,” said Jessica Cabral, a Young Liberal from Mississauga-Brampton South.

Warren Bradley Clarke, VP Federal of the UTM Liberals said “Charles is the answer. His devotion, kind heart and strength are what distinguish him from the rest. ”

All agree that his leadership style and open, honest and inclusive campaign were key in their decision to support Sousa.

“I’ve been deeply impressed with the ideas-oriented and forward-looking campaign Charles has run. As a lifelong Mississauga resident I know how hard Charles has worked to represent his community and know that the whole province will benefit from his enthusiasm and determination,” said Kevin Draper, VP of the Mississauga East-Cooksville Federal Liberal Association and Director of the Trinity-Spadina Provincial Liberal Association.

“Charles is a great listener and great leader. I have complete confidence in his abilities to put this province on the track to great success,” said Brian Santos, Past President of the Cambridge Young Liberals.

Many of today’s endorsements come from delegates to the Ontario Liberal Party’s upcoming leadership convention in Toronto on the weekend of the 25^th-27^th.

Sousa is running to be Ontario’s Jobs Premier and has proposed several concrete steps we can take to create jobs now. For more information about his plan or to contact his campaign, visit www.votesousa.ca.

Vote for a jobs Premier, vote for Charles Sousa at your LEM today!

He's proven he can win. He has the business experience and financial acumen Ontario families trust. He's put forward bold ideas for renewing our party and growing the economy.

But he can't do it without you.

If you're an Ontario Liberal Party member and live in Easter, Central, or Northern Ontario, you need to get out to vote today! Here is a list of ridings and clubs that will hold LEMs today, and if you aren't sure where to vote, check out http://www.votesousa.ca/lem

EASTERN


Carleton-Mississippi Mills

Glengarry-Prescott-Russell

Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock

Kingston and the Islands

Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington

Leeds-Grenville

Nepean-Carleton

Northumberland-Quinte West

Ottawa Centre

Ottawa South

Ottawa West-Nepean

Ottawa-Orleans

Ottawa-Vanier

Peterborough

Prince Edward-Hastings

Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke

Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry

Nepean Women's Club

Ottawa-Orleans Women's Club

Carelton University Student Club

Queen's University Student Club

University of Ottawa Student Club



CENTRAL

Ajax-Pickering

Barrie

Bramalea-Gore-Malton

Brampton West

Brampton-Springdale

Dufferin-Caledon

Durham

Halton

Markham-Unionville

Mississauga East-Cooksville

Mississauga South

Mississauga-Brampton South

Mississauga-Erindale

Mississauga-Streetsville

Newmarket-Aurora

Oak Ridges-Markham

Oakville

Oshawa

Richmond Hill

Simcoe North

Simcoe-Grey

Thornhill

Vaughan

Whitby-Oshawa

York-Simcoe

Southern York Region Women's Club

University of Toronto - Mississauga



NORTHERN

Algoma-Manitoulin

Kenora-Rainy River

Nickel Belt

Nipissing

Parry Sound-Muskoka

Sault Ste. Marie

Sudbury

Thunder Bay-Atikokan

Thunder Bay-Atikokan

Thunder Bay-Superior North

Timiskaming-Cochrane

Timiskaming-Cochrane

Timmins-James Bay

Thunder Bay Area Women's Club

Laurentian University Student Club

Nippissing University Student Club

Charles Sousa Tele-Town Hall tonight!

Ring in the New Year by joining thousands of fellow Liberals for a Tele-Town Hall with Charles Sousa! Charles wants to hear what you have to say about the important issues facing Ontario and how we can best renew our province and our party. If you don't get a call from the campaign, you can phone 1-877-229-8493 and dial in 111348.

Hope you hear you on the call!

Charles Sousa: Why I'm running

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Got 60 seconds? Peep this video of Charles talking about why he is in the race for Ontario Liberal Party leader and why he wants to be your jobs Premier!

"Sousa sounded and looked very much like a man who would be comfortable as the next premier of the province."

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This article is a couple days old now, but I wanted to post it to show the extremely positive reception Charles received talking to local business leaders in Mississauga, while also outlining his vision to create jobs and grow the economy to protect our gains in health care and education.

Ontario's leaders must govern by addressing the long-term needs of the province, not by "just looking at the next election cycle," Mississauga South Liberal MPP Charles Sousa told the Mississauga Board of Trade this morning...

The second-term MPP pressed his home field advantage in front of an attentive audience at the Mississauga International Centre by outlining his policies to improve life in the GTA, which he said was burdened by both traffic gridlock and "political gridlock."

"It's all about growing the economy and jobs," the MPP said. "That will allow us to pay for the things that really matter — health care and education." 
Instead of headlines bemoaning the fact that traffic in the GTA is worse than it is in Los Angeles, Sousa said he wants to write a new economic story by implementing policies to create jobs and curb gridlock.
He outlined a five-point GTA plan that he claimed will put the 416 and 905 regions back on the road to prosperity.
"We can remove one complete layer of decision-making" by making Metrolinx responsible for MiWay, the TTC and all local transit systems in the GTA, he suggested.

It's finally time to build the high-speed rail connection from Windsor to Quebec City that every provincial government has talked about — but none has acted on — the Mississauga native said.
"It's time for action and we need to start with the Hamilton to Toronto and Toronto to Oshawa sections," he said.
Ontario must make significant long-term capital investments in high speed rail now because otherwise the economic benefit will be lost to the U.S., which is also looking at the prospect...

The former Labour and Immigration minister said the new policy he launched several weeks ago to attract more immigrants to Ontario is critical to meeting the province's future labour needs. "In the future 100 per cent of the net jobs will be filled by newcomers to Ontario."
Another long-term problem that has never been addressed, despite ongoing promises from every party, is the Ontario Condominium Act. Sousa promised "immediate reform” of the legislation to give owners a greater voice on condo boards and to force the licensing of condo managers.

Investing in post-secondary education in times of a down economy, such as the one we are in now, will pay huge dividends down the road as the economy recovers, argued the 54-year-old graduate of Gordon Graydon Secondary School.

He urged approval of a new university campus in neighbouring Milton, Ontario's fastest-growing municipality, as soon as possible. 
"We have the funding. We need to act,” he said.
At ease in front of the friendly MBOT audience, Sousa sounded and looked very much like a man who would be comfortable as the next premier of the province.
"We do have a strong foundation in this province  but we need to work together," he concluded. "It's not about the future of anyone's political stripe, it's about the future of the province." 

Check out the Charles Sousa plan for Northern Ontario!

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A great week for the Charles Sousa campaign! After solid performances in the all candidates debates, and fantastic youth turnout at our pub night and the UTM Winterfest, Charles Sousa has rolled out his plan for Northern Ontario in the run up to the Northern region leadership debate tomorrow. Take a look!

Ontario Liberal leadership candidate, Charles Sousa, has the right plan to create jobs for northern families.

His vision for the North will mean accelerated job creation, better transit and more local decision making.

His plan has three points:

1. Further develop the mining sector and speed up the Ring of Fire to create jobs for northern families.

The Ring of Fire is one of the largest chromite deposits in the world, offering enormous untapped potential to create jobs for northern families and economic benefit for all of Ontario. To fast-track development in the area, Sousa will:

• Work with investors to reach deals that create jobs and provide new net returns for Ontario in the North;
• Invest better transportation systems to the North;
• Expand energy transmission capacity; and
• Engage First Nations partners so that they share and benefit from job creation and economic stimulus.

“We need to act now to create these jobs. Developing the Ring of Fire will be my top priority for the North,” said Sousa.

2. Support a reliable and sustainable ONTC to connect northern communities.

The recent decision to divest the ONTC has many communities concerned about how they’ll travel between communities. “Transit is vital to continued growth and important to northern families. That’s why I am committed to a sustainable, reliable ONTC that connects the North and supports jobs,” said Sousa.

3. Act upon local input into decision-making and build municipal partnerships.

Like other regions of the province, people in the North need to know that their input is valued and their priorities will be acted upon. “Under my leadership, local solutions will come from local input, because not all good ideas come from the Premier’s office.”

Sousa is running to be Ontario’s Jobs Premier and has already put forward several concrete ways to create jobs now. More information is available online at www.votesousa.ca.