‘I'm disappointed that one of my arch rivals has just announced he's substituting in my place’
Haldimand County Mayor Ken Hewitt will be running for the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party in the upcoming election, and Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett isn't pleased.
After 27 years of service to the province and the great people I represent, I'm disappointed that one of my arch rivals has just announced he's substituting in my place," Barrett said in an April 20 interview with The Sachem.
When asked why he views Hewitt that way, Barrett said, It's been pretty public, some of the disagreements that we have had."
Barrett cited several times where Hewitt, as well as Norfolk Mayor Kristal Chopp and the area's former chief medical officer of health Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, put out messaging that ran counter to the Ontario government's in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Barrett specifically mentioned a media event where Hewitt and Chopp got haircuts to demonstrate against provincial mandates against hairdressers operating at that time, flying in the face of the government caution and the caution from the medical officer of health," Barrett said.
These disagreements ... doubled our workload for a year, year and a half," said Barrett. It created so much confusion, and that's not how you operate during what's probably been the largest crisis since the Second World War."
Barrett said he and Hewitt have also not seen eye-to-eye when responding to topics such as the ongoing demonstrations by the 1492 Land Back Lane group and their supporters, infrastructure, etc. Barrett said these instances (reflect) poorly on the working relationship between the province and the municipality."
On a more personal level, Barrett expressed frustration that he had not been able to make the announcement that he would not be running for re-election himself, as on the morning of April 20, a community newspaper in Norfolk published an article where Hewitt confirmed that he would be running as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the riding.
I'm disappointed that Mayor Hewitt sent out something before I did," Barrett said. It does not work that way. I've been in this business long enough, and I know how it works ... I make the announcement; not somebody else."
The party also issued a news release on April 20 stating that Hewitt would be running in the Haldimand-Norfolk riding; it did not mention Barrett.
Barrett said he's not running in the upcoming election because I just feel that another four years would be more than I would want to do, or maybe more than I should subject ... the good people across Haldimand County and Norfolk County (to)."
However, he added that he loves the work, and is honoured to have been re-elected so many times.
It's a wonderful job, to be able to serve people," Barrett said, praising his staff for all of their contributions over the years.
As to what will come next, Barrett said, I'm going to drive my truck around the back roads of Haldimand-Norfolk and listen to my dog bark out the window ... Sounds like a redneck thing to say, but my dog loves riding in the truck."
The Sachem has not been able to reach Hewitt for comment.