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4- The Oakville Beaver, Friday October 12, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Faith-based school funding issue hampered Byers' campaign By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF SABRINA BYRNES / OAKVILLE BEAVER GOOD TIMES: Kevin Flynn shares a laugh with long-time Liberal campaign volunteer Jack Burkholder (left) and former Oakville mayor Harry Barrett on Wednesday night. Race turns into a laugher for Flynn Continued from page 1 With live footage of Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory's concession speech projected on a mammoth screen in the background the victorious Flynn took the podium, along with those who had run his campaign, to address a crowd of over 100 people who had turned out to support him. "This tops four years ago," began Flynn. "The last time a Liberal MPP was re-elected in back to back elections in Oakville was in 1937. What you've done tonight hasn't been done for 70 years." Despite the size of his lead, Flynn was by no means certain of victory. Before the polls started coming in, Flynn's campaign workers waited with apprehension to see which way the tide would turn. As tables were fitted with red tablecloths and dozens of red and white balloons were set up along with `Re-elect Kevin Flynn' signs, the campaign workers waited to see whether their work had paid off. "It all boils down to this day," said Campaign Co-Manager Wendy Bodnoff. "We've been going at it for weeks and everything we've done boils down to this day." For Steven Muir, who has been helping the campaign by answering phones, putting together signs and canvassing, far more is on the line than the victory or defeat of his candidate. "I work at his constituency office, so I hope I still have a job tomorrow," he said. Even Flynn admitted to being nervous as the time for the release of the first poll results approached. "You never know until the polls come in. This is the poll that counts," he said. "They've done all these surveys over past few weeks and months and they've all said different things. This is the one that counts tonight." Flynn's apprehension at the com- "I think I have been honest with the people of Oakville. I've been accountable to them. I've kept in touch with them." Victorious Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn ing results, however, was tempered with confidence and hope that the good work he has done for the town over the last four years will be recognized. "I've done the best job I could possibly do, I think, under the circumstances, under what we were left with. I think I've been honest with the people of Oakville. I've been accountable to them. I've kept in touch with them. We've tried to bring Queen's Park back to Oakville instead of the other way around," said Flynn. "The people of Oakville are very discerning voters. They expect you to be accountable. They hold you to a pretty high standard here, you have to know the issues and I'm hoping I've proven that over the last four years, and that the people are going to respond that way." Every time CBC broadcast the Oakville riding numbers, they were greeted with cheers and applause from those present at the campaign party. With every new set of Oakville numbers, the campaign workers, who had been biting their nails only hours earlier, could be seen breathing a collective sigh of relief. "As soon as things started looking good this wash of calm just came over me," said Bodnoff. Concern still existed among some supporters that the large advanced poll results might cause a sudden upset, but as the evening continued this never materialized. At about 10:39 p.m. Byers and his wife Margot walked through the doors of the banquet hall to congratulate his opponent and offer his con- cession. In a rare moment of civility for Canadian politics, the former adversaries took the stage and addressed the crowd. "Politics and politicians sometimes get a bad rap because quite often political campaigns can go in the wrong direction. Quite often they become about personalities and they don't become about the issues," said Flynn. "I have to say that in this campaign I ran against a gentleman who proved himself to be just that. A gentleman who spoke well for his party, spoke well for what his party represented and who I think is a credit to the people of Oakville. I'm not sure if you're allowed to develop a friendship (with an opponent) in a campaign, but we've come pretty close to that." As Flynn turned the microphone over to Byers the audience cheered and applauded in a louder and more sustained display than any other of the evening. "I can tell you that I admire our MPP a lot," said Byers. "We're going to have dinner after this campaign is over and talk about the ins and outs of what went right and what went wrong. We're not going to talk about school policy at all, I can tell you that. Politics is a tough game and I want to tell you that I'm very proud of the campaign we ran. We're holding our heads up very high for this and I give my sincere congratulations to Kevin, Janice and the whole team here. You ran an excellent campaign and good luck over the next four years, I know you'll do very well." With the pressure of the election behind him, Flynn noted that the remainder of the evening would be spent thanking all those who had helped him and supported him during the campaign as well as welcoming the newly-elected Liberal MPPs to the fold. "This is a night for friends," he said. Ninety minutes after the polls closed, Rick Byers knew it was over. Before visiting a group of party faithful Wednesday night, the Progressive Conservative candidate stopped by the election party for Liberal incumbent Kevin Flynn to concede. It was just after 10:30 p.m. Byers was trailing Flynn by more than 1,000 votes at that point. Joined by his wife, Margot, and two of his sons, Byers was later greeted by an appreciative crowd of supporters gathered at Deerfield Golf Club. "We all have dreams, and sometimes dreams come true, and sometimes they don't," an emotional Byers told the more than 30 supporters present. "It helps when you have people who care for you and support you. I am proud to have worked with you all." An investment banker with the DEREK WOOLLAM / OAKVILLE BEAVER Bank of Montreal, Byers unsuccessfully sought office at the feder- CONSOLATION HUG: al level with the Conservative party Conservative candidate Rick Byers in both the 2000 and 2004 elec- gets a hug from his wife Margot. tions. John Tory, it's a challenging night He said the decisive issue introfor our party," Byers told the duced by PC leader John Tory ­ crowd. funding for faith-based schools ­ His main message for supportmay have been the difference here. ers on election night was, despite "Had the issue not been introthe results, to remain proud of duced, the result would be different their campaign efforts. tonight," he said. "But it was intro"I was hoping the result would duced, it was a reality of the cambe closer here, but I'm very proud paign." of our effort," he said. Byers said he spoke to Tory Byers told supporters Flynn about faith-based funding and may spoke highly of have influenced the Oakville PCs. "I think, honestly, the leader to "He was very change his mind we were caught up gracious in his and offer a free in an issue that acknowledgevote on the issue really dominated ment of our camin parliament. paign," he said. "I the campaign." "I think, hontold everyone that estly, we were we're holding our Oakville Conservative caught up in an heads up very issue that really candidate Rick Byers high here at the dominated the PC campaign." campaign," Byers said. Byers thanked his "small but Local Federal Conservative cantough and able" team for its work, didate Terence Young, in attenled by campaign manager Michael dance to support his provincial Walker. counterpart on election night, sec"I can tell you without hesitaonded that. tion, I am very proud of the cam"It felt more like a referendum paign that we all waged in to me than an election on one Oakville." issue," he said. "The only issue peoAs for whether he'll run again, ple were talking about was faiththat's up in the air. based funding for schools. There "These are difficult decisions," were a lot of important issues that Byers said, smiling. "I've offered didn't get discussed in this elecmyself to the community of tion." Oakville three times now, and three Tory, too, lost his Toronto area times they've said no. We'll make riding Wednesday night. that decision some time in the "This is a challenging night for future."