Conservative candidate Kim will take Council leave during campaign

As local candidates prepare for an anticipated Federal election this month, a significant change could take place around Aurora's municipal table as Councillor Harold Kim prepares to hit the campaign trail as the Conservative candidate for Newmarket-Aurora.

The two-term Councillor, who has served as Deputy Mayor since the 2018 municipal election, secured the party's nomination on Thursday night at the Newmarket branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Once the election is called, Councillor Kim says he will seek a leave of absence from Council for the duration of the campaign as he faces off against incumbent Liberal Tony Van Bynen and candidates from across the political spectrum.

Councillor Kim came out on top over former MP Lois Brown, who twice represented the riding in Ottawa but came up short as the party's candidate in the last two Federal elections.

Until recently, the field to challenge Van Bynen was more crowded with incumbent Aurora Councillor Rachel Gilliland in the mix, along with former broadcaster Teresa Kruze. Ms. Kruze dropped out of the race earlier this year and threw her support behind Brown, while Councillor Gilliland's exit was more recent.

“I wish to extend my sincere congratulations to Harold on his nomination,” said Councillor Gilliland. “I had stepped aside from the nomination a few weeks ago. I have a lot of unfinished business in Aurora and have been encouraged by many residents to stay at a municipal level. I look forward to continuing to serve my community and collaborating with other levels of government.”

Despite her long standing as Newmarket-Aurora's Conservative candidate, Brown was a more recent entry in the field receiving party approval to stand for the nomination in early July.

This decision, she said, meant she “only had a week” to secure support from local party faithful and sell memberships, but said she was “undeterred” by the challenge.

But there could only be one winner and Kim praised his predecessor while accepting the party's nomination.

“I just want to thank Lois,” said Kim after being introduced by Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill MP Leona Alleslev at the August 5 meeting. “It was a hard time in the last few weeks even thinking about Lois as an opponent because I respect her and love her very much as a fellow human being and a Conservative. She leaves behind a huge legacy.”
Speaking to The Auroran the afternoon following his victory, Kim said he was “still in shock” and “absorbing” the reality of the situation.

“I have a lot of work to do,” he said about speculation an election could be called as early as this week. “It doesn't give our team much opportunity to prepare and get all the things done I would like in a timeframe we would like. I am conscious of the fact I am really going to have to hit the ground running. It's a daunting task, but I am excited about it and the team is excited about it.”

Kim says be brought not only fresh ideas to the table as a candidate, but also a “strong track record” with his Council service and a background in banking and finance.

“Fiscal responsibility is very important,” he said about why he sought the Conservative nomination. “In fact, everything rolls up under finance or budgeting. Everything rolls into the fiscal ledger, whether it be environmental policy, social policy, health care, economics, trade, and I have always felt in most of my life the Conservative party was more fiscally responsible.

“I think we get this stereotype that we're cost-cutters and we cut programs. For me, fiscal responsibility means that you run surpluses when you're in an expanding economy and you invest or spend when the economy is in recession. There's always that balance. I don't like the word ‘spending' – for me, I feel like ‘investing' in people, investing in the environment, investing in social policy because there is that investment down the road which will lead to a return for all Canadians on that investment.”

“I believe in thinking long-term and unfortunately [for] a lot of people in the public and government sphere, there is the pressure of having short-term returns at the expense of having long-term gains. I believe we can take care of our budget by investing in people because there is a return on it.”

Despite coming out on top in the vote count while vying for one of six seats on Aurora Council less than three years ago, Kim says he was met with a “positive response” when he announced his candidacy.

He says he feels like he has made “positive contributions” to Council and he is ready to do the same in Ottawa.

Once the election is underway he says he will send “formal communication” to the Town Clerk, CAO, Mayor and Council that he will be stepping down as Deputy Mayor for the duration of the campaign.

“It is going to be an exciting time because the Liberals have been in power for the last six years and I think that people are ready for a fresh face and I think Canada is ready for a lot of fresh new faces, bright ideas, and have pragmatic thinking back in the mainstream again,” he says. “I think Newmarket-Aurorans have a lot to look forward to and we'll see how the election turns out.”

As for Ms. Brown, she tells the Auroran she will continue to serve the community into the future.

“Congratulations to Mr. Kim on his success and I wish him well in the coming election,” she said. “It was a great honour to serve the people of Newmarket-Aurora as their Member of Parliament and I thank each one for the faith and trust they have placed in me.

“I will continue my involvement with the Regimental Council for the Queen's York Rangers, St. John's Ambulance Council York Region, and as Vice Chair of an international charity. I look forward to continuing to invest in my community to keep Newmarket and Aurora the best places in Ontario to live, work and play.”

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter