Liberal candidate Selwyn “Buck” Hicks is a familiar face to voters in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, and he'll be on the ballot again on Feb. 27 for the provincial election.
Hicks is a former member of Hanover council – serving from 2006 to 2022. He is a three-time Grey County Warden (2019, 2022-23) and ran as the Liberal candidate provincially in 2022 and 2007.
In the 2022 provincial election, Hicks finished second to current MPP Rick Byers with approximately 20 per cent of the vote.
Running in his third provincial election, in a riding that has been PC blue since 1990, Hicks said in the early days of the campaign he senses that things are different this time around.
“It’s going very well. I think there’s justification for optimism,” he said, in an interview with CollingwoodToday. “I think this thing might backfire on Mr. Ford.”
Hicks said he’s hearing from voters and residents who are frustrated with the early, mid-winter election call and with the misplaced priorities of the current government. Hicks pointed to the government borrowing $3 billion to send out $200 rebate cheques to Ontarians, the big money deal to bring alcohol sales to corner stores and the $190 million spent on an early election call by a government with a majority mandate.
“It just shows you where the priorities are,” said Hicks. “We’ve got local foodbanks being used at record levels. We’ve got a lot of people spending 70 - 75 per cent of their income on rent – if they can find a place. There are people really hurting out there. To see billions of dollars like this being wasted ... Conservatives used to brag about being tight-fisted with the dollars, not so with this guy.”
Hicks said his years of experience at the municipal level will serve him well as MPP.
“I’ve been at the game awhile. I think that I understand how politics works, how government works and how to get things done,” he said. “I think I understand who the players are. I understand how things work down at Queen’s Park. I am a fighter. I don’t have to simply make promises. People can look at my track record.”
Hicks said, as MPP, he will be focusing on improving the lives of local residents who are less fortunate and need help.
“I am especially interested in seeing the quality of life improve for the poor in our community,” he said. “They will know they have somebody with lived experience at Queen’s Park, who understands and isn’t going to take their dollars for granted.”
Hicks said as MPP he will meet regularly with the wardens of Bruce and Grey counties and he plans to organize “mayor’s forums” to hear from local municipal leaders on a regular basis. He said with him as MPP, voters in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound can expect a representative committed and dedicated to the job of representing their interests.
“You can expect someone who is going to work hard, someone who is not going to take the electors for granted, someone who will listen, someone who remembers where he came from and is going to stand up for the electors,” he said. “None of the other candidates have the experience that I have and have the track record of getting things done. I will be able to hit the ground running.”