PARRY SOUND-MUSKOKA — We’re asking: “Who are you voting for Feb. 27?”

And how did you like the recent provincial election debate last week — if you watched it?

No. 5 – Feb. 24:

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“Who am I voting for? It won’t be this guy. I can only hope people smarten up about the Conservatives. I’m voting Green. I do as I’m told.”

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“I’ve already voted and I voted for the Green Party. Graydon Smith hasn’t done anything for our hospital. I think everyone is p….. off about it. He doesn’t even want to have a conversation with people about it. He’s just gotten to the point of ignoring us. I put comments on his Facebook page and he deleted them and blocked me. And I went to his office and talked to him about it. I sure did. He put it back on finally. But he had really nothing to say about it. I just don’t think we need to have billions of dollars spent on spas and like tunnels and stuff. I (Richter) actually cares about our community and he’s been trying to get in for years. He actually cares and puts an effort in to stuff. And he’s managed to show up to all the different stuff to let people ask questions.”

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“Not yet. Not yet. Decided? Yes, probably. Well we could say, after this. But probably, I have. Matt. I think it’s a combination of many things. But it’s certainly I think that this region needs to focus more on more of smart development. More sustainability and less suburbian sprawl. Cutting down trees. We have to protect our rivers. Do smart things. Not just provide jobs. I absolutely like the environment. But smart. I’m not a tree hugger. I’m a person that believes we have a really good chance to make a difference and bring balance. And to do smart. There’s new ways of building now. There’s new ways of doing community stuff. And we’re not embracing them. That’s my view. And I am also not going to vote for Ford. So it’s a vote against Ford. That’s my main thing.”

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“Yeah, I think so. The hospital issue has already helped me decide. It’s more a question of getting what you need than liking someone. Like we really gotta have a spa?”

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“Yes. I think, regardless, we will not comment on this. It is, I think, our feeling that Doug Ford is leading us astray with all his ideas and underground tunnels and so on and so forth. But that nails it down. We’re not voting PC. We didn’t vote PC. Thank you.”

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“I have. But I’d never tell anyone who I’m voting for. That’s alright; I still don’t tell who I’m voting for.”

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“I don’t even know and I’ve known her for 50-60 years. I have decided, but I’m the same way. I don’t talk. As for Trump and the premier, that’s their problem. I think we oughta quit talking affording (Trump) so much of our attention now.”

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“I’m sittin’ on the fence. That’s why I’m here. The hospital is the biggest issue for me.”

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“You know there’s a lot of good things to be said about Graydon, but he’s behind what I call ‘the northern Trump.’ So he’s in that party, so that not a ….”

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“Yup, but I won’t tell ya. I just don’t tell anybody at any time. I’m not making any comments about anybody. … I just stay out of it. I’ve got strong opinions. But ….”

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“Probably. But I haven’t voted yet. I haven’t got my card in the mail. No, nothing. She’s decided on Green. ‘I wouldn’t vote for Graydon Smith if it …. He has never done so badly.’ He has let Muskoka down and I’m a Conservative dyed in the wool. Always have been. Though I’m certainly thinking about what I’m gonna do. He’s not going to do anything for our hospital. That’s for damn sure. And I don’t think the Greens can do much either. That’s where we are. I’m getting old. I’m 83 and we won’t be here when it’s built. But it’s for my children who live here now and for my grandchildren. And this is a big fight. I’ve seen what happened. They did exactly the same thing where I grew up. Made them join up. There were 100 beds. We had every specialty you can imagine. Today 13 beds. They have no specialists and they can’t get any family doctors because family doctors say look, ‘I haven’t got a specialist or surgeon to back me up. And I’m fresh out of med school, I’m not coming there. And that’s what’ll happen right here.”

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“Liberal. Life-long, generally speaking I find Liberals to be largely kind. So I don’t know how important the individual candidates are. It’s the government, the cabinet and premier who rules. Like most people I vote for the leader rather than the riding. Most people who throw their hat in the ring, usually they’re decent people. It’s very hard, unless you’re a PC in this riding it’s very hard to have a hidden agenda for any reason as it’s a tough fight to get there. But we have to hold them accountable. I have no time for the premier as he’s inherently dishonest. The hospital issue makes it less likely to be a Ford vote. I don’t trust the motives. I believe that there’s the privatization of our medical care is deeply involved here. And therefore distinctly un-Canadian.”

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“Yep. I’m not telling. We have democracy, I don’t tell. It doesn’t matter if it’s anonymous. I’m not giving the information because I believe in democracy completely. The election was called in the dead of winter when there’s been lots of snow and people are away and people who have trouble getting out, so I’ll leave the rest to you.”

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“I support the election, but I’m done talking about it.”

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“Oh, yeah, I’ve already voted. For him, Richter. Because we want Graydon out there. We’d actually like Doug Ford to out of there, but he’s probably not going to be out. The way he wasted our money — oh, man! We didn’t get our ballot card in the mail and we just went down there with our ID and did it.”