Provincial Byelection 2026: Scarborough Southwest Indendent candidate Michael Perdelwitz answers our questions

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Beach Metro Community News sent these questions to the seven candidates in this month’s Scarborough Southwest provincial byelection. We gave them a deadline to respond and are publishing the answers from the five candidates who sent them in by the deadline The seven candidates running in the Sept. 3 provincial byelection in Scarborough Southwest are Mark Bekkering of the Green Party; Gord Elliott of the Ontario Party; Ahsanul Hafiz of the Liberal Party; Independent candidate Michael Perdelwitz; Chris Rees of the New Blue Party; Fatima Shaban of the New Democratic Party; and Noor Tarun of the Progressive Conservative Party. Please visit our website at www.beachmetro.com for more information on the candidates.)

QUESTION 1: Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself and why you are running in this byelection?

I grew up in Willowdale and Scarborough. I spent my early adult years working in manufacturing in Scarborough. I then played, coached and officiated ice hockey for 12 years. This took me all across Toronto and overseas. As I got to my mid thirties I could see that wasn’t going to last forever so I went to Seneca College and became a commercial diver. This career has taken me overseas to India, to Alberta and all across our wonderful province. I continue to work in the field today. Also during these years I expanded out to other marine areas and worked for the City of Toronto in Marine Services.

I am running in this byelection because I have lost the last 20 years of my life to the corrupt judicial system we have in this province. Our courts are a joke and there needs to be major changes made so that everyone in the judicial system is held accountable.

As an independent candidate I will not be held to vote along party lines. The elected members of the provincial legislatures as well as the federal parliament are just trained seals who have to toe the party line. I will vote on legislation according to what I think is the right thing to do and what the electorate of Scarborough Southwest would think is in their best interests.

The results of this by election as well as the other two will have no bearing on the balance of power at Queen’s Park. This is a chance for the voters of Scarborough Southwest to send a message to the Ford government as well as the other parties that the wishes of the electorate need to be taken seriously.

QUESTION 2: What do you see as the top local issues that will be on the minds of Scarborough Southwest voters into this provincial byelection?

I think what is most important to the citizens of Scarborough Southwest is the same as what is top of mind to pretty much everyone in Ontario. The cost of housing and the lack affordable housing, both rental and home ownership. The cost of food, which has really spiked, mostly I believe due to the rising cost of diesel fuel.

The crime rate, which the statistics might say is going down, but if you ask the average person on the streets, they will say things are getting worse. We need to do whatever we can at the provincial level to rein in crime. Improve our courts (see my previous answer) and employ more police officers. Public transit, despite the Ford government making incredible investments in public transit. We are so far behind and all projects take twice as long and cost three times as much, we need to be able to deliver transit on time and on budget. Full integration of all the existing rail corridors with all-day, two-way GO train service. Electrify the lines and run MPU (multiply power units) like the current subway trains. They speed up and slow down much better for inter city transit. The big diesel units are better for longer distances.

For far too long all the parties just do whatever they please, lining their pockets knowing full well that there isn’t much voters can do about it. This needs to change now! The previous Liberal government was a bunch of incompetent thieves! The Ford government came in with so much hope, then squandered their opportunity. It seems the only opposition and moral compass our elected leaders have is the media looking over their shoulders.

QUESTION 3: With this byelection taking place just a few days before school starts up again, what measures will you and your party take to address concerns regarding public education funding not only across the province but also for the specific and unique needs of schools and students in Toronto?

I think we spend enough money on education. I think the short comings in our education system are where the money is allocated. We need to get more “bang for the buck” with our education dollars.

I think driver’s education should be a high school credit. If anyone is going to get their G class driver’s licence, whether they had a driver’s licence in another country or province, they will have to get the high school credit. Our roads are in absolute chaos and the best way to do something about it is better education for the drivers.

We need to make our schools safe and all students need to complete high school. We need to focus resources so that these goals are accomplished. If we need police officers in our schools then put them back in. Our schools need to be a safe place for the students and the educators working in them. The goal for our schools needs to be to have every student graduate Grade 12. We need to prepare our next generation for life. Get rid of all the nonsense that is taught in our schools, like how many ways we can splice male and female. Get back to teaching students the basics like reading, writing and math. History so they learn from past mistakes and geography so they know where history happened. Improve sports at all grades and get our children more active. The obesity rate among children is one in three. We need to get our children active again, which will decrease our health costs in the long run. Also we need to give our educators the power to instil discipline on our students. That is not to say they should ever strike them, there needs to be consequences though for the students behaviour.

QUESTION 4: Please let our readers know how you and your party can increase the amount of truly affordable housing in Scarborough Southwest and how it can be built more quickly?

We need to move away from the concept that “profit” is a dirty word. Developers are private companies out to make a profit. Having said that, competition is the best way to keep prices down. We need to streamline the approval process so properties don’t sit vacant for years. The cost of that time is passed on to the consumer. Scarborough Southwest has several main roads and strong public transit that can sustain more development. We need to get housing projects moving along quicker.

Also we need to improve the Landlord Tenant Board. Tenants are looked at as “victims”. The laws and rules discourage small landlords from renting properties because tenants can abuse the system and go months without paying rent. Then trash the place on their way out when they finally are evicted and there is no recourse for the landlords. We need to change the system so that a landlord can evict a tenant immediately once the tenant has been there without paying, even for one day. No other area in our society can anyone get away with not paying for a product of service, housing should be no different.

Lastly for housing, not just Scarborough Southwest, but all across the city. No one has a “right” to live in a certain area. If you can’t afford Toronto, then move to where you can afford to live. There is much more affordable housing an hour’s drive from Toronto. I know that sounds like a long commute, but many others have already made that decision. Also with better GO train service it would take the crush off Toronto housing and help build up the smaller towns within Southern Ontario. With the increase of remote work and internet platforms, the ability to work from home has increased extensively.