Philip Alves

The new federal Thornhill Liberal nominee says the ruling Conservatives talk a good game but the time for talk is over. Karen Mock, an educational psychologist and consultant with a history of dealing with issues of human rights, hate crime and diversity, replaces former MP Susan Kadis heading into the next federal election.

Isolated seniors in Vaughan have reason to feel a little more connected. On March 16, Thornhill MP Peter Kent announced more than $60,000 in federal money for three seniors’ groups: the Concord West Seniors Club, the First Chinese Seniors Association of Vaughan and the Seniors Enrichment Centre.

It’s all over but the waiting. Thornhill MP Peter Kent, a proponent of extending the Yonge subway into Richmond Hill, submitted the project as worthy of some of the billions in infrastructure dollars pledged in last month’s federal budget. The problem for subway trainspotters north of Steeles Ave. now, however, is competition for those dollars from across the country.

Once a foreign affairs correspondent covering the Americas for NBC News, rookie Thornhill MP Peter Kent is on familiar turf in his new cabinet post. Prime Minister Stephen Harper welcomed his new minister of state of foreign affairs for the Americas, along with the rest of his cabinet, last Thursday at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

Star broadcaster-turned-Conservative candidate Peter Kent found himself in front of the news cameras once again early Wednesday morning, only this time it was as Thornhill’s MP-elect.

Conservative Peter Kent has won the federal riding of Thornhill away from Liberal incumbent Susan Kadis. The former broadcaster earned 26,660 votes, or 49 percent, to claim the surprising victory over Kadis, who secured 21,448 votes, good for 39.4 percent.

Allegations of political poppycock were bandied about as Thornhill’s four parliamentary hopefuls debated the federal issues last week. Liberal incumbent Susan Kadis, Conservative Peter Kent, Green Norbert Koehl and NDP Simon Strelchik took to St. Elizabeth Catholic High School’s stage to verbally spar over issues raised by students ahead of the Oct. 14 election.

It didn’t last 1,000 years, not by a long shot. It’ll barely make it to 10, in fact. After less than a decade in existence, the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation is a casualty of last week’s federal budget.

Ask former broadcast journalist Peter Kent what brought him to Thornhill and he’ll say, “Serendipity.” The truth, though, isn’t that simple.