Patrick Brown visits Windsor before stepping down from leadership race

 

By Elle Remington

Patrick Brown, a then-candidate for leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party, was greeted with applause and cheers the minute he entered a local campaign headquarters Windsor last weekend.

He was here to support Mohammad Latif, the PC candidate for Windsor-Tecumseh at Latif’s new office at 4780 Wyandotte St. E.

“Welcome back. You can see by today’s gathering that many in Windsor (and Essex) County haven’t lost confidence in you or the PC party,” said Latif.

This was before Brown stepped down from the race this week.

“First of all, I’m pretty confident that he will be our next leader otherwise who ever will be our new leader certainly we are going to work with him or her. There’s no doubt on that because as a PC member we have to follow who will be our leader,” said Latif, who indicated his strong support for Brown.

“I believe in him, what he did for the party. When he became the leader the party was $7 million in debt and as of today we are close to $16 million in pocket.”

Latif also spoke about the allegations of sexual misconduct against Brown.

“The Patrick I know couldn’t do these kind of things and I think these allegations are false.”

Brown called Latif a friend.

“Even when I didn’t want to speak to anyone when I was hiding with a ball cap and sunglasses back home in Barrie, (and) I didn’t want to speak to anyone, I was hurt, I was gutted, Mohammad said I’m still inviting you to my office opening — you have no choice you have to come,” said Brown.

“The reason I got back into the race was because of the support, encouragement and motivation to do so by our party membership and party candidates who didn’t want us to deviate from the course we’re taking who felt confident that we would defeat (Liberal Premier) Kathleen Wynne and it was their encouragement that gave me the strength to stand up and fight again.”

Supporter John Hussey, who works in a factory, said he used to vote against Conservatives.

“A lot of us are opening our eyes up to politics now because of what’s happening now in Ontario for the last 15 years. People don’t know a lot about politics are waking up because we’re tired of going cheque to cheque and not being able to put gas in our cars anymore,” said Hussey.

Melissa Kozak, a volunteer who met Brown for the first time, said, “I was delighted. I think that Patrick Brown is considering our area and the needs of our area and I think the needs of our area have been left behind.”

Kozak expressed her thoughts on the sexual misconduct allegations against Brown.

“I’m traditional in the sense where I’m sorry but I believe that’s to be dealt with in a court of law,” she said.