Charmaine Williams launches her official campaign

BY PAUL JUNOR

Charmaine Williams has moved up the political ladder since she became the first Black woman on the Brampton City Council in 2018. Prior to her entry in the political field, Charmaine distinguished herself in various roles such as: multi-systemic therapist, behavioural consultant and counsellor. She has been a strong advocate for many Ontario’s families and their kids who faced numerous challenges such as: domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse, neglect, trauma and addictions. Her widespread experience working with organizations such as: Reach Out Center for Kids in Peel and the Halton Region, Peel Children’s Center, Youth Substance Abuse Program and Associated Youth Services of Peel brought a unique perspective as MPP. As Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity, she has been very busy over the last three years.

On Saturday, February 1^st, 2025, she launched her official campaign at 295A Queen Street East in Brampton. In attendance were many community members, Ontario PC Party Leader Doug Ford, business leaders, volunteers and top party officials. In a Facebook post on February 3^rd, 2025, she wrote, “As Ontario’s first Black female cabinet minister, I’ve broken barriers, but this campaign isn’t about me. It’s about protecting what matters most: our families, our communities and our future. That’s why we’re out knocking on doors, listening to your concerns, and standing up for a safer, stronger Brampton. With your support, we’ll keep building a province where families thrive, businesses grow, and communities stay safe.”

Charmaine Williams’s promotional brochure describes steps that she will take in alignment with Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s responses to President Trump’s announcement of tariffs on Canadian products. They involve the following five steps:

Building Ontario’s economy

“We’re secured over $45 billion in new investments in the first electric vehicle and battery plants in Canada, creating thousands of jobs. We’re investing nearly $200 billion in our plan to build: roads, highways, transit and other infrastructure projects. We’re investing over $1.5 billion to train 600,000 people for better jobs and bigger pay cheques in the skilled trades. We’re putting more of your money back in your pocket with $200 taxpayer rebate cheques.”

Protecting workers

“President Trump’s tariffs will devastate Ontario’s economy. We’ll do whatever is necessary to protect people’s livelihoods, including investing tens of billions of dollars to keep people working. We’ll provide funding for impacted businesses to retool, so that they can attract new customers and meet payroll. We’ll invest more in building infrastructure to create jobs and retrain workers to find new opportunities.”

“This campaign isn’t about me. It’s about protecting what matters most: our families, our communities and our future.”

Keeping us competitive

“We’re fighting the job-killing Liberal carbon tax and urging the federal government to cut red tape and streamline approvals to get big things built, including speeding up construction of new and upgraded nuclear power plants and critical mineral projects in the Ring of Fire region in Northern Ontario. We’ll keep lowering the cost of doing business to make Ontario the most competitive place to invest and create jobs.”

Cleaning up our streets

“We’re protecting families and children by banning drug injection sites near schools and daycares and clearing out encampments from public parks with new investments in shelters. We’re cracking down on violent and repeat criminals and building new jails to keep them behind bars.”

Delivering better care

“We’re investing $18 billion to connect everyone in Ontario to a family doctor and primary care, alongside $50 billion to build 50 new and upgraded hospitals. We’re leading the largest medical school expansion in a decade to train more doctors. We’ve made it more convenient to connect with over two million visits to local pharmacies for common ailments, saving you time.”

There was an endorsement of Charmaine Williams by the Immigrant Women in Business (IWB) on Facebook. It reads, “Throughout her tenure, Charmaine has served as the Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity, working tirelessly to advance initiatives that empower women and promote social equity. Her leadership has been instrumental in driving positive change within our +community, and her re-election would ensure the continuation of these efforts.”