Patrice Barnes, a trustee of the Durham District School Board (DDSB), is the Progressive Conservatives' pick for the Ajax riding that former long-term care minister Rod Phillips left empty after <a href="https://www.qpbriefing.com/2022/01/14/breaking-rod-phillips-announces-he-will-resign-next-month-wont-seek-reelection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resigning his seat earlier this month</a>.
Phillips left suddenly after holding high profile positions in cabinet including stints as finance minister and environment minister, stating that he intended to return to the private sector. Before his time as an MPP, Phillips served as president and CEO of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation from 2011 and as the chair of Postmedia from 2014 to 2017.
The former MPP fell into controversy in December 2020 when he went on vacation to St. Barts, a Caribbean island, despite public health guidance advising against non-essential travel. He<a href="https://www.qpbriefing.com/2020/12/31/breaking-rod-phillips-resigns-as-finance-minister-after-travelling-to-st-barts-during-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> resigned from his role</a> as finance minister and was benched until the cabinet shuffle in June 2021, when he was given the long-term care portfolio.
In addition to her work at the DDSB, which included participation in their Youth Poverty Strategy, Barnes also serves as a director on the Ontario Public School Boards' Association and is a member of the Durham Regional Police Services Board.
“As a proud mom, advocate, community leader, and Public School Board Trustee, Ajax residents will have a strong representative at Queen’s Park if I am elected as MPP,” Barnes said in a press release.
Up against Barnes is Amber Bowen, the Liberal candidate for the riding, who is an elementary school teacher and union representative within the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario.
The New Democratic Party's candidate was slated to be former Ajax mayor Steve Parish until his support for keeping <a href="https://www.qpbriefing.com/2022/01/31/ndp-boots-ajax-candidate-steve-parish-over-support-for-street-named-after-nazi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a street named after a Nazi</a> naval officer tanked his ambitions as a candidate. The NDP has yet to announce its replacement.

PCs name Patrice Barnes as candidate for former MPP Rod Phillips’ Ajax seat

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