One former member and three current members of the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus Conservatives have recently been hired by members of the Ontario government to work at their various constituency offices.
The four members include Joseph Corazza, a recent U of T graduate and former director of outreach, Philip Power the former president and founder of the club, Carol Dinno the current VP, and Michael Lo Giudice the former president.
In an interview with The Medium, Guidice described his role as a constituency representative. “I have the honour of representing the people. People come into the local office and we work with them to address and pass along their concerns to the MPP. I also assist the MPP in resolving the constituent’s issues.”
Speaking on their accomplishments as a club, current Campus Conservatives president Harris Watkins told The Medium, “In terms of Ontario politics, we had a direct role in contributing to five different Progressive Conservative campaigns […] we attended many political conferences—such as the Turning Point S.A.S in West Palm Beach and the 2018 LibertyCon in Washington D.C., where we had the largest Canadian delegation.”
Watkins continued to detail events the club had held last year, including weekly debate competitions, pub nights, and discussions like their “Women in Politics” panel that was attended by one sitting MPP and four MPP candidates.
“The UTM Campus Conservatives last year […] gave members numerous opportunities in provincial politics with the Ontario Progressive Conservatives because of the election. For this academic year we will be looking to send interested members to work in various constituency offices (at the provincial level) through co-op programs. Positions in constituency offices very much set applicants apart from one another,” Watkins stated.
The Campus Conservatives have prided themselves on their passion for politics and getting students involved with the political process.
“One thing people do not realize […] is that the opportunities to build your network and make a name for yourself in the political realm are widely accessible […], the UTM Campus Conservatives, being a part of the overall Ontario Conservative network, help members to realize this,” said Watkins.
The club is looking forward to the 2019 federal election where members will have the opportunity to assist MP campaigns across the GTA.
