Each candidate was asked to submit a biography and answer three questions. Below is the response from PC candidate for Kitchener-Waterloo, Tracey Weiler.

Biography (from kw.ontariopc.com)

Tracey Weiler is a Kitchener-Waterloo businesswoman, educator and community volunteer.

She is a business consultant and an instructor in the MBA program at Wilfrid Laurier University and has previously held positions with Research In Motion, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Recognized as one of Waterloo Region’s Top 40 under 40, Tracey is Chair and President of Our Place Family Resource and Early Years Centre in Kitchener and is currently an executive member and the communications chair of the Electoral District Association for Kitchener-Waterloo’s, Member of Parliament, Peter Braid.

Tracey serves her community as a member of: the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce Women’s Leadership Committee, Engage (Kitchener-Waterloo Community Foundation), Zonta Kitchener-Waterloo, and Leadership Waterloo Region. In recognition of her community service Tracey was nominated as Rogers Oktoberfest Woman of the Year in 2011.

Tracey earned an Honours BA (Cum Laude) at York University, a Master of Information Studies at the University of Toronto, has completed her MBA (Finance) at Wilfrid Laurier and is just completing her Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation.

Tracey is married, has two children and resides in Kitchener-Waterloo.

Why should the constituents of Kitchener-Waterloo vote for you?

I believe the personal values I maintain and live by everyday – hard work, honesty, integrity and accountability – are critical for any person seeking to represent others.

Our community has been fortunate to be represented by Ontario PC MPP Elizabeth Witmer for 22 years. Elizabeth has long been a role model of mine and someone whom I greatly admire. Should I have the honor of being elected I will serve our community with the same level of integrity, accountability and hard work as she did.

I am a businesswoman, MBA instructor at Wilfrid Laurier University, community volunteer and, most importantly, a mom to my two young daughters. I am committed to returning Ontario to prosperity by kick-starting economic growth and reigning in government overspending.

The Ontario PCs have put forward a bold and comprehensive plan to rebuild Ontario’s economy after nine years of failed economic policies, mismanagement and waste.

If you are elected as an MPP, what will your top two priorities be?

My top two priorities are restarting Ontario’s economy and stopping the McGuinty Liberal’s reckless overspending and waste.

It is critical to get Ontario and Kitchener-Waterloo’s economy working again. Our region lost 2,800 jobs last months with many more losses expected in the near future. There are presently 600,000 unemployed Ontarians and our province has lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs – 22,000 this past month alone. Our community and province needs an MPP and government with a plan to create private sector jobs. The Ontario PC’s and I have put forward such a plan.

We will restart Ontario’s economic engine. Under the McGuinty Liberals’, Ontario’s debt has doubled and will soon triple to $411 billion. We have a $15 billion deficit, which will quickly reach $30 billion in 2016. Nine years of overspending has put the things we care about at risk. I will fight for responsible fiscal management to ensure our core services like healthcare and education receive the investment they require and deserve.

The McGuinty Liberals are mortgaging our children’s future by spending recklessly on scandals like eHealth, Ornge and the cancellation of the Mississauga power plant.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Ontarians?

Without question the single biggest challenge for Ontarians is the economy.
Our province has had an unemployment rate higher than the national average for over five straight years. Ontario’s debt has been downgraded by international credit rating agencies and we continue to shed jobs to neighboring jurisdictions due skyrocketing energy prices, outdated labour laws, irresponsible overspending, red tape and waste.

The Ontario PCs have a bold and thoughtful plan to create jobs and balance the budget.

We will:
•    Create 200,000 skilled-trades jobs by reforming the apprenticeship system;
•    Freeze all public-sector wages across-the-board;
•    Lower taxes on small and medium sized companies;
•    Ensure energy is affordable and reliable to create manufacturing jobs;
•    Modernize Ontario’s outdated labour laws