Below is a special report from the Oakville News staff, interviewing all six candidates in the Oakville riding for next week's provincial election. Ramona Leitao, Tyler Collins and Lukas Bernasiewicz all contributed reporting to this story.
With mere days until Ontario's general election, the voters in Oakville-North Burlington will be casting their ballots with key issues in mind: housing and development, health care, the greenbelt, the cost of living and more.
Following the success of our profile on the Oakville candidates (available to read here), and to help voters make an informed decision, Oakville News reached out to all five candidates running in the riding to ask where they stand on these pressing issues.
They include (listed alphabetically):
- Ali Hoshny, of the Green Party of Ontario
- Kaniz Mouli, of the Ontario Liberal Party
- Caleb Smolenaars, of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP)
- Effie Triantafilopoulos, of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
- Charles Wroblewski, of the New Blue Party of Ontario
Without an all-candidates meeting scheduled for Oakville, our news team set out to ask the same set of questions addressing leading issues to each of the candidates.
Four of the five candidates responded, with Ali Hoshny, Kaniz Mouli, Caleb Smolenaars and Effie Triantafilopoulos all speaking with Oakville News. (Mr. Wroblewski, of the New Blue Party, did not respond to Oakville News' multiple interview requests.)
Here are their answers from the Oakville-North Burlington candidates - and when you're ready to cast your vote, don't forget to read Oakville News' guide to Ontario's Election 2025 here.
(Editor's note: some answers below have been edited for length and clarity. Candidates were asked to keep answers to under 60 words. Some answers also include some fact-checking from Oakville News staff.)
What, in your opinion, is the greatest challenge facing Oakville in 2025?
Caleb Smolenaars, NDP: Across Ontario and right here in Oakville, people are struggling. No matter who I talk to, I hear the same thing – life is harder now than it was seven years ago. Healthcare and education are chronically underfunded and the cost of everything is going up after seven years of the Conservatives in power. People are ready for change.
Ali Hoshny, Green: There are several challenges, however the biggest challenge I heard from people in the riding is the need to ensure that the housing growth is without a negative environmental impact. The current rapid development threatens green spaces and community character (Millcroft development is an example). I will champion smart planning policies that increase housing without sprawl, ensuring sustainable growth while involving the community in decision-making to protect Oakville’s livability.
Kaniz Mouli, Liberal: The greatest challenge for Oakville (and Burlington) is that we have a government in power that isn’t getting the basics right. People are working harder than ever and yet finding it harder to get ahead. The government is focused on rewarding its friends while failing in providing the core provincial services we need from healthcare to education. They can’t be trusted and people deserve better.
Effie Triantafilopoulos, Conservative: Oakville is one of the best places to live in Canada, but as our community continues to grow, we must ensure that infrastructure keeps pace with development. The biggest challenge in 2025 will be balancing responsible growth with maintaining the quality of life that makes Oakville so special. That means investing in healthcare, education, transit, and housing while protecting our green spaces and ensuring residents have access to the services they need.
Housing/Development: What is your stance on the current slate of construction projects both in Oakville and province-wide?
Ali Hoshny, Green: Housing must be affordable and sustainable. I will support inclusionary zoning, "missing middle" housing (duplexes, triplexes), and rental protections to increase supply and prevent displacement. As I mentioned, I will also oppose urban sprawl, advocating for development in transit-friendly areas to reduce congestion and emissions.
Kaniz Mouli, Liberal: Ontario was once a national leader in attracting jobs, investment, and growth. It was a destination for people across the country and around the world, drawn by the promise of better opportunities, affordable homes, and a high quality of life. We will get the job done in building more homes so that people who need housing, young people, and the next generation can find and afford a place to live.
We will cut taxes on housing and restore the dream of home ownership by eliminating the Ontario Land Transfer Tax for first-time homebuyers, seniors downsizing, and non-profit home builders, scrap Development Charges on new housing, and help municipalities cover infrastructure costs. We will also bring affordability, predictability and fairness back to the rental market.
Effie Triantafilopoulos, Conservative: Our community is one of the fastest-growing regions in the province and we want to be ready to build affordable homes to welcome families not just now, but for years to come. We need to build homes—fast—and get shovels in the ground.
We need to cut through the red tape to speed up approvals. That’s why we led the charge to remove the HST on purpose-built rentals and eliminated municipal fees on affordable and non-profit housing. We’ve introduced over $3 billion in new funding for municipalities to support housing-enabling infrastructure, and we’ve invested over $42 million to help enroll 5,100 new households into the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB) this year.
**FACT CHECK** - Oakville News: According to provincial documents, 35,109 total households have been supported by the COHB since its launch in April 2020. The 5,100 latest households, however, are not from "this year" 2025, but from the last twelve calendar months.
Caleb Smolenaars, NDP: Oakville North–Burlington is where I call home. I understand the importance of protecting our natural heritage and green space, while at the same time ensuring everybody has an affordable place to call home. An Ontario NDP government will invest in building affordable, complete communities while protecting the natural environment and heritage.
Education: What are your goals for improving public schools and private colleges/universities in Ontario?
Kaniz Mouli, Liberal: Ontario’s education system used to be one of the best in the world. But in Doug Ford’s Ontario, our kids are falling behind. We will fix the education system by clearing the repair backlog, building new schools, lowering student-to- teacher and education-worker ratios, and providing school lunch programs. For postsecondary education will fund institutions fairly, cap international students, and eliminate interest on OSAP loans and raise the income threshold for repayment to $50,000.
Effie Triantafilopoulos, Conservative: Our Ontario PC team has increased our education budget by $10.4 billion since 2018 and has increased funding for core education services by $5.7 billion over the same period. We’ve built and expanded 248 schools, adding nearly 100,000 student spaces and 8,000 childcare spaces. In our community, we’ve invested $193 million to build five brand-new schools and expand a sixth, creating over 4,500 new student spaces and 350 childcare spots.
**FACT CHECK** - Oakville News: The listed number of 248 school expansions above are from projects Ontario-wide since Doug Ford's election as premier in 2018. Oakville News was unable to confirm the number of student spaces added province-wide, and could not confirm the number of added child care spaces added either locally or provincially.
Caleb Smolenaars, NDP: Coming from a proud education sector family and as someone who grew up amid Conservative cuts to education, I understand the crisis in our schools. An Ontario NDP government will invest $830M per year to clear the school repair backlog within ten years, hire more educational staff to deliver equity-based support for every learner, and save families money by establishing a Universal School Food Program so that no student has to learn on an empty stomach.
Ali Hoshny, Green: Strong schools mean a stronger future. I will fight for smaller class sizes, mental health resources in schools, and investments in our children’s future. By supporting fair teacher wages and modernized curricula, we can ensure students in Oakville and Burlington receive a world-class education.
Healthcare: What proposed changes would you support, if any, for our healthcare system?
Caleb Smolenaars, NDP: We must protect our public healthcare system. Wait times are up, healthcare workers are burnt out, and 2.5 million Ontarians don’t have access to primary care.
An Ontario NDP government will connect every Ontarian to a family doctor or nurse practitioner and create a centralized referral system to reduce wait times. In my conversations with our local healthcare workers and hospital administrators, I’ve heard the need for strong and steady funding - the NDP will deliver on this.
Ali Hoshny, Green: Protect public healthcare from privatization. Healthcare should be accessible and comprehensive to all. I will advocate for the recruitment of 3,500 more doctors in Ontario, for fully integrating mental health into OHIP, reducing ER wait times, and investing in home care for seniors. I will work for the retention, recruitment and return of healthcare workers.
Kaniz Mouli, Liberal: The healthcare system in Doug Ford’s Ontario is in crisis: millions of people can’t find a family doctor, thousands of people are dying on surgical and diagnostic wait lists, and hallway medicine is out of control.
We have a detailed and fully-costed plan that will guarantee everyone a family a doctor in four (4) years, end hallway healthcare, protect our system from American-style privatization, expand mental health and addiction services, and support seniors in independent living and long-term care.
**FACT CHECK** - Oakville News: While the provincial Liberal platform does promise a family doctor to everyone in 4 years, the platform's background does not source or cite the "fully costed" budget to do so. Further details are online here.
Effie Triantafilopoulos, Conservative: Our PC team has made record investments in our healthcare system, investing $85 billion this year alone. Through our Primary Care Action Team led by Dr. Jane Philpott, we are investing $1.8 billion to connect every person in Ontario to a primary care provider by 2029.
Our PC team is also enhancing digital tools, and breaking down barriers for new family doctors through programs like Learn and Stay are supporting 1,360 students in family medicine to start practicing with a full roster, and the Practice Ready Ontario is adding 100 new family physicians to communities across the province.
Environment: What are the key issues and solutions related to the Greenbelt and sustainability here in Oakville?
Effie Triantafilopoulos, Conservative: Since 2020, we have expanded protected land in Ontario by almost half a million acres through the Greenlands conservation program, more than the former Liberals did in their 15 years in government. We’ve also secured Ontario’s first electric vehicle battery plant with the largest investment in Canada’s history, creating 2,500 jobs and supplying the North American market.
**FACT CHECK** - Oakville News: The Greenlands conservation program has been expanded by 412,000 acres since 2018, not quite half a million. Oakville News was unable to verify the number of acres added by the previous Liberal government.
Caleb Smolenaars, NDP: As a young person and sustainable planning advocate, I’m especially excited about our NDP plan to protect the environment and treaty lands we call home. An Ontario NDP government will protect the Greenbelt and respect pre-2022 urban/rural development boundaries. We will also restore 50% provincial funding for municipal transit operations while expanding the GO bus and rail network to ensure the reliability and accessibility of sustainable transportation options
Ali Hoshny, Green: The Greenbelt is under attack, our food belt is under attack, and I will fight to protect it. I support strong environmental laws, investment in renewable energy, and opposition to reckless urban expansion. Both Burlington and Oakville need better transit options, green infrastructure, and sustainable city planning to protect our natural heritage.
Kaniz Mouli, Liberal: We will protect the greenbelt and prime farmland. We can build all the housing we need without opening the greenbelt. We will also develop a Made in Ontario environmental action plan in conjunction with the federal government and other provinces that protects Ontario’s land, water, air, biodiversity and communities. We will also champion a sustainable agri-food sector to support farmers and rural communities.
Cost of Living: What will you do to address the rapidly rising costs of living, especially in Oakville?
Caleb Smolenaars, NDP: Life is unaffordable in Ontario. An Ontario NDP government will help cut costs by establishing a Monthly Grocery Rebate to help everyday Ontarians save on groceries - that’s taxpayer dollars back in taxpayers' pockets every month.
We will also deliver on $10/day child care to take the strain off of young families and bring back real rent control to protect tenants. We will double ODSP and OW to lift people out of poverty and make it easier to form a union and collect the bigger paycheques workers deserve.
Ali Hoshny, Green: Living in Oakville and Burlington, and actually across the province is increasingly unaffordable. I will fight for expanded affordable housing, free transit for low-income residents, and fair grocery pricing regulations, increase the minimum wage to $20, cut taxes for low and middle income earners under $65,000 and households making under $100,000. Supporting local businesses and clean energy jobs will ensure financial stability for families and a thriving economy.
Kaniz Mouli, Liberal: To help people with affordability we will cut taxes and eliminate the sales tax (HST) on home heating and hydro bills. We will introduce the More For You Tax Cut, delivering $1,150 in permanent financial relief for Ontario families. We will also reduce and/or eliminate personal income tax for low-income workers by indexing the Low-Income Workers Tax Credit.
Effie Triantafilopoulos, Conservative: Since 2018, our PC team has never raised a tax and has put more money back in your wallet. We eliminated licence plate sticker fees and we permanently froze fees for driver’s licences and photo cards, saving people $66 million over the next five years. We also cut income taxes for 1.1 million low-income workers. Our re-elected PC team will continue to keep costs low for families by permanently cutting the provincial tax on gas by 5.7 cents per litre and by 5.3 cents per litre on diesel.
What is the #1 reason an Oakville resident should vote for you?
Kaniz Mouli, Liberal: To be a local champion for our community and to fight for a better Ontario. Oakville is my home and I am proud to live in the riding of Oakville North-Burlington. It’s the community my husband and I are raising our young son. Living in the community means I understand many of the challenges faced by our neighbours. I am a business leader and have over a decade of experience in the private and public sector and know how to deliver.
Effie Triantafilopoulos, Conservative: U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs are designed to hurt our economy and undermine our workers while putting hundreds of thousands of livelihoods at risk. Things have never been more uncertain. A re-elected Ontario PC government’s plan to protect Ontario will build on the progress we’ve made to build our economy, protect workers, and keep us competitive, not just for a week or a month, but for years to come.
I have been honoured to serve Oakville North-Burlington since 2018, delivering real results for our community. This is my home, and I am committed to doing whatever it takes to protect Oakville North-Burlington.
Caleb Smolenaars, NDP: After seven years of Conservative corruption, it’s time for change in Ontario. With my experience as a community leader and labour organizer, I understand the struggles of the working class and I know what it takes to stand up to bad developers and lobbyists. Together with the Ontario NDP, we have a plan to build an Ontario for everybody with investments in healthcare, education, and affordability. It’s time for a government on the side of everyday people.
Ali Hoshny, Green: Break the cycle. Strategic voting doesn't Lead to real change. Vote for real change. Oakville and Burlington deserve a leader who truly represents them and prioritizes people over profit, sustainability over short-term gain, and real solutions over empty promises. I will fight for affordability, for our children’s future, for equitable healthcare, and for a better future for all. Let’s build a fair, green, and thriving Ontario together!
Advance polling remains open in Oakville-North Burlington at the Oakville North Burlington Election Office (at 5353 North Service Road in Burlington).
Provincial Election Day is Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
