In the end, it’s Kent vs. Mock in Thornhill

Liberal Karen Mock (right) is the only serious competition for Conservative incumbent Peter Kent (left) in Thornhill.

By TRISTAN CARTER

After a month of campaigning, Thornhill frontrunners Peter Kent, the Conservative incumbent, and Karen Mock, his Liberal challenger, are gearing up for one final push.

Both candidates say they like their chances heading into the May 2 election, but neither one is packing bags for Ottawa quite yet.

“We’re running to the finish and taking nothing for granted,” Kent said, with four days to go. “We’re feeling confident but not overconfident.”

Kent said he will continue to canvass through the weekend. The reception, he says, has been warm as he continues to knock on doors, although some voters have expressed anger about having to endure yet another election.

The last federal election here was in 2008, but a fiercely contested municipal election took place last fall, followed by a federal byelection in neighbouring Vaughan, and a provincial election is on tap for this fall.

Despite the fact that it was the Conservatives’ budget which gave opposition leaders the opportunity to bring down the government, Kent said Prime Minister Stephen Harper intends to present the same budget if re-elected.

“We’ll present the same budget that the opposition rejected just last month when they precipitated this unnecessary election,” Kent said.

Regardless of political affliation, Kent said, he wants everyone in Thornhill to head to the polls. He even offered to give voters a lift.

“We offer assistance to those that might have transportation challenges,” he said. “Basically (it’s) what we do every election day, to ensure that as many folks as possible, of all political stripes, get out to vote.”

Mock says she is feeling good as election day approaches, and says she believes the more people that get out to vote, the better she will fare.

“I sense that we’re going to have a strong voter turnout,” she said. “Mr. Kent won by 5,000 votes last time, and 7,500 identified Liberals in the last election stayed home.”

According to Mock, it may not look as if there are that many Liberal supporters in Thornhill but that is because they are afraid to put lawn signs in front of their homes.

“Liberals are telling us that we’ve got their vote but that they’re reluctant to put up signs because of the vandalism that’s taking place in Toronto,” she said. “People are frightened because of the media coverage of tires being slashed and brake lines cut.”

While Kent said he has put out a record number of signs, Mock claims that doesn’t equate to a record level of support.

“What we did discover was that most of signs that Mr. Kent had placed were placed there without asking permission,” she said.

Mock and her campaign team will still be pounding the pavement as they enter the home stretch, and once again she is taking measures to ensure that her volunteers and her campaign are in good shape.

Two weeks ago, Mock had her close friend, registered massage therapist Karan Brooks, volunteer to give foot rubs to her team. On Saturday Brook will be back at the Mock camp for what is being dubbed “The Home Stretch”. Brook will be leading the team in stretches and giving neck and back massages before an afternoon of canvassing.

“Just like you do when you’re in the home stretch, if you’re in a wrestling match or a boxing match,” Mock said. “This is a match between me and Mr. Kent and my supporters will be limbered up at the beginning of the weekend for our final home stretch.”