I recently stopped by one of Bob Bailey’s coffee shop visits to see how the long-time MPP and his team were approaching the upcoming election. After 18 years in office, Bailey is a fixture in Sarnia-Lambton, representing a Conservative Party that, under Doug Ford, has evolved in ways that many longtime supporters might not even recognize.
Bailey, ever the amiable politician, was happy to chat. But as the conversation unfolded, a few things stood out—especially when it came to how his party operates and how little control the people of Sarnia-Lambton actually have in that process.
One of the more telling moments came when I asked about succession planning within the party—whether there’s a local effort to groom future candidates or if he was preparing anyone to take over when he eventually retires. The answer? That’s not how it works.
Bailey’s team admitted that local control over candidate selection is virtually nonexistent. Instead of the community choosing who represents them, it’s largely a process dictated by party leadership. If you’ve ever wondered why Conservative candidates seem to appear fully formed before an election with little community engagement beforehand, that’s why. The party picks, and local members are expected to fall in line.
This is the opposite of how democracy should function. Instead of a community rallying around someone they believe in, the party hands down its chosen representative. It’s a reminder that, at its core, party politics is about control—not community representation.
Doug Ford’s tenure as Premier has been defined by a very different approach than previous Conservative leaders, prioritizing backroom deals, corporate subsidies, and a growing reliance on government advertising campaigns to shape public opinion.
But when I asked Bailey whether the party itself has changed under Ford, he dismissed the idea, saying he doesn’t think it’s all that different. That’s an interesting position, considering Ford has spent much of his leadership undoing the legacies of previous Progressive Conservative governments. From gutting environmental protections to eroding public healthcare and aggressively pushing for privatization, Ford has fundamentally reshaped what it means to be a Conservative in Ontario.
Bailey’s reluctance to acknowledge this shift speaks to a deeper issue within party politics—loyalty to the brand often overrides an honest discussion about the direction it’s taking. The party’s priorities change, but members are expected to toe the line, even when those changes contradict past positions or what voters originally supported.
This conversation reinforced what many already suspect: when you vote for a party candidate, you’re not voting for a local voice—you’re voting for the party machine.
Bailey’s team made it clear that he’s a party man through and through. Whether it’s Ford’s latest policy shifts, major spending decisions, or party-backed candidates being parachuted into ridings, the expectation is that elected MPPs fall in line. And for the past 18 years, Bailey has done just that.
For Sarnia-Lambton voters, this raises an important question: do you want a representative who answers to the party first, or someone who answers to the people who live here? Because if you’re expecting Bailey to stand up against his own party when necessary, history suggests that’s unlikely.
Bailey has been in office for nearly two decades and the longer someone stays in power, the easier it is for them to become more accountable to their party than to the people who elect them. Party discipline, backroom deals, and loyalty to leadership become the priority—not the needs of constituents.
This is the reality of entrenched politics. It’s not just about whether you agree with Conservative policies—it’s about whether you believe your representative should be chosen by party insiders or by the people who live here.
After my chat with Bailey’s team, one thing became clear: the Conservative Party isn’t particularly interested in local democracy. It’s interested in control. And as long as voters keep accepting that, nothing will change.
Editor’s Note: Nathan Colquhoun, the author of this column, is a candidate in the upcoming election for MPP in Sarnia-Lambton and is also the owner of The Sarnia Journal. The Journal has offered all candidates the same opportunity to publish a column as part of its commitment to fair and open political discourse. More details on this initiative can be found here.