With about 70 days to go until the June 7 provincial election Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott and a Libertarian candidate Gene Balfour were the only registered candidates for the riding at press time.

The local PC riding association announced last year that Scott who was first elected in 2003 would again vie to represent the riding in Queen’s Park.

According to the Ontario Libertarian Party’s website Balfour a Thornhill resident is an IT professional who believes in smaller government fewer regulations and less taxation.

It sounds like the local Liberal riding association is preparing to make an announcement about a candidate soon.

“The Liberal riding association is working to bring forward a progressive and proactive candidate with strong ties to the riding and who understands the impacts of policy decisions on a rural riding like Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock” association president Lance Sherk wrote in an email to the paper. “We anticipate making an announcement in the very near future.”

Inquiries to the local NDP and Green Party riding associations had not been responded to before press time.

Scott supported former MPP Christine Elliot in the recent race for leadership of the Ontario PC Party which took place following the resignation of former leader Patrick Brown in January.

In the days following the narrow victory of now-leader Doug Ford Scott took to social media to express unity with the new leader tweeting “The Liberals must be defeated!”

Many Ontarians seem to agree with Premier Kathleen Wynne’s approval rating sitting below 20 per cent after a poll in mid-March. NDP leader Andrea Horwath actually had the highest approval rating of any leader but 43 per cent of decided voters who responded to the poll said they intended to vote PC.

From Kinmount Scott worked as a registered nurse in her pre-political career and is the daughter of longtime area MP Bill Scott. She is the PC critic for women’s issues.