And switching now to politics, the race for UDP Party leader is now entering the home stretch, that's after aspirant Tracy Taegar Panton, got back on the campaign trail today less than two weeks after the passing of her husband Herbert Panton.
She says it's what he would have wanted, telling us via text last week: "I am certain Herbert would have wished to get back on the saddle on Monday."
But before she started chatting up delegates the aspirant leader stopped by the Sunup on 7 couch to talk to our hosts about her fighting the patriarchy on her way to leadership and her hope to unite the party thereafter.
Hon. Tracy Taegar-Panton, Aspirant for UDP Party Leader
"Starting this week, it is my intention to make up much ground as I possibly can. You know it's about the delegates at the end of the day, the decision makers of the United Democratic Party an opportunity to speak with each of them between now and next week Sunday, is certainly my primary focus as we move forward. When we started this campaign, I understood then as I understand now that it is a steep hill for women to climb. Women in leadership, while it is a novel idea, putting that into motion is not always easy. We live in a very patriarchal society, but I have to say that those constituencies that I have been able to meet with and the conversations I've had with delegates have been for me very enlightening, very uplifting - I am very encouraged by the support I have received to date and it is my intention to work until I get to the finish line. What I encourage delegates to do as we head into this decision-making process is to speak to other supporters of the party, speak to people in general what they want to see happen for this country in terms of what kind of leadership that people are looking for so that that can help to make their decision on March 27. There are so many people who have not been afforded that opportunity to have a say in who their new leader will be."
"We have to unite the party. The party has been through, and we don't need to rehash that, a very difficult past in the last 16 months or so it has and its time for us. We have to stabilize the party and we have to unite the party and we have to work post-haste to ready the party, to face, you know we have village council elections coming up, we have municipal elections coming up, there will be a general election coming up, so we have to make sure that our ship is in shape to sail the high seas, the rough seas, because it has been a very turbulent time and so that's my first order of business - bring this party together. We have a shared vision, we have shared goals, we have shared principles and values and we need to get back to those foundational things that make the United Democratic Party in my view the most viable option to govern this country."
The UDP convention for party leader takes place on Sunday March 27th.
