17. Andrea Horwath: MPP, Hamilton Centre

By Patricia Roque, COO Roque Land Developments

She’s a leader, first locally, now provincially. She’s a mother. She’s tenacious and principled. She stands up for and says what she believes in. She sets an example for many. And it’s pretty clear she loves her hometown of Hamilton.

Oh, did I mention she’s a woman?

Andrea herself has said, “In politics, as in a lot of other places, often women have to work twice as hard to get half the recogni- tion.” She has worked hard every step along her journey, from waiting on tables to pay for university, to fighting hard to be re-elected as provincial leader of the NDP.

Andrea doesn’t shy away from a fight if she believes the stakes are important enough. Maybe that’s her Hamilton roots showing, but standing up for what you believe in is something I really admire in her. Whether she’s speaking about keeping schools open, expanding public transit, protecting heritage, or balancing the rights of workers and employers, Andrea tells it like it is. I think Andrea is a role model for many – women and men alike.