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The province of Ontario, Canada conducted a general election on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) in the Ontario Legislative Assembly. The election was called on September 2 by Premier Ernie Eves after public opinion polls indicated an increase in support for the governing Ontario Progressive Conservative Party because of the government's handling of the 2003 North American blackout.
Campaign
Conduct of the campaign
Many observers commented on the high level of mudslinging during the campaign, even though all sides had disavowed this tactic during the televised debate. Both the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives (Tories) participated in mudslinging, but it was the Conservative side that initiated many of the more egregious incidents. One bizarre incident took place on September 12, when a press release from the Tories referred to Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty as an "evil reptilian kitten-eater from another planet", which was roundly condemned as a petty and juvenile insult. In another incident towards the end of the campaign, Premier Eves referred to Mr. McGuinty as having a "pointy head," a remark he later conceded was inappropriate. Many observers have commented that the negative tone apparently backfired, creating more sympathy for the Liberal leader.
Another embarrassing Tory gaffe occurred when Eves couldn't say how much his election promises would cost. These gaffes were magnified by a generally unsympathetic media which was poorly treated by the Tory campaign team. An important blow to the Tory campaign was a study by the right-wing Fraser Institute that demonstrated that despite Tory promises, Ontario had a large budgetary deficit.
For its part, the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) led a theatrical campaign. Leader Howard Hampton made an appearance in front of the Toronto home of millionaire Peter Munk to denounce Eves' tax breaks, claiming that they would save Munk $18,000 a year. He attempted to nail Jell-O to a wall to dramatize the elusiveness he accused his opponents of regarding hydro privatization. He also used a piece of Swiss cheese to suggest that his opponents' platforms were full of holes. [1] (http://toronto.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=onel_ndpend20031002)
Another campaign issue was the treatment of the Green Party of Ontario, which denounced a CRTC decision not to allow leader Frank de Jong to participate in the leaders' debate.
Issues
The campaign was contentious on the issues as well, with both the Liberals and Howard Hampton's New Democrats attacking the Tories' record in office. Various scandals and other unpopular moves reduced public opinion of the Tories going into the race, including the Walkerton water tragedy, the death of Dudley George, the possible sale of publicly-owned electric utility Hydro One, the SARS outbreak, the decision to release the 2003 budget at an auto parts factory instead of the Legislature, the widespread blackout in August, and the Aylmer packing plant tainted meat investigation. [2] (http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20031002.wwhyy1002/BNStory/SpecialEvents4/). As one Tory insider put it "So many chickens came to roost, its like a remake of The Birds".
One of the most contentious issues was education. All three parties pledged to increase spending by $2 billion, but Premier Eves also pledged to ban teacher strikes, lock-outs, and work-to-rule campaigns during the school year, a move the other parties rejected. Teacher strikes had plagued the previous Progressive Conservative mandate of Mike Harris, whose government had deeply cut education spending.
Tax cuts were also an issue. The Progressive Conservatives proposed a wide range of tax cuts, including a 20-percent cut to personal income taxes, and the elimination of education tax paid by seniors, two moves that would have cost $1.3 billion together. The Liberals and New Democrats rejected these cuts as profligate. The Liberals also promised to cancel some pending Tory tax cuts and to eliminate some tax cuts already introduced.
Assessment
CBC Newsworld declared a Liberal victory minutes after ballot-counting began. Ernie Eves conceded defeat only ninety minutes into the count.
The NDP had a disappointingly confusing election: on one hand, they won one fewer than the eight seats needed to keep "official party status," which would give it a share of official Queen's Park staff, money for research, and guaranteed time during Question Period. On the other hand, they increased their share of the popular vote for the first time since 1990. THe party may be in a better position for next election, given the disillusionment with McGuinty's government and a distaste for a weakened Progressive Conservative party. Despite the mixed results, Hampton stated that he would stay on as party leader, saying that the party did not blame him for the poor performance in an election where voters were apparently more concerned about defeating the Tories by any means necessary than about voting their conscience. The party was returned to official party status seven months into the session, when Andrea Horwath won a by-election in Hamilton East on May 13, 2004.
The Tories were completely shut out of Toronto, where 19 out of 22 ridings were won by the Liberals, and the remaining three were carried by the New Democrats. The Tories also managed to win only one seat in northern Ontario: Ernie Eves' home riding of Perry Sound-Muskoka. Former Premier Mike Harris' old seat went Liberal. Six Tory cabinet ministers were defeated at the polls, though both Eves and NDP leader Howard Hampton retained their seats.
The 38th Parliament of Ontario opened on November 19th, 2003 at 3 P.M. Eastern Time.
Results
The following table gives the number of seats each party won, and the number of ridings in which each party came second, third, and fourth:
Riding results
AlgomaManitoulin:
- (x)Mike Brown (L) 14520
- Peter Denley (NDP) 9459
- Terry McCutcheon (PC) 5168
- Ron Yurick (G) 680
AncasterDundasFlamboroughAldershot:
- (x)Ted McMeekin (L) 23045
- Mark Mullins (PC) 18141
- Kelly Hayes (NDP) 5666
- Brian Elder Sullivan (G) 903
- Michael Trolly (FCP) 434
- Richard Butson (CoR) 293
BarrieSimcoeBradford:
- (x)Joe Tascona (PC) 31529
- Mike Ramsay (L) 21998
- John Thomson (NDP) 5641
- Stewart Sinclair (G) 1278
- Robert Sales (FCP) 441
BeachesEast York:
- (x)Michael Prue (NDP) 21239
- Monica Purdy (L) 10070
- Angela Kennedy (PC) 8157
- Tom Mason (G) 1995
BramaleaGoreMaltonSpringdale:
- Kuldip Kular (L) 19306
- (x)Raminder Gill (PC) 15549
- Cesar Martello (NDP) 4931
- Ernst Braendli (G) 1176
- Frank Chilelli (Ind) 868
- Howard Cukoff (Comm) 503
Brampton Centre:
- Linda Jeffrey (L) 16661
- (x)Joe Spina (PC) 15656
- Kathy Pounder (NDP) 4827
- Sanjeev Goel (G) 820
- Wally Dove (F) 356
Brampton WestMississauga:
- Vic Dhillon (L) 28926
- (x)Tony Clement (PC) 26414
- Chris Moise (NDP) 5103
- Paul Micelli (FCP) 1122
- Paul Simas (G) 811
- John G. Purdy (F) 266
Brant:
- (x)Dave Levac (L) 24236
- Alayne Sokoloski (PC) 13618
- David Noonan (NDP) 5262
- Mike Clancy (G) 1014
- John C. Turmel (Ind) 296
BruceGreyOwen Sound:
- (x)Bill Murdoch (PC) 23338
- Dave Hocking (L) 14881
- Colleen Purdon (NDP) 4159
- Linda Freiburger (FCP) 1086
- Martin Donald (G) 769
- Bill Cook (Independent Reform) 586
Burlington:
- (x)Cam Jackson (PC) 21506
- Mark Fuller (L) 19654
- David Laird (NDP) 3832
- Julie Gordon (G) 1086
- Vic Corvaro (FCP) 523
Cambridge:
- (x)Gerry Martiniuk (PC) 19996
- Jerry Boyle (L) 16559
- Pam Wolf (NDP) 8513
- Al Smith (FCP) 1001
- Michael Chownyk (G) 983
ChathamKentEssex:
- (x)Pat Hoy (L) 23022
- Dave Wilkinson (PC) 11586
- Derry McKeever (NDP) 2893
- Jim Burgess (G) 1069
- David Rodman (F) 281
Davenport:
- (x)Tony Ruprecht (L) 15586
- Jordan Berger (NDP) 7243
- Tom Smith (PC) 1977
- Mark O'Brien (G) 907
- David Senater (Ind) 293
- Franz Cauchi (F) 264
- Nunzio Venuto (Lbt) 233
Don Valley East:
- (x)David Caplan (L) 21327
- Paul Sutherland (PC) 12027
- Murphy Browne (NDP) 3058
- Dan Craig (G) 558
- Ryan Kidd (FCP) 460
- Wayne Simmons (F) 119
Don Valley West:
DufferinPeelWellingtonGrey:
- (x)Ernie Eves (PC) 29222
- Dan Yake (L) 14859
- Frank de Jong (G) 3161
- Mitchel Healey (NDP) 3148
- Dave Davies (FCP) 1202
Durham:
- (x)John O'Toole (PC) 23814
- Garry Minnie (L) 18590
- Teresa Williams (NDP) 6274
- Gordon MacDonald (G) 1183
- Cathy McKeever (F) 707
EglintonLawrence:
- (x)Mike Colle (L) 23743
- Corinne Korzen (PC) 12402
- Robin Alter (NDP) 4351
- Mark Viitala (G) 1236
ElginMiddlesexLondon:
- (x)Steve Peters (L) 24914
- Bruce Smith (PC) 13149
- Bryan Bakker (NDP) 4063
- John Fisher (G) 673
- Ray Monteith (F) 671
ErieLincoln:
- (x)Tim Hudak (PC) 20348
- Vance Badawey (L) 16290
- Julius Antal (NDP) 3950
- Tom Ferguson (G) 713
- Steve Elgersma (FCP) 666
Essex:
- (x)Bruce Crozier (L) 20559
- Pat Hayes (NDP) 12614
- Patrick O'Neil (PC) 11234
- Darren J. Brown (G) 998
Etobicoke Centre:
- Donna Cansfield (L) 22070
- Rose Andrachuk (PC) 17610
- Margaret Anne McHugh (NDP) 3400
- Ralph M. Chapman (G) 1584
EtobicokeLakeshore:
- Laurel Broten (L) 19680
- (x)Morley Kells (PC) 14524
- Irene Jones (NDP) 8952
- Junyee Wang (G) 708
- Ted Kupiec (FCP) 480
- Janice Murray (Ind) 225
Etobicoke North:
- Shafiq Qaadri (L) 16727
- Baljit Gosal (PC) 6978
- Kuldip Singh Sodhi (NDP) 3516
- Frank Acri (Ind) 1990
- Teresa Ceolin (FCP) 1275
- Mir Kamal (G) 503
GlengarryPrescottRussell:
- (x)Jean-Marc Lalonde (L) 28956
- Albert Bourdeau (PC) 10921
- Guy Belle-Isle (NDP) 2544
- Louise Pattington (G) 1471
GuelphWellington:
HaldimandNorfolkBrant:
- (x)Toby Barrett (PC) 20109
- Rob Esselment (L) 17151
- Prue Steiner (NDP) 4720
- Graeme Dunn (G) 1088
- Barra L. Gots (FCP) 548
HaliburtonVictoriaBrock:
- Laurie Scott (PC) 24297
- Jason Ward (L) 17171
- Earl Manners (NDP) 7884
- Douglas Smith (G) 956
- Paul Gordon (FCP) 663
- Charles Olito (F) 273
Halton:
- (x)Ted Chudleigh (PC) 33610
- Barbara Sullivan (L) 28112
- Jay Jackson (NDP) 5587
- Matthew Raymond Smith (G) 1295
- Giuseppe Gori (FCP) 1123
Hamilton East:
- (x)Dominic Agostino (L) 16015
- Bob Sutton (NDP) 9035
- Sohail Bhatti (PC) 4033
- Raymond Dartsch (G) 563
- Bob Mann (Comm) 380
- Kelly Greenaway (Ind) 378
- Michael Izzotti (FCP) 304
Hamilton Mountain:
- (x)Marie Bountrogianni (L) 23524
- Chris Charlton (NDP) 12017
- Shakil Hassan (PC) 8637
- Eleanor Johnson (FCP) 748
- Selwyn Inniss (G) 494
Hamilton West:
- Judy Marsales (L) 15600
- Roy Adams (NDP) 13468
- Doug Brown (PC) 8185
- Lynne Scime (FCP) 750
- Jo Pavlov (G) 727
- Jamila Ghaddar (Ind) 303
HastingsFrontenacLennox and Addington:
- (x)Leona Dombrowsky (L) 21548
- Barry Gordon (PC) 13709
- Ross Sutherland (NDP) 4286
- Adam Scott (G) 1311
- John-Henry Westen (FCP) 673
HuronBruce:
- Carol Mitchell (L) 19879
- (x)Helen Johns (PC) 16594
- Grant Robertson (NDP) 4973
- Shelley Hannah (G) 934
- Dave Joslin (FCP) 902
- Robert Sabharwal (F) 127
KenoraRainy River:
- (x)Howard Hampton (NDP) 15666
- Geoff McClain (L) 6746
- Cathe Hoszowski (PC) 3343
- Dan King (G) 305
Kingston and the Islands:
- (x)John Gerretsen (L) 28877
- Hans Westenberg (PC) 9640
- Janet Collins (NDP) 5514
- Eric Walton (G) 3137
- Chris Beneteau (FCP) 735
Kitchener Centre:
KitchenerWaterloo:
- (x)Elizabeth Witmer (PC) 23957
- Sean Strickland (L) 22456
- Dan Lajoie (NDP) 6084
- Pauline Richards (G) 1774
- Lou Reitzel (FCP) 949
- Owen Alastair Ferguson (Ind) 242
- Julian Ichim (Ind) 153
LambtonKentMiddlesex:
- Maria Van Bommel (L) 18533
- (x)Marcel Beaubien (PC) 15060
- Joyce Jolliffe (NDP) 4523
- Tim Van Bodegom (G) 1133
- James Armstrong (Ind) 1053
- Wayne Forbes (F) 780
LanarkCarleton:
LeedsGrenville:
- (x)Bob Runciman (PC) 21443
- Stephen Mazurek (L) 17667
- Steve Armstrong (NDP) 2469
- Jerry Heath (G) 1799
- Melody Trolly (FCP) 649
London North Centre:
- Deb Matthews (L) 20212
- (x)Dianne Cunningham (PC) 13460
- Rebecca Coulter (NDP) 11414
- Bronagh Joyce Morgan (G) 780
- Craig Smith (FCP) 432
- Lisa Turner (F) 242
LondonFanshawe:
London West:
- Chris Bentley (L) 25581
- (x)Bob Wood (PC) 15463
- Patti Dalton (NDP) 7403
- Laura Wythe (G) 805
- Bill Frampton (F) 460
Markham:
- Tony Wong (L) 27253
- (x)Dave Tsubouchi (PC) 21257
- Janice Hagan (NDP) 2679
- Bernadette Manning (G) 824
- Patrick Redmond (FCP) 697
Mississauga Centre:
Mississauga East:
- Peter Fonseca (L) 16686
- (x)Carl DeFaria (PC) 13832
- Michael Hancock (NDP) 2479
- Donald Barber (G) 666
- Gary Nail (FCP) 358
- Pierre Chenier (Ind) 256
Mississagua South:
Mississauga West:
- Bob Delaney (L) 27903
- Nina Tangri (PC) 20406
- Arif Raza (NDP) 4196
- Richard Pereira (G) 1395
- Charles Montano (FCP) 989
NepeanCarleton:
- (x)John Baird (PC) 31662
- Rod Vanier (L) 20878
- Liam McCarthy (NDP) 3828
- Matt Takach (G) 2200
Niagara Centre:
- (x)Peter Kormos (NDP) 23289
- Henry D'Angela (L) 12526
- Ann Gronski (PC) 10336
- Jordan McArthur (G) 768
Niagara Falls:
Nickel Belt:
- (x)Shelley Martel (NDP) 16567
- Alex McCauley (L) 13759
- Dave Kilgour (PC) 4804
- Robert Nevin (G) 479
Nipissing:
Northumberland:
Oak Ridges:
- (x)Frank Klees (PC) 32647
- Helena Jaczek (L) 31026
- Pamela Courtot (NDP) 4464
- Steven Haylestrom (G) 1821
Oakville:
- Kevin Flynn (L) 22428
- Kurt Franklin (PC) 18991
- Anwar Abbas Naqvi (NDP) 2858
- Theresa Tritt (FCP) 751
Oshawa:
- (x)Jerry Ouellette (PC) 14566
- Sid Ryan (NDP) 13547
- Chris Topple (L) 9383
- Karen Tweedle (G) 636
- Paul McKeever (F) 518
- Dale Chilvers (FCP) 383
Ottawa Centre:
- (x)Richard Patten (L) 22295
- Jeff Atkinson (NDP) 11362
- Joe Varner (PC) 11217
- Chris Bradshaw (G) 3821
- Stuart Ryan (Comm) 306
- Matt Szymanowicz (F) 218
- Fakhry Guirguis (Ind) 214
OttawaOrleans:
Ottawa South:
OttawaVanier:
- Madeleine Meilleur (L) 22188
- Maurice Lamirande (PC) 10878
- Joseph Zebrowski (NDP) 6507
- Raphael Thierrin (G) 1876
Ottawa WestNepean:
- Jim Watson (L) 23127
- (x)Garry Guzzo (PC) 20277
- Marlene Rivier (NDP) 4099
- Neil Adair (G) 1309
- Robert Gauthier (Ind) 353
Oxford:
- (x)Ernie Hardeman (PC) 18656
- Brian Brown (L) 16135
- Shawn Rouse (NDP) 5318
- Tom Mayberry (G) 838
- Andre De Decker (FCP) 689
- Paul Blair (F) 404
- Kaye Sargent (Lbt) 306
ParkdaleHigh Park:
- (x)Gerard Kennedy (L) 23008
- Stephen Snell (PC) 6436
- Margo Duncan (NDP) 6275
- Neil Spiegel (G) 2758
- Stan Grzywna (FCP) 591
- Karin Larsen (Comm) 349
- John Steele (Ind) 204
- Dick Field (F) 165
Parry SoundMuskoka:
- (x)Norm Miller (PC) 18776
- Dan Waters (L) 13332
- Jo-Anne Boulding (NDP) 3838
- Glen Hodgson (G) 2277
- Charlene Phinney (FCP) 484
PerthMiddlesex:
- John Wilkinson (L) 17017
- (x)Bert Johnson (PC) 15680
- Jack Verhulst (NDP) 4703
- John Cowling (G) 1201
- Pat Bannon (FCP) 857
- Robert Smink (F) 384
Peterborough:
PickeringAjaxUxbridge:
Prince Edward-Hastings:
- (x)Ernie Parsons (L) 22937
- John Williams (PC) 12800
- Jodie Jenkins (NDP) 3377
- Joe Ross (G) 628
- Trueman Tuck (F) 229
RenfrewNipissingPembroke:
- John Yakabuski (PC) 19274
- Derek Nighbor (L) 18629
- Felicite Stairs (NDP) 5092
- Chris Walker (G) 671
SarniaLambton:
- (x)Caroline Di Cocco (L) 18179
- Henk Vanden Ende (PC) 11852
- Glenn Sonier (NDP) 6482
- Bradley Gray (G) 1414
- Andrew Falby (F) 316
Sault Ste. Marie:
ScarboroughAgincourt:
- (x)Gerry Phillips (L) 23026
- Yolanda Chan (PC) 11337
- Stacy Douglas (NDP) 2209
- Lawrence Arkilander (G) 566
- Tony Ieraci (FCP) 550
Scarborough Centre:
- Brad Duguid (L) 21698
- (x)Marilyn Mushinski (PC) 11686
- Michael Laxer (NDP) 3653
- Costas Manios (Ind) 3259
- Robert Carty (G) 642
- Joseph Internicola (FCP) 495
- Elizabeth Rowley (Comm) 241
Scarborough East:
ScarbourghRouge River:
- (x)Alvin Curling (L) 23976
- Kevin Moore (PC) 9468
- Jean-Paul Yovanoff (NDP) 2246
- Karen MacDonald (G) 1326
- Mitchell Persaud (FCP) 536
Scarborough Southwest:
SimcoeGrey:
- (x)Jim Wilson (PC) 26114
- Mark Redmond (L) 17505
- Leo Losereit (NDP) 5032
- Geoffrey Maile (G) 875
- Steven Taylor (FCP) 801
- Philip Bender (Lbt) 411
Simcoe North:
- (x)Garfield Dunlop (PC) 23393
- Paul Sloan (L) 19713
- John Niddery (NDP) 5515
- Nina Pruesse (G) 1540
- Blaine Scott (FCP) 453
- Karnail Singh (Ind) 101
St. Catharines:
- (x)Jim Bradley (L) 25319
- Mark Brickell (PC) 12932
- John Bacher (NDP) 3944
- Jim Fannon (G) 1167
- Linda Klassen (FCP) 714
St. Paul's:
- (x)Michael Bryant (L) 24887
- Charis Kelso (PC) 11203
- Julian Heller (NDP) 6740
- Peter Elgie (G) 2266
- Carol Leborg (F) 354
Stoney Creek:
StormontDundasCharlottenburgh:
- Jim Brownell (L) 19558
- Todd Lalonde (PC) 13948
- Tom Manley (G) 2098
- Matt Sumegi (NDP) 1639
- Gary Besner (Ind) 968
Sudbury:
- (x)Rick Bartolucci (L) 24631
- Mila Wong (PC) 5068
- Harvey Wyers (NDP) 4999
- Luke Norton (G) 1009
Thornhill:
Thunder BayAtikokan:
- Bill Mauro (L) 17735
- John Rafferty (NDP) 6582
- Brian McKinnon (PC) 5365
- Kristin Boyer (G) 762
Thunder BaySuperior North:
- (x)Michael Gravelle (L) 21938
- Bonnie Satten (NDP) 4548
- Brent Sylvester (PC) 2912
- Carl Rose (G) 882
TimiskamingCochrane:
- (x)David Ramsay (L) 18499
- Rick Brassard (PC) 6330
- Ben Lefebvre (NDP) 5741
- Paul Palmer (G) 489
TimminsJames Bay:
- (x)Gilles Bisson (NDP) 14941
- Michael Doody (L) 12373
- Merv Russell (PC) 2527
- Marsha Kriss (G) 219
Toronto CentreRosedale:
- (x)George Smitherman (L) 23872
- John Adams (PC) 9968
- Gene Lara (NDP) 9112
- Gabriel Draven (G) 1739
- Philip Fernandez (Ind) 324
- Silvio Ursomarzo (F) 218
TorontoDanforth:
- (x)Marilyn Churley (NDP) 18253
- Jim Davidson (L) 12246
- George Sardelis (PC) 6562
- Michael Pilling (G) 1368
- Masood Atchekzai (FCP) 217
- Mehmet Ali Yagiz (Ind) 73
TrinitySpadina:
VaughanKingAurora:
- (x)Greg Sorbara (L) 36928
- Carmine Iacono (PC) 21744
- Mike Seaward (NDP) 4697
- Adrian Visentin (G) 2412
WaterlooWellington:
- (x)Ted Arnott (PC) 22550
- Deborah Whale (L) 17344
- Richard Walsh-Bowers (NDP) 3970
- Allan Strong (G) 1203
- Gord Truscott (FCP) 978
WhitbyAjax:
- (x)Jim Flaherty (PC) 27240
- Dennis Fox (L) 22593
- Dan Edwards (NDP) 5155
- Michael MacDonald (G) 1375
Willowdale:
- David Zimmer (L) 21823
- (x)David Young (PC) 19957
- Yvonne Bobb (NDP) 3084
- Sharolyn Vettesse (G) 933
- Rina Morra (FCP) 442
- Vaughan Byrnes (F) 227
WindsorSt. Clair:
- (x)Dwight Duncan (L) 19692
- Madeline Crnec (NDP) 10433
- Matt Bufton (PC) 4162
- Chris Holt (G) 1315
- Saroj Bains (Ind) 253
Windsor West:
- (x)Sandra Pupatello (L) 21993
- Yvette Blackburn (NDP) 7383
- Derek Insley (PC) 4187
- Cary Lucier (G) 1233
- Enver Villamizar (Ind) 386
York Centre:
- (x)Monte Kwinter (L) 18808
- Dan Cullen (PC) 7862
- Matthew Norrish (NDP) 3494
- Constantine Kritsonis (G) 1496
York North:
- (x)Julia Munro (PC) 24517
- John Taylor (L) 21054
- Sylvia Gerl (NDP) 4029
- Bob Burrows (G) 1854
- Simone Williams (FCP) 497
York SouthWeston:
- (x)Joe Cordiano (L) 19932
- Brian Donlevy (NDP) 6247
- Steve Halicki (PC) 4930
- Enrique Palad (G) 794
- Mariangela Sanabria (FCP) 475
York West:
- (x)Mario Sergio (L) 16102
- Garth Bobb (NDP) 3954
- Ted Aver (PC) 2330
- Richard Von Fuchs (G) 437
- Christopher Black (Comm) 408
See also
External links
General resources
Parties
Parties with seats in the house prior to dissolution
Other parties
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