By Glyn Goffin
A local high-tech consultant who has only been a member of the PC party for two weeks is the party nominee for the federal election.
Just over 30 party members were on hand earlier this week to select David Longbottom, 37, as their candidate.
“All right, if Jean Chretien wants to go early, well then lets go,” says Maureen Knox, the riding association president.
Longbottom joins the Ottawa Centre race that already includes the NDP’s Heather-jane Robertson and incumbent Liberal MP Mac Harb. The Canadian Alliance was to have nominated its candidate Wednesday.
Longbottom, a 10-year Centretown resident, recently left his job at Objectime, a west-end high-tech company. He made his decision to enter politics only three days before Sunday’s Tory nomination meeting.
Longbottom spoke passionately about involving himself in the Conservative party. Even as a new and unknown member, he won members’ support with charismatic speaking and individual conversations.
For the next six weeks, Longbottom says he is “going to throw himself into this campaign headlong.”
“It’s time to step up to the bar and do something,” he says.
“I could either join the PC party or sit back and watch it die.”
Longbottom defeated author Raymond Samuels for the nomination. Kevin Lister, a JDS Uniphase applications engineer, dropped out of the race and gave his support to Longbottom.
“There were two great candidates running and I didn’t have anything else to offer,” said Lister, who says he is now considering running in Ottawa South.
Longbottom identified health care and helping small business as his main concerns for Ottawa Centre.
“There needs to be a level of trust so that health-care funding is restored and doesn’t change,” says Longbottom.
“We need health care funding back to where it was (prior to Liberal cutbacks) so that [residents] can feel comfortable with what their government is offering them,” he added.
Longbottom also says he wants to use his background within the high-tech community to help businesses “find their place within Ottawa’s changing economy.”
Longbottom faces a tough challenge. The Conservatives gained only 16 per cent of the vote in the 1997 election and finished third behind the NDP.
“If I can get my message out I’m confident I can broaden the appeal of the Progressive Conservative Party for Ottawa Centre voters.” He says he hopes to use his network of friends and a strong campaign, using a lot of signs and door-to-door canvassing, to reach voters.