By Louis Hayes
Voters have no shortage of choice in Ottawa Centre. Nine candidates are pounding the pavement in hopes of winning a seat in Parliament on Nov. 27.
Mac Harb, the Liberal incumbent, kicked off his campaign Oct. 28 at his headquarters on Somerset Street. He says this is going to be one of the most exciting elections in the history of Canada.
“This is the first time ever that we have an election based on two completely different visions,” said Harb, addressing the large crowd of Liberal supporters.
“On the one hand, we have a Liberal vision that calls for a strong central government, compassion and fiscal responsibility,” said Harb. “On the other hand, we have an Alliance vision that calls for complete lack of support for those who need it most and that wants to pit one region against another.”
Harb also stressed the Liberal government’s achievements over the past eight years, specifically the elimination of a $42-billion deficit.
“This election is about perfecting what we have already achieved,” said Harb. “It is not the time for us to experiment.”
Alliance candidate David Brown says Canada is suffering because of a lack of Liberal leadership.
Brown, a 47-year-old business consultant, says the Alliance’s platform, A Time for Change, offers that leadership.
“Basically we want to take government out of people’s lives and give people more money to spend as they want,” said Brown, who was born and raised in Ottawa. “We are offering a single tax rate of 17 per cent, a tax exemption of $10,000 and $3,000 child tax credit which gives parents the option of staying home.”
Brown says Alliance support is growing. Party membership in the riding is five times greater now than it was in January.
“I spoke to one man who voted Liberal for the last 50 years and he took a sign for his lawn. It’s a question between a time for change or the status quo and I think people are tired of the status quo.”
Brown and NDP candidate Heather-jane Robertson agree.
“I’ve encountered lots of people who used to support the Liberals who aren’t going to this time.”
Robertson has worked with various non-governmental organizations and is currently vice-president of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. She says the important issues are not being discussed.
“People care about health and education. They don’t care about polls. We aren’t discussing issues when we watch Day and Chretien try to out-macho each other.”
In contrast to the Liberal and Alliance focus on debt reduction and tax cuts, the NDP promises to invest surplus money into areas such as health care, safe drinking water, employment and interest-free student loans.
Robertson also stresses a need to return to the issue of affordable housing and home care.
“Our challenge is to convince people to vote their values, because that’s us.”
She says the race is not just between the Alliance and the Liberals. The NDP has strong support in Ottawa Centre. In the 1997 election, NDP candidate Jamey Heath finished second.
The Progressive Conservative candidate is Beverley Mitchell.
“I think people in this riding and across the country really need a choice,” says Mitchell, a human resources co-ordinator in her 30s.
“Just by chatting with people I know they aren’t particularly happy with the Liberals or the Alliance.”
Mitchell says the Conservatives offer the best of both those parties: fiscal responsibility and the maintenance of social programs.
“The fiscal irresponsibility of the Liberals has to be stopped. That’s money that could have gone into tax cuts, health care, education, social programs and debt reduction.”
The other candidates running in Ottawa Centre are: Mistahi Corkill, Marxist-Leninist Party; Chris Bradshaw, Green Party; Brad Powers, Marijuana Party; Marvin Glass, Communist Party and Carla Dancey, Canadian Action Party.
All the candidates agree that the polls, which indicate a large Liberal lead, are not indicative of what will happen on Nov. 27, as many voters have yet to make up their minds.