By Scott Beaty
In anticipation of an upcoming provincial election, a third political party has named its candidate in Ottawa Centre.
Newly minted New Democrat candidate Jeff Atkinson joins Liberal Richard Patten, who was nominated in December, and Green Party standard bearer Chris Bradshaw, who received his party’s nod in May 2002.
Atkinson was acclaimed at a nomination meeting earlier this month.
Atkinson, a 35-year-old Centretown resident, said in his acceptance speech that he is prepared to challenge Ontario’s Conservative government.
“I want to raise the issues of affordable housing, better transit, raising minimum wage. Issues that matter to people who live downtown and want to enjoy the standard of living that you can have living downtown,” Atkinson said.
Atkinson first moved to Ottawa 16 years ago from Duart, a town of 90 people outside of Chatham, to attend university. At the time, he was an active Liberal, but joined the NDP six years ago when he began to lose faith in the Liberal party’s direction.
“I joined the NDP when it became clear to me that it was the only party willing to stand up for people like me,” says Atkinson.
“People who made it out of a small town and went to university because it was affordable. People who know what it’s like to have to make that choice between paying rent, paying the bills or buying your groceries.”
For the past two years, Atkinson has been co-president of the Ottawa Centre NDP riding association and has acted as co-chair of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered committee for the federal branch of the party.
Ontario NDP leader Howard Hampton was at the nomination meeting. He says, if elected, Atkinson would be a strong representative at Queen’s Park.
“Jeff’s a great candidate,” Hampton said. “We need candidates who are active in the community, who know the issues out there in the community, and who have established an identity in the community.”
In a speech that drew vigorous applause from party membership, Hampton echoed the local concerns of Atkinson, but stressed the issues of maintaining public health care and hydro in Ontario.
“Do you believe that the services that people need every day in our lives…will be better served through a public system that is not for profit and is democratically accountable?” Hampton asked. “Or do you want to put them in the hands of an Enron?”
Somerset Ward Coun. Elisabeth Arnold, the NDP candidate in the 1999 election, has worked with Atkinson in the past, and says he will raise issues important to the community.
“I think what people are looking for is a principled set of policies coming from a party, and we’re not getting that from the government, and we’re certainly not hearing anything from the Liberals that gives anybody any comfort,” says Arnold.
The NDP placed third in the last election. Patten finishing first with 6,000 votes more than Arnold. Tory candidate Ray Kostuch came a suprisingly strong second.
Atkinson says Ottawa Centre is a winnable seat for the NDP.
He says the riding hasn’t fared well under the Conservatives’ “Common Sense Revolution,” and adds that the Liberals will have a hard time defending their record of Opposition. When asked about the performance of Patten, Atkinson responds bluntly:
“The seat is filled. That’s about all.”