By Yonatan Lew
Both the NDP and Liberals say that just because a byelection date has yet to be set, it’s not too early to prepare for the race for Ottawa Centre.
Late last month, the NDP created a stir with a pamphlet distributed around the riding, promoting NDP leader Jack Layton and denouncing Mac Harb’s appointment to the Senate. Harb’s appointment in early September left his Ottawa Centre riding without an MP.
The pamphlet, which reportedly cost taxpayers $20,000, caused an uproar in Liberal circles. Harb threatened to sue Layton and the NDP for implying that he’s stolen money from taxpayers by entering the Senate at such a young age.
Layton, however, says he can’t see what all the fuss is about. He says that over time, many members of Parliament and party leaders have used the House of Commons budget to communicate with their ridings.
Layton calls it a “long standing practice” where leaders who aren’t elected to Parliament can still get their message across to Canadians. He says he hasn’t broken any rules.
As for the cost, Layton denies the price tag. “There’s no way it would get close to $20,000, that’s for sure. I would be surprised if it was a quarter of that.”
Some Liberals, though, are still mad.
“What they did is completely unacceptable. They are spending taxpayers’ money when they shouldn’t,” says Dr. Khaled Hashem.
“If indeed they are serious about (the race), then come out and say what their intentions are. Why are they testing the ground at the expense of the taxpayer?”
Hashem, a dentist based in the Glebe, and Richard Mahoney, a lawyer with close ties to Paul Martin, are both in the Liberal nomination race for Ottawa Centre.
A nomination date to choose a candidate has been set for Dec. 1.
Hashem, who announced his intention to run Nov. 6, says he’s a candidate who can win over left-wing voters who might otherwise vote NDP.
“I think there is a need to balance the traditional Liberal values and the party’s new direction,” says Hashem.
He says the party has been leaning more to the right as of late, but he believes Ottawa Centre is more of a left-leaning riding.
Mahoney disagrees. He says voters want to move into a new way of governing.
“I’ve always been on the progressive wing of the party,” says Mahoney.
“I’ve taken some fairly progressive positions on issues and hope to do more as the debate goes on.”
Hashem has never held public office, but has been very active in the community.
He says Ottawa Centre has a very large immigrant neighbourhood and being a first generation Lebanese immigrant will help him relate to those people.
“I feel that these groups have many problems and issues to bring forward and the only way they could bring them forward and let their voice be heard is for a strong ethnic candidate to enter the race,” he says.
But he says he doesn’t plan to run purely on his ethnic background. Rather, he says he’ll focus on issues important to him, including health care, child poverty and economic growth.
Mahoney says he will welcome the opposing views brought by Hashem and that he’s eager to face him in the nomination contest. But he’s also looking beyond Dec. 1 to the NDP’s rumoured candidate.
Layton asked former NDP leader Ed Broadbent to consider a comeback in Ottawa Centre.
“It wasn’t something he had in his life plan for this stage in his life,” says Layton. “But I’ve spent some time talking with him about the possibilities, and he’s certainly going to consider it and review all the family issues as well as the personal issues and make a decision fairly soon.”
Broadbent wasn’t available for comment.
Other people rumoured to be considering a run for the NDP include Judy Darcy, former Canadian Union of Public Employees president, and Jamey Heath, Layton’s communication director. He ran against Harb in the 1997 federal election.
Layton expects to call a nomination meeting for either January or February. He says there is no hurry to select a candidate yet since no byelection has been called.
The Progressive Conservative Party and the Canadian Alliance, meanwhile, have frozen all nomination races for the moment while they consider the prospect of a merger,which will be decided upon Dec. 12.