By Jen Wilson and Kathryn Carlson
Newly elected NDP MP Paul Dewar says he’s ready to roll up his sleeves and get things done in Ottawa Centre, a riding that, until 2004, has a long Liberal history.
His win, by 5,000 votes over the Liberal runner-up, marks the second consecutive win for the NDP in the riding. Dewar says he’s confident that he can follow in retiring MP Ed Broadbent’s footsteps.
“It shows that the people here trust the NDP to get things done and they know that they can look to the NDP to put a progressive agenda on the table,” said Dewar at Preston Street’s Sala San Marco Banquet Hall on election night.
Dewar took 36.9 per cent of the vote, down from the 41 per cent Broadbent won in 2004. But Mahoney also lost support, dropping slightly from 31 per cent in 2004 to 29.2 per cent. The turnout was 76 per cent.
The votes lost by the Liberals and the NDP in Ottawa Centre were stolen by the Conservative and Green Party candidates, accounting for a three-per-cent increase in support for both.
Dewar thanked Broadbent for his guidance over the course of the campaign, adding that he knows he has big shoes to fill.
“I joke about the fact that we share the same shoe size but it’s really a matter of following up on some of the things that Ed had been working on including affordable housing and electoral reform,” said Dewar, son of former Ottawa mayor Marion Dewar.
However, Dewar says he won’t simply mimic Broadbent.
“Where I’ll be different, is that my background in the community lends me a certain expertise to get things done,” he said. “For example, I plan to deal with foreign credentials recognition. Sadly, if you want a doctor these days you can call a cab because the person who drives it is probably a doctor.”
But the former high school teacher says that this is just one of the many issues he plans to tackle in Ottawa Centre.
Dewar’s list of priorities for the riding include affordable housing at LeBreton Flats, the elimination of child poverty, decreasing student debt, and dealing with the controversial issue of the Elgin St. parole office.
“I spoke with Conservative candidate Keith Fountain on the issue of the parole office and that’s something that we both wanted to see movement on. The community wasn’t consulted and that’s a major issue,” said Dewar.
City councillors Clive Doucet and Diane Holmes, longtime NDP supporters, predictably agreed that the NDP had the most to offer.
After losing to the NDP for a second consecutive election, Mahoney says voters are eager for change and he’s not holding his breath for a Liberal-NDP coalition.
“I think the NDP have shown in this campaign that their intention was to work with Mr. Harper in government,” Mahoney told disappointed supporters on election night at Maxwell’s Bistro & Club. “I would certainly support the Liberals and the New Democrats working together on progressive issues anytime, but I am not predicting this is going to happen.”
Mahoney hopes Dewar will deal with issues such as national daycare, the environment, public transit and affordable housing.
“I think the job for our newly configured Parliament is to make sure that the people of the riding do see these things addressed,” he said.
Tory candidate Keith Fountain ran a strong third.
“This riding has never elected a Conservative member in the general election and people need a little time to get used to the idea,” he said quietly, adding that he was suffering from laryngitis. “What we did today was reduce the gap between us and the front-runner by half and now that we’ve laid the groundwork all we have to do is convince a few more people.”
Unlike Mahoney who hinted that he might be back for round three in the next election, Fountain says he’ll be taking some time off and then head back to his job at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Green Party candidate David Chernushenko increased his support by about 2,000 from 2004. He said he was disappointed with the results but indicated support for Dewar.
“Paul is someone who has got a strong personal environmental commitment, so he is certainly someone I can work with as a member of the community and I hope he’ll push for our values in Parliament,” Chernushenko said.