By Kate Harper
Since the Conservative minority federal government could fall any day, federal political parties are getting prepared, and people are gearing up for nomination battles in Ottawa Centre.
Though more potential candidates will likely come forward, the possibility of a spring election has prompted some to already say they are interested in running in Ottawa Centre.
The Liberal nomination has attracted the most attention so far, with four people indicating they are interested in running, or are considering it.
Penny Collenette has confirmed she will try to become the Liberal candidate in the riding. Collenette has worked as a Liberal party staffer, and is the wife of David Collenette, a former minister under Jean Chrétien.
She says she will try to win back Ottawa Centre residents who voted for the New Democratic Party (NDP) in 2006.
“In the last election, Jack Layton asked to borrow votes,” she says. “We need to say the borrowing time is over. We have to, as a party, work very hard to get some of these ridings [that the NDP won in the last federal election] back. Ottawa Centre is one of them.”
Though the Liberal party has yet to set a nomination date, Collenette says should she become the candidate, she says some of her priorities will be environmental issues, improving access to affordable housing, and supporting small businesses.
Paul Dewar, Ottawa Centre’s current NDP member of Parliament, has confirmed he will run for nomination. NDP officials say the riding association expects to hold a nomination meeting within the next month.
“We’re pretty happy that Ottawa Centre has been a New Democratic seat since Ed Broadbent won it from the Liberals, and we’re looking to keep it that way,” says Ian Capstick, the NDP’s communications representative.
He also says Dewar will likely make the environment one of his biggest campaign concerns. No other potential NDP candidates have come forward yet.
Along with Penny Collenette, three other people have expressed interest in the Liberal nomination.
Isabel Metcalfe ran as the 2006 Liberal candidate in Carleton-Mississippi Mills, and is considering running in Ottawa Centre during the next election. She says she is encouraged by Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion’s recent comment about increasing the number of female Liberal candidates in the next election.
“I’m looking at it [the Liberal nomination] very seriously,” she says. “I would like to be one of those women.”
Richard Mahoney, who was the unsuccessful Liberal candidate in 2004 and 2006, says he has not decided whether he will seek the nomination again. Mahoney says he is considering running because of the recent cancellation of the north-south light rail transit project.
“It was something that would have made a huge impact on the quality of life in Ottawa Centre, and the traffic on our streets in the inner city,” Mahoney says. He says were he to run, he would work towards re-instating the light rail transit project and work at developing the LeBreton Flats area.
“There’s a huge opportunity there to build a really sustainable community with a mix of housing, with a high quality of life, with public transit going right through it,” Mahoney says.
Another rumoured Liberal candidate is Scott Bradley, who organized Gerard Kennedy’s Liberal leadership campaign. Bradley could not be reached for comment.
Keith Fountain ran as the Conservative candidate in the 2006 federal election, and says he is still considering whether he will run for nomination in the next election.
On the other hand, David Chernushenko, the Green party’s 2006 candidate, says he would like to run again.
Whether he becomes the candidate will be decided at a Green party nomination meeting Feb. 22. He says his priority will be to try to increase the number of Green votes in Ottawa Centre.
“I would ask the voters, do you vote for all of the other parties, which have recently decided to be Green, or do you vote and get members who actually are Green?” Chernushenko says. “The polls are showing just how important Canadians place the environment at the moment.”