By Rebecca Taggart and Alice Ervin
Two more candidates have been nominated in Ottawa Centre for the next federal elections, leaving only the Liberals without a nominee.
David Chernushenko was recently chosen by the Green party to contest the riding for the third time, while Centretown businessman Brian McGarry was appointed by the Conservatives.
That leaves only the Liberals to nominate a candidate. Their nomination should take place in late March or early April, according to a Liberal riding association spokesman.
Chernushenko will be hoping third time lucky. After two unsuccessful election bids in 2004 and 2006, a crowd of more than 50 party faithful nominated Chernushenko late last month. Chernushenko defeated John Dauvergne, a social activist since the 1960s but a newcomer to federal politics.
After his win, Chernushenko, 43, said he was humbled by the support.
But he said the biggest challenge lies ahead – preparing for an upcoming federal election.
“It will take more than luck to win a seat,” Chernushenko told party members at the meeting. He hopes to become the first Green party member to sit in the House of Commons.
While there is more to the Green party than just the environment, said Chernushenko, it is important to stay true to the party’s vision. The environment is a building block for other issues including health, education and industry, he said.
And with the likelihood of a federal election in the near future, Chernushenko said he expects that the environment will be a major issue for politicians and voters.
The other parties are just pretending to be green, Chernushenko said later in an interview, but the Green party is the only one that will make environmental issues a top priority.
“The other parties are just imposters,” he said. He added that “being green” is an attitude. If voters want change, Chernushenko said, only the Green party can make it possible.
The nomination meeting was the third in the last five years. This year’s nomination was the first time the party has had to choose between two candidates in Ottawa Centre. For the past three elections, the candidate has been acclaimed or selected by the party leader.
McGarry, a partner in Hulse, Playfair and McGarry Funeral Chapels, did not respond to requests for an interview.
“I am looking forward to being the Conservative candidate in Ottawa Centre and ultimately to serve the residents as their member of Parliament,” he said in a press conference.
“My entire life has been dedicated to taking care of people, their families and my employees. I see my role as an MP as an extension of what I do best.”
McGarry, a community activist, has served on the boards of the Montfort Hospital Foundation and the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. He is currently a member of the Ottawa Senators Foundation.
He served nine years as a trustee of the Ottawa Board of Education and three years a councilor for the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton.
The NDP recently re-nominated first-time MP Paul Dewar as its candidate.
As many as four people are interested in the Liberal nomination, including Richard Mahoney, the party’s unsuccessful candidate in 2004 and 2006; Penny Collenette, who teaches law at the University of Ottawa; Isabel Metcalfe, a former president of the Ottawa Centre Liberal riding association; and Scott Bradley, an organizer for Gerard Kennedy in the recent Liberal leadership race.