A Liberal star candidate who has long eyed Ottawa Centre is enthusiastic about adding an “edgy note” to the riding.
Penny Collenette, a self-proclaimed envelope pusher, is most concerned about improving many facets of the constituency – an objective that she says is unique to her as a candidate.
“I want to incubate ideas that take more of a risk,” she said in an interview.
She says there is much that can be done to improve the riding that she has lived in for 28 years with her husband David, a senior federal cabinet minister under Jean Chrétien.
Her goals include getting Ottawa WIFIed, which she thinks is important for what shecalls an “international city with a high-tech edge.” She also has concerns about transportation infrastructure and wants to invest more money.
“Ottawa Centre deserves the most attention out of all of the ridings in the country.”
She says the riding is a political jewel and merits more government support because of its geography.
The riding is bounded by historical waterways and hosts many national centres and cultural institutions.
She says there is a lot of potential to unlock in this riding which has massive intellectual depth, cross-cultural discourse and a bilingual character.
“I want to make this riding more vibrant and alive. We need more protected green spaces, a greater sense of architectural heritage and support for our artists.”
She has also been promoting a strong water policy that is part of the Liberal’s Green Shift plan.
She says that her well-rounded background in politics, business and academia will provide what it takes for better governance in the riding.
Collenette brings a long history in party politics to the ballot. She has been a political organizer for the Liberal party since the age of 19, dating back to the Trudeau era.
She was a campaign director for Chrétien’s leadership bid in 1990, and is a former director of appointments in the then-prime minister’s office.
Collenette spent four years as a director and vice-president at George Weston Ltd., a foodprocessing and distribution company.
She has a B.A. from Carleton University, a law degree from the University of Ottawa and was a senior fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
She is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa’s law faculty and the Telfer School of Management.