The election campaign is in full swing in Ottawa Centre, with signs popping up all over the riding.
Issues facing the public service and economic development will be the main focus of Ottawa Centre candidates in the May 2 federal election.
“When the public sector works, our town works,” says Liberal candidate Scott Bradley.
He says he believes that the current government has undermined the objectivity and the ability of the public sector to do its job by eliminating the long-form census, cutting funds in research and firing bureaucrats who have opinions.
Green Party candidate Jen Hunter claims many residents of the riding, a quarter of who are civil servants, say they are disheartened because their jobs have been too politicized.
In addition to the politicization of the public service, NDP candidate Paul Dewar and Hunter identified economic issues, as well as more support for the arts and green initiatives as important to the riding.
Bradley and Conservative candidate Damian Konstantinakos are concerned about the region’s industrial development.
Bradley says he wants to make sure the city is “being developed in the right way to support industries and jobs,” with more attention paid to research and technology, areas in which he believes Ottawa already excels.
In terms of the regional economy, Konstantinakos also wants to encourage growth in existing areas, such as high tech and medical research.
Hunter, Dewar and Bradley defended the election as necessary.
“It was required that the opposition brought the government down,” says Hunter.
“The role of the opposition is to challenge the government when it is not operating in the best interests of Canadians, they definitely had to.”
Dewar explained that in his opinion, besides the ethical issues the government is facing, the budget demands his party made were simply not met and it seemed the government was not interested in co-operating with the opposition.
Bradley says there was no choice but to force an election because of the issues of contempt facing the government.
Not surprisingly, however, Konstantinakos disagrees.
“Like many Canadians am I disappointed. I think there are better ways to spend the hundreds of millions of dollars that this election will cost. We are spending about $10 per Canadian on this election.”
He says the government presented a responsible, non-partisan budget, which incorporated ideas from different parties such as the NDP. He hopes that Canadians will challenge all candidates to answer questions about the need for the election.
Each candidate believes he or she is the right person for the job.
“I work for the people, and I do politics differently,” says Dewar. He says he plans to continue his community-focused approach, organizing forums and activities such as the summit on cycling.
Bradley says he represents “the average member of the community. I am a passionate advocate for the voices of the Ottawa Centre.”
As the lone female candidate, Hunter says she believes she can help bring a more equal voice to the House of Commons.
“We need women’s voices, ideas and natural capacities and abilities to be included in the running of the country. We can have a more nurturing Parliament with more women” she says. The male dominance within Parliament she says she feels has reduced the ability for dialogue and the free flow of ideas; without this she says, “there is no room for new direction or change.”
Contact your local candidates
Scott Bradley, Lib.
Website: votescottbradley.ca
Email: info@votescottbradley.ca
Campaign Office: 1411 A Carling Ave., PO Box 169, K1Z 1A7
Telephone: (613) 728-5333
Twitter: @ScottBradley_OC
Paul Dewar, NDP
Website: www.pauldewar.ca
Email:paul@pauldewar.ca
Campaign Office: 249 Rochester St., K1R 7M9
Telephone: (613) 236-3808
Twitter: @PaulDewar
Jen Hunter, Green
Website: www.jenhunter.ca
Email: jen@jenhunter.ca
Campaign Office: Community based virtual office
Telephone: (613) 288-9115
Twitter: @jenhunter
Damian Konstantinakos, Con.
Website: www.votedamian.ca
Email: see website
Campaign Office: PO Box 38153,1430 Prince of Wales Dr., K2C 1N6
Telephone: (613) 237-0020
2008 Results
Paul Dewar, NDP: 25,399, 39.7%
Penny Collenette, Lib.: 16,633, 26%
Brian McGarry, Con.: 15,065, 23.6%
Jen Hunter, Green: 6,348, 9.9%
John Akpata, Radical Marijuana: 378, 0.6%
Pierre Soublière, Marxist-Leninist: 95, 0.1%