Federal candidates for Ottawa Centre are raising money, canvassing and organizing volunteers to prepare for a possible spring election.
So far, three of the four main parties have nominated their standard bearers. Paul Dewar, who has held the riding since 2006, has been nominated to run again by the NDP. Challenging him will be Scott Bradley of the Liberals, as well as Green Party industry critic Jen Hunter. The Conservatives have yet to name a candidate.
Bradley works in business development, corporate strategy and government relations. He says he has already knocked on more than 11,000 doors over the past 18 months, and is hosting a series of town hall meetings as part of what he calls his proactive approach to connecting with voters.
“We’ve been getting a really positive response from people in the riding,” says Bradley. “People are ready for a change of government, and they’re starting to realize that a vote for the NDP is equivalent to a vote for Stephen Harper.”
Bradley says that he and his party are working hard to win back the trust of voters.
“People seem ready to come back to the Liberal Party,” says Bradley. “Another Conservative government is not the result people are looking for in this election.”
Bradley’s next town hall meetings will be March 23 at the Sunnyside branch of the Ottawa Library and March 29 at the Rosemount branch.
Hunter, a small business owner and professor at Algonquin College, is running for the second time. She says she’s looking forward to the campaign and is hoping to improve on her results from the last election.
“Right now, we’re focused on money, members and message,” says Hunter.
Hunter says the Green Party will be using a fundraising strategy which involves selling fair-trade organic chocolate.
“We want to give people a taste of the green economy.”
Unlike other parties, which look to releasing planks of their platforms strategically prior to an election, the Green Party’s platform is available online in its entirety and is updated constantly, says Hunter. She says the party focuses on sustainability, not only environmentally, but economically and socially as well.
“I’m proud of what it has to offer, and I’m ready to take those messages into the public conversation,” says Hunter.
Incumbent Dewar has been campaigning constantly in order to be prepared for an election at any time, says his campaign manager, Kiavash Najafi.
“We’ve been working to get him re-elected since he was elected,” says Najafi.
The riding association has been ordering signs and organizing volunteers. Meanwhile, Dewar is out attending community events whenever his parliamentary duties allow, says Najafi, noting that weekends are always fully booked.
“We’re getting great feedback,” adds Najafi. “People like Paul, and they want him back. We’re very excited.”
Najafi says Dewar is delivering on a number of fronts in the House of Commons, and is working hard to get results on community priorities.
Dewar will be hosting a rallying event March 20 at Babylon Nightclub on Bank Street featuring the musical stylings of fellow MP Charlie Angus and Davenport candidate Andrew Cash.
The Conservatives will be holding a nomination meeting within the next few weeks, says party member Emrys Graefe.
Meanwhile, a new organization hopes to keep people informed during an election. The Centretown Young Voters Committee was established by Don Fex, who recently ran for council in Somerset Ward, and his campaign manager Andrew Watson.
“Our goal will be to provide communications outlets and information targeting those under 40,” says Watson.
Watson says the non-partisan group plans to register as many young voters as possible, determine young voters’ chief concerns and establish social-networking outlets for young voters to use throughout the election period.