(Posted 11 a.m., Oct. 10)
G-P-R hopefuls deliver sales pitch at Navan
all-candidates meeting
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

Conservative incumbent Pierre Lemieux addresses the audience at the Glengarry-Prescott-Russell all-candidates debate in Navan last night as Liberal challenger Dan Boudria looks on. Fred Sherwin/Photo

More than 120 people packed the Heritage Public School gymnasium in Navan on Thursday night to hear from the four candidates running for election in the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell.

Conservative MP Pierre Lemieux is the incumbent in the riding, while Dan Boudria, the son of former Liberal MP Don Boudria, is trying to win the seat back for the Liberals. The other two candidates are Jean-Sebastien Caron representing the NDP and Green Party candidate Sylvie Lemieux.

For most of the people in the audience, the meeting would be their one and only chance to hear from the candidates before casting their ballot in next Tuesday's General Election.

The meeting was extremely civil for the most part, with all four candidates doing their best to answer the questions put to them from the floor while trying to push their respective party's platforms.

Boudria did his best to explain that most Canadians would receive an average 10 per cent cut in their income taxes under the Liberal's "Green Shift" plan which would add a carbon tax to everything from gasoline to electricity.

Lemieux, meanwhile, kept reinforcing people's fears that the "Green Shift" is little more than a tax grab that they simply can't afford. He especially tried to play on the vulnerability of local farmers.

"The carbon tax is a job killing tax," said Lemieux, "(and it will) inflict damage on farmers."

The rookie MP also brought up the Gun Registry, which is unpopular among the riding's rural residents. When Boudria tried to defend the program he was largely booed.

When the questioning turned to the economy, Lemieux reminded the audience the Canadian economy is still strong despite what is happening elsewhere in the world. He also noted that measures brought in by the Conservatives during the last budget have given the Bank of Canada the tools it needs to avert a banking crisis in this country.

"We passed 65 measures in the 2008 budget to help the Bank of Canada stabilize the markets in situations like this," said Lemieux.

All four candidates came under fire for the lack of decorum in the House of Commons and negative campaign ads.

Sylvie Lemieux tried to separate herself and her party from the Liberals, saying that their carbon tax is good for the economy and good for the environment.

"The Green carbon tax is the way to go to help forge the new economy and create new technologies. Over 200 economists have studied our plan and they agree with us," said Lemieux.

Jean-Sabastien Caron said the NDP would bring in an economic plan and policies that would focus on helping out middle income earners by using the corporate income tax to help fund initiatives such as a National Day Care program and the hiring of more doctors and nurses.

"The NDP would help propel the market economy by shifting the focus to small business and medium-sized companies. We have to keep people working," said Caron.

Lemieux won the last election by just 203 votes over the Liberal candidate Réne Berthiaume who was from Vankleek Hill. Both Lemieux and Boudria are from Sarsfield.

Boudria's father Don held the riding for 20 years from 1984 to 2004 when Lemieux won and became the first Conservative Member of Parliament from the area since 1958.

(This story was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local business partners.)

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