Tory win would be a huge upset here
Riding has been a Liberal bastion since it was created in 1935, but NDP could shake things up, writes Elizabeth Payne.
THE CANDIDATES
Conservative: David Piccini, executive assistant to Conservative Trade Minister Ed Fast, has worked on both the political and policy sides of the federal government, including as an international market analyst and policy adviser. He is also head coach of the University of Ottawa men’s soccer team and a community organizer. Website: www.davidpiccini.ca Twitter: @DavidPiccini Green: Nira Dookeran teaches English as a Second Language with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. Dookeran is an active member of various cultural and community organizations, including the OttawaCentral America Solidarity Committee, the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Ottawa-Carleton, the Council of Canadians and others. Liberal: Originally from Mattawa, Mauril Bélanger came to Ottawa to attend university. Before being elected as an MP in 1995, he was assistant to a Liberal cabinet minister and chief of staff to the chair of the former Regional Municipality of Ottawa Carleton Peter Clark. As a politician, he has served as a member of former prime minister Paul Martin’s cabinet and is co-founder and chair of the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association. Recently, he backed a bid to make the lyrics of O Canada more gender neutral. Website: maurilbelanger.ca Phone: 613-366-2766 Twitter: @Mauril_Belanger Libertarian: Coreen Corcoran, a technical writer who has lived in the U.S. and the UK and now lives in Beacon Hill, is running for the Libertarian Party of Canada. Website: libertarian.ca/candidate/coreen-corcoran New Democrat: Former federal prosecutor Emilie Taman was making headlines even before she won a tightly-contested nomination race to be the NDP candidate in Ottawa-Vanier. She took an unauthorized leave of absence after the Public Service Commission denied her leave to see the nomination and was subsequently fired. She is fighting both the decision and the firing. Meanwhile, the daughter of former Supreme Court of Canada justice Louise Arbour, who does not live in the riding (she lives in Centretown), says she has no regrets about her decision and is keen to take on Bélanger and the Liberal machine in the riding. Taman was endorsed by former party leader Ed Broadbent, among others. NDP officials called the packed nomination meeting historic, saying they have seen more interest and raised more money than in past years.
THE RIDING
Ottawa-Vanier — which contains some of the city’s wealthiest, as well as poorer, neighbourhoods — has been a solid Liberal bastion since it was created in 1935.
In fact, the electoral district of Russell, which included most of the same constituency before Ottawa-Vanier was formed, elected a Liberal MP every year going back as far as 1887. It is also the richest federal Liberal riding association in Canada, the only Grit riding to make the top 20 in Canada. Home to 103,687 residents, OttawaVanier includes a large francophone population in Vanier and is home to a large number of public servants. Its north boundary stretches from the Rideau Canal to Green’s Creek, and is largely bounded in the south by Highway 417. A section of Beacon Hill South was added to the riding during the recent redistribution.
2011 RESULTS
Bélanger won with more than 38 per cent of the vote compared to 29 per cent for NDP candidate Trevor Haché. The Liberal numbers represented a drop of eight per cent from the 2008 election in which Bélanger earned 46 per cent of the vote, whereas the NDP numbers grew by more than 12 per cent in 2011. The Conservative candidate Rem Westland came a close third with 27 per cent of the vote, similar to the party’s numbers in 2008.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Ottawa-Vanier is considered one of the safest Liberal ridings, and its longtime incumbent Bélanger is also visible — one of the perks of having a riding so close to Parliament Hill.
Its status as the richest Liberal riding association in the country indicates the level of support for the Liberal brand in the riding.
However, the entry of a highprofile NDP candidate with an interesting backstory, especially given the party’s surge in the last election, makes it worth keeping an eye on.
Taman’s entry into the race, could shake things up. Her decision to seek the candidacy has made headlines and directed some attention her way.
Against the backdrop of the NDP’s strong showing in the polls, many members of the Ottawa-Vanier NDP are hopeful they can make a breakthrough. In pre-Orange Crush election preceding 2011, the Conservatives have traditionally come in second in Ottawa-Vanier.
But even though Piccini has long been involved in the riding, a Conservative win would be a huge upset.