Conservatives eye off-island riding

BY ANDY BLATCHFORD

andy.blatchford@transcontinental.ca



Public Works Minister Michael Fortier will vie for the Vaudreuil-Soulanges seat in the next federal election, he announced yesterday.

The senator, named to cabinet last winter by Prime Minister Stephen Harper as the Conservative Party’s Montreal representative, will square off against Bloc Québécois incumbent Meili Faille in the off-island riding.

“The reason I’m announcing early is for me to spend time in the riding, get to meet folks, talk about issues that are important to them and try to help them from the get-go on those issues,� Fortier told The Chronicle in a phone interview yesterday afternoon. “I’m looking forward to engaging with folks in Vaudreuil-Soulanges and so I may have more to say about issues once I’ve spent a few more weeks here, but today’s too early to talk about that.�

With Quebec Liberal MNAs holding seats in the two provincial ridings encompassed by Vaudreuil-Soulanges, coupled with the past success of federalist parties in the region, Fortier says he can win.

“I’m going to work hard at this, do my best,� he said. “There are several federalists in the riding, there is a strong nationalist enclave as well, but I think that with the right person (and) the right bond created by the candidate and the people, I think this is doable.�

He said the territory’s diversity of rural, urban, francophones, anglophones and new Canadians is the “right mix� for somebody from a small town like himself. His experience working for small and medium businesses, which are abundant in the riding, will help as well, he added.

“The DNA is quite right on this one,� he said.

Once an election is called, Fortier said he will resign from the senate.

In the January election, Conservative candidate Stéphane Bourgon finished 15,000 votes behind Faille and had 6,000 fewer votes than Liberal runner-up Marc Garneau.

The last Tory to win a seat in the riding was Pierre Cadieux, who was elected in 1988. Cadieux did not run in the 1993 election and was succeeded by Liberal Nick Discepola.