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Ex-MP aims for Tory leadership?
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
the family in Canadian society. “Pierre is pro-life and believes in the sanctity of life from conception through to natural death,” states a backgrounder docu- ment entitled “Pierre Lemieux Leadership”, included with the email. “Pierre supports the traditional definition of marriage as the union between one man and one woman. Pierre believes that this leadership campaign offers a tremendous opportunity for people to get involved andmake their voices heard.” The backgrounder lists Lemieux’s other priorities as a leadership candidate, inclu- ding freedom of speech, religion and as- sembly, “a strong and healthy democratic process”, and havingMPs in office with high ethical standards who “display integrity, honesty, and concern for the best interests of Canadians.” Lemieux’s background as a former MP includes several parliamentary secretary
posts, including the one for the Ministry of Veterans Affairs. He is bilingual and served 20 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, retiring as a lieutenant-colonel. A certified professional engineer, including both a ba- chelor’s degree in engineering and a mas- ter’s degree in science, Lemieux managed his own engineering consultant firmbefore entering federal politics. Lemieux’s announcement makes him the seventh declared candidate for the Conser- vative leadership. Other declared candidates are: Maxime Bernier, Michael Chong, Tony Clement, Kellie Leitch, Deepak Obhrai, and Brad Trost. Political pundits speculate that former defenceminister Peter MacKay and other Tories like Lisa Raitt, Andrew Saxton, Andrew Scheer, and Erin O’Toole may also be considering entering the campaign. The federal Conservative leadership conference takes place in May 2017.
Stephen Harper has sat quiet in the backbenches on Parliament Hill since he led his party to defeat and lost his title as primeminister in the last federal election. Meanwhile the lineup of contenders wan- ting to be the new leader of the Conserva- tive Party and formerMP Pierre Lemieux’s name is now on that list. Lemieux, 53, held the Glengarry-Prescott- Russell riding for the Conservatives for the duration of the Harper government, taking it away from the Liberals in 2006, beating Liberal contender René Berthiaume by a narrow margin. Former Liberal MP Don Boudria had held the riding for 21 years before announcing his retirement in 2005. Francis Drouin regained the riding for the Liberals in the 2015 election. Now Lemieux is seeking support as a candidate for the federal Conservative lea- dership. He declared his candidacy in an email sent out August 22 to Conservative party supporters in the Glengarry-Prescott- Russell riding. A copy of the email was obtai- ned by national and regional media and in it Lemieux outlines his reasons for entering the leadership race. “There are many reason why”, stated Lemieux, “but a key one is that I feel that this is an extremely important time in the Conservative Party—both in terms of choo- sing a leader, but also in encouraging as
Social services finance report Prescott-Russell Community Services is doing well with its programs and accounts. The United Counties of Prescott-Russell council (UCPR) reviewed the fiscal year-end financial report for the regional non-profit agency during its Aug. 24 regular session. The UCPR is one of the contributors to the agency’s operations budget through an annual grant allocation in the counties’ budget. The agency’s financial report showed it finished the 2015-2016 fiscal year with a small surplus addi- tion to its overall net assets balance. The agency provides a number of programs and services for seniors and shut-ins living in the Prescott-Russell region, including foot care, home-maintenance aid, meals on wheels, caregiver service, day programs, and other services. The agency’s focus is to allow clients to continue independent living as long as possible and also remain in touch with their communities. – Gregg Chamberlain
Former MP Pierre Lemieuxmay be one of the candidates vying to become the new leader of the federal Conservative party. —photo archives many people as possible to join the party, to stand and be counted, so that they can help shape the party as it moves forward. It is a great time to bring new life into the party!” Lemieux presented some of the key prin- ciples for his “social conservative” campaign platform, including his views on the role of
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