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For decades, Ottawa-Vanier has been one of Ottawa’s most predictable ridings, always returning a Liberal MP to Parliament, sometimes with more than two-thirds of the vote.
This time around, the race was shaken up by high-profile NDP challenger, Emilie Taman, whose campaign put pressure on long-time incumbent Mauril Bélanger and attracted some long-time Liberal supporters to the orange team. The NDP targeted Ottawa-Vanier as a riding it could win. Taman and supporters dared to dream that she could overthrow the Liberal dynasty, and that the mood for change across the country would translate into change in Ottawa-Vanier as well.
It was a formidable goal. The Liberal party’s local machinery and fundraising abilities in the riding are legendary. Ottawa-Vanier is one of the 20 richest federal riding associations in the country — the only Liberal one on the list. Bélanger not only pioneered a monthly fundraiser from local party members to help keep the coffers full between elections, but made sure the riding association had enough money in the bank to pay for more than one campaign. And his riding’s proximity to Parliament Hill means he is a familiar face with community associations and groups in the riding.
But opponents from both Conservative David Piccini’s and Taman’s team said they believed the Liberals were feeling the heat in Ottawa-Vanier and there was a mood for change. Taman’s campaign officials say they had numerous former Liberals volunteer for their campaign. She also received support from some non-traditional sources. Former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister David Kilgour and his wife Laura hosted a fundraising event for Taman attended by former ambassador Paul Heinbecker, among others. Taman’s mother is former Supreme Court of Canada justice Louise Arbour.
Taman’s own story — she was forced to quit her job as a federal prosecutor to run in the election, a decision that was upheld by the federal court last week — has resonated with many in the riding, which is home to many government employees. She received loud applause at all candidates meetings when she noted that “it has become harder to be a public servant, and I want to fix that.”
Bélanger was also cheered at all candidates meetings, especially when he raised issues close to the hearts of Ottawa audiences, including stopping the construction of a victims of communism memorial next to the Supreme Court.
He was first voted into office 20 years ago. Bélanger has won every race since, grabbing 61 per cent of the vote in 1997. But in 2011, the NDP — riding the orange wave — came in second with a surprising 29 per cent of the vote, while the Liberals took 38 per cent.
Conservative candidate Piccini, former executive assistant to Conservative Trade Minister Ed Fast and coach of the men varsity soccer team at the University of Ottawa, says he has also sensed a mood for change in the riding. “People here really do want a member that is engaged.”
Also running in the riding which includes some of Ottawa’s wealthiest as well as its poorest ridings, were candidates for the Green, Libertarian and Marxist-Leninist parties. Green candidate Nira Dookeran, an English-as-a-second-language teacher, said she was pleased by the support for the party’s policies. Libertarian candidate Coreen Corcoran is a technical writer who has lived in the U.S. and the UK. Christian Legeais ran for the Marxist-Leninist party.
By the end of the hard-fought campaign, with polls showing the Liberal party had taken the lead nationally, pollsters were predicting Ottawa-Vanier would remain red, as it always has been.
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This time around, the race was shaken up by high-profile NDP challenger, Emilie Taman, whose campaign put pressure on long-time incumbent Mauril Bélanger and attracted some long-time Liberal supporters to the orange team. The NDP targeted Ottawa-Vanier as a riding it could win. Taman and supporters dared to dream that she could overthrow the Liberal dynasty, and that the mood for change across the country would translate into change in Ottawa-Vanier as well.
It was a formidable goal. The Liberal party’s local machinery and fundraising abilities in the riding are legendary. Ottawa-Vanier is one of the 20 richest federal riding associations in the country — the only Liberal one on the list. Bélanger not only pioneered a monthly fundraiser from local party members to help keep the coffers full between elections, but made sure the riding association had enough money in the bank to pay for more than one campaign. And his riding’s proximity to Parliament Hill means he is a familiar face with community associations and groups in the riding.
But opponents from both Conservative David Piccini’s and Taman’s team said they believed the Liberals were feeling the heat in Ottawa-Vanier and there was a mood for change. Taman’s campaign officials say they had numerous former Liberals volunteer for their campaign. She also received support from some non-traditional sources. Former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister David Kilgour and his wife Laura hosted a fundraising event for Taman attended by former ambassador Paul Heinbecker, among others. Taman’s mother is former Supreme Court of Canada justice Louise Arbour.
Taman’s own story — she was forced to quit her job as a federal prosecutor to run in the election, a decision that was upheld by the federal court last week — has resonated with many in the riding, which is home to many government employees. She received loud applause at all candidates meetings when she noted that “it has become harder to be a public servant, and I want to fix that.”
Bélanger was also cheered at all candidates meetings, especially when he raised issues close to the hearts of Ottawa audiences, including stopping the construction of a victims of communism memorial next to the Supreme Court.
He was first voted into office 20 years ago. Bélanger has won every race since, grabbing 61 per cent of the vote in 1997. But in 2011, the NDP — riding the orange wave — came in second with a surprising 29 per cent of the vote, while the Liberals took 38 per cent.
Conservative candidate Piccini, former executive assistant to Conservative Trade Minister Ed Fast and coach of the men varsity soccer team at the University of Ottawa, says he has also sensed a mood for change in the riding. “People here really do want a member that is engaged.”
Also running in the riding which includes some of Ottawa’s wealthiest as well as its poorest ridings, were candidates for the Green, Libertarian and Marxist-Leninist parties. Green candidate Nira Dookeran, an English-as-a-second-language teacher, said she was pleased by the support for the party’s policies. Libertarian candidate Coreen Corcoran is a technical writer who has lived in the U.S. and the UK. Christian Legeais ran for the Marxist-Leninist party.
By the end of the hard-fought campaign, with polls showing the Liberal party had taken the lead nationally, pollsters were predicting Ottawa-Vanier would remain red, as it always has been.
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