CORNWALL – The federal Member of Parliament for SDSG says complacency is not an option for incumbent Progressive Conservative Jim McDonell heading into the June 7 election.
Guy Lauzon shared his thoughts during McDonell’s campaign office opening Wednesday afternoon at Pitt and Ninth Streets — the start of the journey to the June 7 provincial election.
“A lot of you might think that Jim has it in the bag. He’s won a number of times. He has a great record. He’s well liked. However, complacency is what defeats candidates. If you think we have it in the bag, you have it all wrong,” Lauzon said.
McDonell’s daughter, Chelsea, also spoke at the event, which saw about 100 people at the 900 Pitt Street campaign office for a celebratory barbecue.
“We’ve been looking forward to this campaign for a really long time,” she said. “We’ll be very happy to get to June 7th. I always think the campaign is a really great way to showcase all the great things about my dad.”
Other politicians were in the audience including Cornwall Mayor Leslie O’Shaghnessy, South Stormont Deputy Mayor Tammy Hart and Coun. Richard Waldroff and South Glengarry Deputy Mayor Frank Prevost. North Dundas Mayor Eric Duncan is McDonell’s campaign manager.
“I think people have seen this government’s record and they desperately wanted change,” McDonell said in an interview with Cornwall Newswatch.
Investment has “bottomed out” and the region hasn’t seen the new jobs coming in, McDonell said.
“We’re not getting the new jobs coming in so the next number of years don’t look good because there’s the regulation the uncertainly with NAFTA. There’s just a lot of things going on. We’re going to need that new business development going on if we’re going to have jobs for our youth.”
McDonell shared his thoughts on the Tuesday night televised leader’s debate.
“Doug’s (Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford) message is clear, we’re going to clean up government. People are upset with insiders making out like they have been at the expense of people who can’t get services.”
“People on fixed income are having a lot of trouble,” he said.
McDonell will be challenged in SDSG by Liberal Heather Megill, New Democrat Marc Benoit and Libertarian Sabile Trimm on June 7.