By Adam Brazeau
CORNWALL, Ontario – Constituents of Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry had their choice to ride the Orange Wave or join the Big Blue Machine at a pair of annual barbecues.
Over 400 people gathered at incumbent Conservative MP Guy Lauzon’s St. Andrews home for his eleventh annual constituency picnic on Sunday (August 9).
Meanwhile at Cornwall’s Lamoureux Park, the local New Democratic Party riding association served over 250 people at its sixth annual barbecue.
Both campaign events focused on the October 19th federal election, which is just over two months away, and offered a variety of free BBQ staples and live entertainment. The small differences: Lauzon had hundreds of lawn signs as parting gifts, many guest left with several. The local NDPs served a variety of homemade salads and other healthy alternatives to grill grub.
“People need to be reminded of key moments he (Lauzon) hasn’t come through, and in these cases for Cornwall,” said Patrick Burger, federal NDP candidate for SDSG.
The Lunenburg resident pinpointed the storage tanks on the city’s waterfront and border-crossing issues.
“The checkpoints were relocated at the bottom of the bridge, causing a massive traffic problem,” said Burger. “It was clearly a security risk since they couldn’t hold vehicles more than a few minutes. If Conservatives were concerned about security, that whole situation made no sense. He should’ve told his party this is a unique situation with Akwesasne, unlike other border-crossings. But he couldn’t do that.”
Lauzon fired back with a query of his own: “What’s the NDP going to do about the $2.7 million they spent on illegal campaigning. That’s a question.”
Then the MP seeking his fifth consecutive term said: “Let’s talk about real things. We had people refusing to let CBSA do their job. There was nowhere to put the toll booth. Where did Mr. Burger suggest it be?”
Lauzon’s wife, Francis, entertained the crowd with a singing performance earning her a standing ovation. Many guests expressed well-wishes to the couple after learning she’s currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments for non-Hodgskins lymphoma.
“Is Guy going to take it by a landslide? Yes. Is Francis going to get better? Yes,” said Chesterville’s Gail Parker as she left the picnic with her father, Glen Cunningham, and three signs.
Burger, an English teacher at John Abbot College in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Que., has been a staunch NDP supporter since his university days.
“I wasn’t really looking for a career change,” he said. “But I got involved with the riding association and people made it clear to me that I would be a good candidate.”
Burger and his wife, Amanda, moved to South Stormont seven years ago. They have three rescue horses and a cat.
Lauzon quickly shot down the accusation he “dropped the ball” regarding the storage tanks.
“The bottom line is we did everything possible,” he said. “Within 48 hours after a demonstration, I had the chief of staff of the Minister of Transport in Cornwall at a public meeting. That’s not dropping the ball. From there I arranged for the mayor to meet everybody. Everyone involved had full access to the minister’s office.”
For Lauzon, terrorism, security, and economy remain the hot topics during this campaign season.
“The alternatives to Prime Minister Stephen Harper are not too promising. Do you want someone who has ten years of proven experience or people who want to raise taxes and spend more money?” he asked. “Both opposition parties would appear to not be prepared to deal with terrorism, based on the way they’re voting and their platforms. It’s important we deal with them offshore – not in Cornwall or SDSG. This election is critical because the opposition is gaining strength. If they ever took over the reigns of the country our economy and security would be in trouble.”
Lauzon’s campaign manager, United Counties of SDG Warden and North Dundas Mayor Eric Duncan, says seeking re-election doesn’t alter the MP’s schedule.
“He’s already out at events all the time. The only difference is now there are signs. We should have 1,000 out by the end of this week,” said Duncan. “We’re fortunate to have the Big Blue Machine behind us. He’s a great candidate and we have a lot of volunteers. I think he’s going to win.”
Burger says the riding’s key issues are a lack of support for its aging population, causing many to slip into poverty, youth retention and the need for a university, and job creation.
Other federal candidates vying for your vote are Bernadette Clement, three-term Cornwall Coun., representing the Liberals, and Cornwall environmentalist Elaine Kennedy for the Green Party.
