“What kind of respect do the Conservatives demonstrate,” said Don Boudria, a Liberal veteran, “when they think that a person from Hudson, chosen by Toronto, can represent the people of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell?”
Boudria, who represented the GPR for almost two decades before retiring from active politics, referred to the controversy now surrounding the Conservative candidate for the riding in the September federal election.
McArthur, who lives in the Hudson area of Western Québec across the Ottawa River from the GPR, was named as Conservative candidate by the party executive rather than the local riding association’s preferred candidate, former MP Pierre Lemieux. Several members of the riding association have since resigned in protest over the issue.
Drouin seeks reelection for a third term as MP for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell. He told the crowd of several dozen gathered outside of his John Street campaign office that his focus during his past two terms has always been to represent all residents of the riding regardless of their political affiliations, if any.
“Politics for me has always been simple,” he said. “It’s about helping people.”
He noted that the focus for the next government after the September election will be economy recovery when the pandemic is over. A key priority, Drouin said, getting all Canadians vaccinated against COVID-19, to both prevent contagion from the original virus and also its variants.
