Failed city council candidate Claude Gravelle will be representing the New Democratic Party for Nickel Belt riding in the upcoming federal election.
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Claude Gravelle |
Gravelle is confident the Liberal sponsorship scandal and other multi-million dollar boondoggles have damaged the party enough for him to end 11 years of the party's rule in Nickel Belt.
Incumbent MP Ray Bonin won the seat from the NDP's John Rodriguez in 1993.
Bonin will be running again for the Liberals in the next campaign. He won decisively in 1997 and 2000.
About 180 NDP supporters, including about 135 voting members, were at the Navy League Hall Sunday.
Gravelle told them this campaign will be a fight to get rid of Bonin and Sudbury MP Diane Marleau.
?We don't need Liberals representing us.?
Richard Paquette and Robert Boileau, another failed city council candidate, contested the nomination.
Retired from Inco, Gravelle has served on Rayside-Balfour town council.
He won the nomination on the first ballot, with 76 votes. Paquette garnered 34 votes and Boileau 24.
The new Conservative Party of Canada has yet to choose a candidate in Nickel Belt.
Former Greater Sudbury Development Corporation chair Mike Dupont indicated to the riding association he would run in Nickel Belt, but pulled out to run in Sudbury in the eleventh hour.
He lost that nomination to Stephen Butcher by four votes.
Former city councillor Gerry McIntaggart will be challenging Marleau and Butcher in Sudbury.