A former city councillor, and the executive assistant to Nickel Belt MP Ray Bonin, have added their names to the list of candidates who want to run for the federal Liberals in Nickel Belt.
Louise Portelance and Shawn Murphy have both indicated their interest in running federally in the riding currently represented by Ray Bonin.
Bonin suffered a minor stroke in April. He announced recently he will not run in the next federal election. Many people expect a federal election to be called this spring.
“I've been thinking it over ever since Ray announced his retirement,” says Portelance. “I certainly wouldn't seek the nomination if I didn't think I could win.”
Portelance ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2003. She also ran in Ward 5 in the recent municipal election and lost by 120 votes to Ron Dupuis.
“It's a good time in my life. I love politics, and I think I can do it,” she says.
“I think the Liberal party is the party that is going to win this election. I like their policies and I like the people of Nickel Belt.”
The woman says she wouldn't be surprised if the Liberals win a majority government in the next elections.
When asked what she'd do for the people of Nickel Belt if she became MP, Portelance says she hasn't had much time to study Liberal policy yet.
“I'm just actually going through that now. I was away. I went to Cuba for the holidays,” she says. “For me to say I'm going to this and going to do that and I'm going to change the world is not the right answer for me at this time.”
Portelance says her experience with municipal politics have prepared her to become an MP.
“I've done a lot of volunteer work, committee work and organization work in every portfolio you can think about,” she says. “Politics is always about people. My experience will certainly be an asset for me."
Murphy says his work in Bonin's office in Ottawa has prepared him to become a candidate.“For over seven years I've been working for the people of Nickel Belt in various capacities,” he says.“When I heard Ray wasn't running, I wanted to continue the work that he'd started and continue that tradition.”
Murphy, 32, says he's currently trying to gain support among Liberals in Nickel Belt.
“But until there's a nomination date set, my first priority is obviously here in the office. I'm definitely getting things in order though.”
The man, who is originally from Cochrane, has been working for Bonin since shortly after he graduated from Laurentian University, where he studied political science.
“I have an in-depth knowledge of the riding. I helped to draft the changes to Nickel Belt when Elections Canada was changing the boundaries,” he says.
“Being through several campaigns in the riding, and being Ray's campaign manager in the last one, I understand the dynamics of the riding and the size of the riding. Ray said himself that's it's a big riding, and that was one of the reasons he was getting out of it. I'm obviously a much younger individual.”
Murphy says there's a lot of people putting their names forward for the nomination right now, but they won't necessarily stay in the race. They're just seeing how much support they have among other Liberals, he says.
