Federal candidates gear up for third election in five years

Residents of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell and Argenteuil, like all Canadian citizens, will soon be heading back to the polls to elect a federal government - for the third time since 2006.

The ruling Conservative government was defeated on Friday, March 25, after opposition MPs voted on a motion of non-confidence in the minority government.

Canadians are expected to head to the polls in on Monday, May 2.

The motion, put forward by the Liberal Party, stated that the House agrees with a committee report tabled last week, finding the government in contempt of Parliament, "which is unprecedented in Canadian parliamentary history, and consequently the House has lost confidence in the government."

Last week, the procedure and House affairs committee found the government in contempt of Parliament for refusing to supply enough information on the cost of the F-35 fighter jets, their justice system reforms and their projections for corporate profits and tax rates.

The non-confidence vote also followed the defeat of the government's proposed budget last Tuesday by all three opposition parties.

Glengarry-Prescott-Russell Pierre Lemieux told The Review last week he was disappointed with the outcome of the budget vote and the non-confidence motion.

"We gave the NDP three of the four things they asked for (in the budget), more or less, and we were hoping that Jack [Layton] was going to support it, but he didn't," he said.

Lemieux said he believes Canadians are more concerned about the economy than with what documents the Conservative government refused to submit.

"Canadians, I think, are more concerned about real issues, like the economy, like jobs," he added, highlighting the potential closure at Ivaco Rolling Mills.

The MP said an election would be expensive, pegging the cost at $350 million for taxpayers, an amount he would "rather invest in the riding."

Asked about the possibility of winning a majority this time, he said it would be welcome but that it isn't a priority for the Conservatives at the moment.

"We're happy being the government and Canadians are happy," Lemieux said. "We are making it work, regardless."