Glengarry-Prescott-Russell federal election candidates

Voting day for the 2011 federal elections is this coming Monday, May 2. Polling stations are open from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Here, The Review presents its profiles of the candidates in the western Quebec riding of Argenteuil-Papineau-Mirabel.

Pierre Lemieux (Conservative Party)

With the federal election less than two weeks away, incumbent Glengarry-Prescott-Russell MP Pierre Lemieux said his campaign couldn't be better.

"The campaign has been excellent, it's going extremely well," Lemieux told The Review this week. "My five years of work as a member of parliament are well recognized, as is what I've done to improve our riding and life for the people of our riding."

To that effect, the MP said the Conservative Party has delivered about $130 million in funding to the riding in the last five years, including $118 million marked for roughly 75 infrastructure projects: roads, bridges, arenas, and water treatment plants.

The remainder is $7 million for business development and $6.5 million for arts and culture and events and organizations, such as the Glengarry Highland Games, The Centre culturel Le Chenail in Hawkesbury, and seniors' groups.

"People are mostly concerned about the economy, they're worried about jobs, their savings, and making ends meet in these difficult times," the MP said.

At a meeting with about 30 residents in Vankleek Hill on Wednesday, April 6, Lemieux told the crowd the average Canadian family is paying $3,000 less in taxes compared to five years ago.

"We absolutely refuse to raise taxes," he said. "We have the strongest economy in the world. However, we also recognize the world is in a global recession. I know the stresses and strains of managing a business; nobody wants to lose an employee.

"Low business taxes will help them as a business and it will help them create jobs in the riding. People aren't going to move to Vankleek Hill and Alexandria to work in Ottawa. They want jobs here."

Lemieux reiterated his party's commitment to eliminating the long-gun registry and creating safer communities. Responding to two residents in attendance, he also defended the public image of the Conservatives and Prime Minister Stephen Harper in relation to the Bruce Carson controversy.

In agriculture, the incumbent MP told The Review he compared his party's agriculture platform to that of the Liberal Party and found "a real difference from what we've been saying."

"We basically state that we will defend supply management, and we give examples of what we've given for dairy farmers. This is concrete action that we've taken to stabilize the farming sector. We've also strengthened property rights. These are major issues for farmers, and they're glad to have a party to defend their interests."

He added most Liberal MPs "come from Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, and they don't understand rural ridings."

"I'll make sure supply management is in our platform," he stated. "[Agriculture] Minister [Gerry] Ritz is a farmer himself. Those are just some of the differences."

Lemieux, a resident of Cumberland, said he is also committed to implementing the volunteer firefighter tax credit and the widening of Highway 174 in Rockland.

On the subject of health care, he said the Conservative party is committed to increasing the amount given to the provinces by at least six per cent each year, which is the figure it has managed to achieve in recent years.

"The actual administration and management is provincial, but from a federal role, increasing the amount of funding, we're got a five-year track record."

Asked whether this year's campaign is proving to be more of a challenge than previous years, Lemieux responded: "I will say this: I've worked very hard as the MP for the past five years, people know how hard I've worked for them, how well I represent them, and the concrete results I've delivered for their communities.

"They like the work I do and they like what I've done. I don't take anything for granted and I'm working extremely hard during the campaign. It's my hope they will offer me the opportunity to continue to serve them."

Julie Bourgeois (Liberal Party)

To say Julie Bourgeois has accomplished a lot throughout the course of her life would be an understatement.

When she was eight years old, she was the first girl to play organized hockey in her hometown of Embrun. She graduated from the University of Ottawa with a bachelor's degree in political science and criminology and later graduated with a law degree.

Bourgeois has been an assistant crown attorney in Prescott-Russell for the past nine years. She now lives in Casselman with her husband and two children and, at 33, she decided to take up kickboxing.

These days, the 38-year-old Prescott-Russell native is on a new adventure as the Liberal candidate for the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell in the upcoming federal election. This marks her first time on the political stage and so far, Bourgeois loves every minute of it.

"I am a real people person and I am getting the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life, all over this wonderful riding," she told The Review during an interview last week. "This is such an exciting time in politics and I feel honoured to be a part of it."

When asked what made her decide to put her name forward for election, Bourgeois said her defense council colleagues hinted, in a "pretty direct" way, that she should enter the election race.

"Basically, it was my colleagues who planted the seed in me," she said. "I want to see our area bloom and I want people to take full advantage of everything life in this area has to offer. I don't see that happening under the current leadership and I think it's time for a change. My parents always told me that if I didn't like something, I should do something about it so, here I am."

Bourgeois said she has spent a lot of time attending various community events and embarked on a door-to-door campaign in an effort to "meet as many people as I possibly can."

She said response to her candidacy has been "really great" and said she thinks people in the riding are ready for a change.

"I've been listening long and hard to what people are telling me," she commented. "People are concerned about their families and making ends meet. Our seniors are concerned about pensions and being able to survive in retirement. Youth are concerned about paying for their education and finding jobs after. People don't seem very happy with the way things are going right now. I think they are ready for change."

Bourgeois said she is "excited about and extremely proud of" the national Liberal platform, which claims to focus largely on "making equal opportunity a reality for every Canadian, whether you live in a big city, a small town, a remote community, a farm or a fishing village."

The platform promises investments in quality child care, helping parents pay for their children's education, helping families take care of sick loved ones at home, strengthening universally accessible healthcare and building upon the Canada Pension Plan "so people can retire in security and dignity."

"These are the things people care about most," Bourgeois said. "I know parents in this riding are having great difficulty finding quality, affordable child care. That's a huge issue in a rural area. We don't need to be investing in things like mega-jails. We need to help our kids afford post-secondary education. Those are the things that really matter to families."

Locally, Bourgeois said she would like to work harder to promote local food and endeavours such as the Eastern Ontario Local Food Co-op and Penny's Livestock and Produce Market, which opened last week on McCrimmon Road.

"I don't think nearly enough is being done to promote the amazing work and quality food our local farmers are producing," she remarked. "So much more needs to be done and I am committed to helping local farmers and producers reach their full potential. People need to know that they can buy delicious produce right here, close to home."

Similarly, Bourgeois said much more needs to be done to increase the riding's profile so it can attract tourism, new families, new businesses and jobs.

"We need to promote our area as the jewel it is," she said. "A lot of people don't have a clue how much we have to offer. We need to change that so we can bring in new families and new jobs."

She said job creation and retention is "vital" for the riding, especially in Hawkesbury, which was hit hard by layoffs and plant closures and is now at risk of losing another major employer, Ivaco Rolling Mills in L'Orignal.

"I was devastated when I heard about Ivaco," Bourgeois noted. "This is not what we need to see right now. We need to retain the jobs we have and create new ones. We have got to work hard to change this."

Sylvie Lemieux (Green Party)

Glengarry-Prescott-Russell Green Party candidate Sylvie Lemieux has a road map for the future and she is inviting voters to take the journey with her.

"I have always done the unexpected," said Lemieux, who grew up in the little village of Armagh, a small agricultural community in Quebec. "I was the kid who won at science fairs. I loved science and technology. The challenge - how to take it further? The answer: join the Armed Forces officer training program."

As a result, Lemieux was able to attend École Polytechnique in Montréal, where she obtained her degree in civil engineering. She joined the Canadian Forces as one of the first female officers in the Army Military Engineers.

When it comes to her "green roots," Lemieux is quick to point out she has been a supporter of "social, economic and environmental equity throughout my life."

She has been a Green Party of Canada member since 2006, co-chaired the Green Party of Ontario campaign in 2007 and ran as a Green Party candidate for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell in the 2008 federal election - a first for the riding.

Lemieux said Glengarry-Prescott-Russell "deserves to be a truly sustainable community." For that, she said it needs a strong and resilient local economy - one in which everyone is able to play his or her role, and make his and her contribution.

"This vision starts at the farm and with the service industries that support our agricultural base," she noted. "As a rural community, Glengarry-Prescott-Russell succeeds when its agricultural sector thrives. We can make our local economy successful by making it fully relevant to our region, even in the context of a difficult economy. This vision is built on putting people first."

On the world stage, Lemieux said she will fight for Canada's sovereignty in food, defense and policy.

"I believe our country is stronger when it is just and equitable, when benefits flow to the many, not just the few," she stated. "I have a vision of a strong Canada connected by its plurality, a Canada that is proud to share this land with our First Nations peoples. I am committed to building a strong, healthy and prosperous nation - one that rallies Canadians to the vision of a vibrant and equitable society led by an honest government we can trust to act in our best interest at all times."

If elected as MPP for the riding, Lemieux is pledging to work with others, from all parties, without prejudice or preconceived ideas.

"I will work towards the accomplishment of universal goals, as they relate to the community of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, to the region and country, and to the world at large," she said. "Canada has long been a peacekeeper and peacemaker. Those are ideals that deserve to be upheld.

"As your MP in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, I pledge to be the voice of our region, of our cities, townships, and communities, the steward of our interests, and the defender of our rights."

Denis A. Séguin (New Democratic Party)

Denis A. Séguin, the candidate for the New Democratic Party in next month's federal election, likes to think he knows a thing or two about agriculture.

A resident of St-Albert for more than 20 years, Séguin has been involved with agricultural cooperatives since 1978 - including his current work with Gay Lea Foods, the largest dairy processing cooperative in Ontario.

The candidate said although his work will prevent him from meeting voters in the riding, the NDP's platform - and what it represents for rural ridings - stands for itself.

"We're in a great country, but we have to sort out our priorities," he told The Review. "On the social justice side, for example, we offer more than the traditional parties."

Séguin said the NDP also believes agriculture should be a top priority in rural ridings, with the most important facets being the risk management program and help for beginning farmers.

Farm debt, in particular, is currently at $62 billion across Canada - a figure which the candidate said "has more than doubled since 1997."

"Net farming income is stable but operating expenses are going up," he added. "Especially, if interest rates go up, [farmers] will need some help because that's going to represent major additional costs."

Séguin said previous governments had "a good idea" to support farmer-owned slaughterhouses, such as one in Kitchener, but "they let it go and it went bankrupt."

In terms of health care, he said the NDP understands the need for additional resources in rural areas - as they often have more aging populations compared to cities - and said the party's platform contains funding for 1,000 new family doctors in the next 10 years and 6,000 more nurses in the next six years.

In addition, there will be funding for additional long-term care beds and tax credits "to help people who want to take in their parents and look after them in their own homes."

The candidate acknowledged the NDP's chances at securing a win in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell are slim - as per previous federal election results - but said his goal is to improve upon the 10 to 12-per-cent numbers earned in 2008 and 2006.

"We hope that the vote will come out, and increase the participation rate," Séguin said. "We're looking for people to choose the NDP. We want the disenfranchised vote. You don't have to vote for the main parties that have been in power for too many years."