[RCO]

( i've created this tread specifically for the upcoming provincial by-election in ottawa west nepean which could take place any time in the new year once Jim Watson offically resigns as an mpp , i'm going to post any articles about it here and welcome anyone else to post anything relevant about it here as well . the ontario pc party currently does not have an official candidate although its been rumoured that Mike Patton 07 candidate might want to run again although its unclear if anyone else might challenge him for the nomination . as for the liberals former mpp and mayor Bob Chiarelli has confirmed that he will be seeking that nomination .
i think this by-election unlike the toronto centre one , is very important for Tim Hudak and the ontario pc party cause if they can't make any ground here than where on earth in this province can they ? mean this is a riding where the federal party got 25,000 votes and home to John Baird it also had been pc back in 99 provincial election and considered to be a swing riding . but it is a more urban riding than the 2 pc ridings it borders ( nepean carleton and carleton mississipi mills ) , so it will be a more difficult campaign .





Chiarelli confirms return to politics
By OTTAWA SUN

Last Updated: 18th January 2010, 2:08pm

Chiarelli announced Monday his intention to run for the Liberal nomination for the upcoming by-election in Ottawa West-Nepean.
Play VideoBob Chiarelli called it an end to his three-year sabbatical.

The former mayor, defeated in 2006 by Larry O'Brien, had been rumoured as considering another run at the job. Instead, Monday he confirmed a report in today's Ottawa Sun by announcing his intention to run for the Liberal nomination for the upcoming by-election in Ottawa West-Nepean. That riding is currently held by Jim Watson, who last week announced his intention to run for mayor of Ottawa.

"There has been a lot of chatter and comment and rumours about others things I might do," Chiarelli told the small group of supporters at Ben Franklin place.

Among those rumours was another run at the mayor's job, chair of the National Capital Commission, as well as both provincial and federal nominations.

"There were a lot of maybes and my answer, as always, was 'you never say never in politics,' " said Chiarelli, who admitted considering those opportunities.

"Today there's no maybe," he said to applause.

Chiarelli denied a suggestion his decision to run provincially was motivated by the perception it would be easier to win than running against Watson for mayor.

"I've done a lot of thought and I'm not going to speculate who may or may not have run the race," he said of the mayoral election. "I believe I can serve the City of Ottawa best at this time, from Queen's Park -- that's behind my decision," he said.

From 1987 to 1997, Chiarelli was the Liberal MPP for Ottawa West. From 1997 to 2006, he was Regional Chair of Ottawa-Carleton, and then spent two terms as the first mayor of the amalgamated City of Ottawa.

Chiarelli didn't answer any questions in French and declined one-on-one interviews with reporters following the announcement.

He was joined at his announcement today by his partner, Randi Hansen. He has six children.


http://www.ottawasun.com/news/.....11486.html

[RCO]

( the liberal candidate here sounds like a real winner , he's allready been quoted as calling HST the biggest tax cut in ontario's history , wait a second tax cut ? is he nuts ? )


Politico’s last hurrah
Provincial seat may be last option
By Randall Denley, The Ottawa CitizenJanuary 19, 2010Be the first to post a comment
StoryPhotos ( 1 )
Randall Denley, columnistPhotograph by: The Ottawa Citizen, The Ottawa CitizenOTTAWA — Politics is like a disease. Once it gets in your blood, there is no real cure. That’s why it wasn’t particularly surprising Monday to see the former mayor of Ottawa ask voters to give him another crack at a job he first held in the 1980s.


If Bob Chiarelli is elected as MPP for Ottawa West-Nepean, it will make him somebody again for a while and offer at least a sort of redemption for his unceremonious exit from municipal politics in 2006.


As a politician, Chiarelli’s future is clearly behind him, but the 68-year-old will be a perfectly adequate MPP, if he’s elected. So far, the other parties have not brought forth any names that are likely to spoil Chiarelli’s party.


A rational person would wonder why Chiarelli would want to get back into the rough and tumble of politics.

en telling anyone who would listen that his new role as a consultant was the best thing imaginable. He said he had been sleeping better, having more fun and earning more money than he ever had. The only downside was that he had to constantly fend off a tide of people who were asking him to run. For mayor, he said, but close enough.


It does seem an odd time to volunteer to join the Dalton McGuinty team. The premier’s government is deeply in deficit and there is not much to look forward to in the last part of his term except tough decisions and bad news. Liberal cabinet ministers have been checking out at a steady pace.


The answer lies in the curious satisfactions that a political job brings. Being elected is flattering and it makes you a player of sorts. The media write down what you say and people clap when you speak. You don’t even have to say anything particularly original or intelligent. Not many consulting jobs offer those kinds of ego rewards.


Chiarelli was wise to put aside his ambitions to run for mayor one last time. He wouldn’t have stood a chance against front-runner Jim Watson and even faced the horrible prospect of attracting less support than candidate Alex Cullen, a councillor Chiarelli had little time for as mayor. Serving out the remainder of Watson’s term is an ambition more in keeping with what Chiarelli can still achieve.


Chiarelli didn’t really have a lot of political options. The federal Liberal nomination in his riding is spoken for and even getting the volunteers to run a municipal campaign would have been a challenge. With the provincial party apparatus behind him, that problem is solved.


People were immediately assuming that Chiarelli would have a lock on a cabinet post, but that’s no sure thing. One of the reasons McGuinty wanted Watson and George Smitherman to declare their municipal political ambitions early is because he wants to put in place his team for next year’s election. There’s not much point in giving profile to people who aren’t going to run. Asked if he had ambitions for the next general election, Chiarelli brushed the question aside with a joke.


McGuinty actually did shuffle his cabinet Monday and he didn’t leave any obvious spot open for Chiarelli. If McGuinty’s going to adjust to make room for a star, it will be former Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray, who is running in a byelection in early February. The best argument for including Chiarelli in cabinet is that it would add some superficial gloss to what is actually a weak local Liberal team once you get past the premier.


McGuinty’s goal was to promote fresh faces to give his tired government a new look. It’s difficult to put Chiarelli in the fresh-face category, although he did his best to seem peppy Monday. His campaign is all about the future and innovation and stuff like that, and he wants to represent young voters.


It certainly didn’t take Chiarelli long to get back into Liberal-speak. Asked about his take on the unpopular harmonized sales tax, he launched into a vigorous defence of the expansion of the sales tax, calling it “the biggest tax cut in the history of Ontario.” Good luck with that. An argument can certainly be made for harmonizing sales taxes, but consumers will be paying more for a wide variety of goods. Expect the PCs to hammer that point home every day of the byelection campaign.


Chiarelli’s challenge will be to make the eventual byelection about returning him to Queen’s Park rather than a referendum on the McGuinty government’s performance. If Chiarelli gets his last hurrah, he will have earned it and more power to him. Just don’t expect too much.


http://www.ottawacitizen.com/n.....story.html

[RCO]

( it sounds like chiarelli is still bitter about losing the 2006 municipal election but at 68 you'd really have to wonder how long he'd stick around as an mpp if he were to get elected , anyways it sounds like some reporters in ottawa have all but handed him the seat , its now up to the opposition parties to prove them wrong )

Chiarelli: I'll 'champion' Ottawa's transit plan
Former mayor puts differences aside as he seeks to become Ottawa West-Nepean MPP

By Susan Sherring, City Hall Bureau

Last Updated: 19th January 2010, 7:02am

.If Bob Chiarelli becomes the next MPP for Ottawa West-Nepean, he says he’ll work toward any light-rail plan approved by city council.

That’s what the former mayor was pledging Monday when he formally announced he was seeking the Liberal party nomination in Ottawa West-Nepean, a position about to open up when Jim Watson resigns his seat to run for mayor.

He said he’ll do what’s necessary to help Ottawa’s light-rail plan, even though it’s not his own north-south plan.

“I’m pleased (the province) has put $600 million on the table, I think that’s progress. Having lived through creating a light-rail project, I know the challenges administratively, politically. It’s been difficult for them. I’m going to try to help navigate that particular plan,” he said.

Led to defeat

You would think helping Mayor Larry O’Brien and a light-rail plan that contributed to him being soundly defeated at the polls would be a huge pill for Chiarelli to swallow.

Publicly Chiarelli has refrained from commenting on the comings and goings at City Hall or on the performance of O’Brien, a man without any political experience who trounced him at the polls.

Privately, with close friends and colleagues, Chiarelli’s not quite so kind.

Chiarelli worked for years developing a light-rail plan, starting with the O-Train pilot project. And he was as close as it gets to having the north-south plan under construction — but politics, in more ways than one, got in the way.

Federal cash

Federal cabinet minister John Baird decided to intervene, withholding the federal money until after the 2006 municipal election.

Then O’Brien, a self-made millionaire, threw his name into the electoral ring, campaigning against Chiarelli’s plan.

The rest is history.

But Chiarelli, who is vowing to build bridges between the feds, the province and the city, says he can work with whatever mayor is running Ottawa — despite continued suggestions he has little use for O’Brien.

Not so, he says.

In fact, Chiarelli recounted a story during a live radio all-candidates’ debate, where another candidate was disrupting the proceedings, and the debate was stalled for close to half an hour.

He said he and O’Brien spent the time playing Xs and Os. (Do you think O’Brien insisted on being the O?)

“I’ve had a very cordial relationship with Larry O’Brien.”

Right.

So who won the Xs and Os?

“It was a draw,” he said, proving he’s already in election mode.

“If I’m lucky enough to be elected, I will be there championing the cause, working co-operatively with the mayor and the council.”

Could that be a thinly veiled dig at former Municipal Affairs Minister Jim Watson? It’s common knowledge there’s no love lost between the two, and Watson was accused of meddling too much in Ottawa’s affairs.

Chiarelli said there was always “a lot of chatter” about his future, with rumours of him being appointed chairman of the National Capital Commission, running again for mayor, or running federally or provincially.

“So, it’s a fair question to ask, why am I making this decision? I feel very energized, I feel like I’ve been on a sabbatical. I want to work for the new generation of young people, for a government with a high priority in research, a government looking to move us away from old technologies.

“I’m certain with my experience, nine years at City Hall, 10 years at Queen’s Park, I know I have the skill set. These are times with huge challenges for all cities, huge challenges for the province, I think I can be a positive bridge,” he said.

Should he win, there should be little doubt he’ll be rewarded with a senior cabinet post.

For the time being, Chiarelli said he isn’t committing to anything past the rest of the provincial term.


http://www.ottawasun.com/news/.....19441.html

[Cool Blue]

This is be interesting because the federal conservatives will be able to put a lot of resources into this by-election. Baird's team especially will hammer it.

IMO, the election will be before July when the HST is supposed to come in. If it's after the HST, Bob is toast.

[crazymamma]

this will be an interesting Race. Bob has a few things that he will have to wear as a result of being ex-mayor of Ottawa.

It has been made very clear that the Unions run the city of Ottawa and the bureaucrats, nothing gets done, one thing after another has come to light. The dumpage of the feces into the Ottawa River, the unions run a muck, the substandard infrastructure that needed work for a very long time that has been neglected, the 16,000 city of Ottawa employees, some of the highest property taxes in the country and a large amount of it can be laid at dear old Bob's feet.

He may have cache so to speak as being the ex mayor but he also has a stink about him that could be easily exploited.If handled correctly, it could be a very effective tool. The Ottawa area is rather enraged by city incompetence and overspending, Bob could be made to feel that rage.

[RCO]

( we have our first possible candidate for the ontario pc's although no date for an actual nomination meeting has been set )

Patton to seek Tory nomination for Ottawa West-Nepean
Says of rival Chiarelli: 'I think he can be beaten'
By Zev Singer, The Ottawa CitizenJanuary 26, 2010
StoryPhotos ( 1 )
Bob Chiarelli announced last week his intention to run as the Liberal candidate for MPP Jim Watson's former riding.
Photograph by: Chris Mikula, The Ottawa Citizen, The Ottawa CitizenBob Chiarelli now has competition.

Mike Patton, a former spokesman for Mayor Larry O'Brien, will seek the Conservative nomination for Ottawa West-Nepean, where Chiarelli hopes to replace Jim Watson.

The first of the dominoes fell on Jan. 12, when Watson announced he will leave Queen's Park to enter the mayoral race. Six days later, Chiarelli, a former MPP, regional chair and two-term

Ottawa mayor, said he will try to fill Watson's seat.

Monday night, Patton said he aimed to stop Chiarelli.

"I think he can be beaten," Patton said.

Although the nomination process hasn't taken place yet -- partly owing to the fact that Watson hasn't officially stepped down -- Patton said no one else has stepped forward for the Tories. Well-placed to win the nomination, Patton is regional vice-president of the Ontario PC Party for Eastern Ontario, and he held the nomination in the 2007 provincial election, when Watson won the seat.

In that election, Patton earned about 15,000 votes, compared to Watson's 24,000. This time, Patton has not only a different opponent, but a different political landscape in provincial politics.

In 2007, he was running with the brick of a John Tory campaign around his neck. In 2010, at least so far, those dynamics are different.

"My biggest ally in this remains Dalton McGuinty and the incredibly poor job he's done as premier," Patton said. "With the health surcharge and now the HST, it's very clear that taxes are just going to continue to go up under this government. And this byelection is an opportunity for the people of Ottawa West-Nepean to send a message to Dalton McGuinty and the Liberals to stop."

Before running in the 2007 election, the 46-year-old spent much of his time working as a media relations man for other politicians. In 2006, he got on board the O'Brien mayoral campaign shortly before it began to pick up momentum. Patton says one of his contributions was to encourage O'Brien to make a mantra of the phrase "zero means zero," which he says O'Brien coined himself, but wasn't using much. It eventually became the slogan O'Brien rode to victory.

Patton, who worked for O'Brien for a year, said he was "disappointed" with the fact that the tax freeze promised by the "zero means zero" slogan never became a reality.

"There was much more that could have been done," Patton said of the potential cost savings at City Hall.

Patton, who now works as director of government and media relations for the Canadian Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association, also worked in the office of Councillor Rick Chiarelli.

There, he grabbed headlines when he drew the ire of the city library bureaucracy when he dared to grab a mop and clean a bathroom that the central library had been left out of order for several hours. Librarians complained that he was breaking union rules.

Monday night, Patton wasted no time taking aim at Bob Chiarelli. While praising him for a "long career of exemplary public service," he said Chiarelli is running for the MPP job as a second choice.

"He doesn't believe he could win if he runs again for mayor, which is something he'd dearly like to do. So he wants to be backdoor mayor of Ottawa, and that's what he thinks this will secure him."

Chiarelli couldn't be reached for comment Monday night.

McGuinty has not yet announced when the byelection will be held


http://www.ottawacitizen.com/n.....story.html

[RCO]

Jan 27, 2010 - 11:25 EST
Media Advisory - Ottawa West-Nepean Provincial Liberal Association to hold nomination meeting

Article ToolsEmail this articlePrint this article Smaller | Larger TextShare thisFace Book Digg Stumble Upon Del.icio.us Newsvine Reddit Buzz up!
Story Tools TORONTO, Jan. 27 /CNW/ - The Ottawa West-Nepean Provincial Liberal Association will hold a meeting to nominate Bob Chiarelli as Liberal candidate for the riding.
<<DATE>> Media are asked to register on site.

-0- 01/27/2010 /For further information: Christine McMillan, (416) 427-6420/ CO: Ontario Liberal Party ST: Ontario IN: SU: MAV -30- CNW 11:06e 27-JAN-10 


http://www.canadianbusiness.co....._0_cnw_cnw


( it looks like Bob chiarelli is going to be nominated in the next couple of days as the liberal candidate without any kind of challenge from his own party , as they have chosen the earliest possible date for a nomination meeting )

[RCO]

( we also have a new candidate for the ontario pc nomination as Beth Graham has entered the race )


Two people gunning for Tory nomination in MPP byelection

TIM WIECLAWSKI
METRO OTTAWA
January 28, 2010 1:06 p.m.
Be the first to comment
Print article
Text size Two people are now seeking the Conservative nomination in the by-election to replace Jim Watson as MPP for Ottawa-West Nepean.

Community activist Beth Graham announced her intention to run for nomination Thursday.
The release states that Graham, 55, has been urged seek the nomination by many well-known Tories who are concerned about the severe erosion of the Conservative votes in the last provincial election.

Last week, Mike Patton also said he would seek the Conservative nomination for Ottawa-West Nepean.

Patton, a former media relations person for Mayor Larry O’Brien who is currently the director of government and media relations for the Canadian Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association, lost the last provincial election to Watson by nearly 9,000 votes.

Whichever candidate is chosen, they will likely be running against former Ottawa mayor Bob Chiarelli, who is seeking the Liberal Party nomination in the riding.

A candidate for the NDP will be selected at a nomination meeting in early February.

Graham has served as president of the Leslie Park Community Association and the Nepean Federation of Community Associations and managed constituency affairs for Lisa MacLeod, MPP for Nepean-Carleton, for almost three years.


http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa.....byelection

[RCO]

( jim watson just resigned his seat and Bob Chiarelli was nominated today for the liberals , the level of liberal entitlement being displayed here is just plain outragous . the liberals are treating the seat like its there and that Bob Chiarelli is somehow entitled to be the next mpp , like he is finishing out the rest of watson's term . sort of like what they do in the states when a senator leaves early and it looks like there aiming for the earliest by-election date possible so more to come on this sooner rather than later )



Jim Watson to submit papers for mayor's race
Updated: Sun Jan. 31 2010 16:39:29

ctvottawa.ca

A former Ottawa mayor says he's ready to take on the position again. Jim Watson, who until recently was the Liberal MPP for Ottawa-West Nepean, tells CTV Ottawa he will submit his papers Monday morning.

Although Watson announced his intentions a few weeks ago, this formal entry into the race on Monday at 11 a.m. will mark the beginning of fundraising for his campaign.

He will formally register at the Orleans Client Service Centre, located at 255 Centrum Blvd.

Liberals select nominee for Watson's old riding

On Sunday, the provincial Liberals nominated fellow former Ottawa mayor Bob Chiarelli to stand for a by-election. A date will be announced shortly.

Watson joins a crowded field of confirmed candidates for the mayor's race, which include Robert Gauthier and Coun. Alex Cullen. Incumbent Larry O'Brien says he is still considering his options, and will make a decision in June.

Watson previously served as Ottawa mayor from 1997-2000, prior to amalgamation. He also sat on city council from 1991-1997.

The election will take place on Oct. 25 and will elect one mayor, 23 city councillors and several school board trustees. Nominations run until Sept. 10.


http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/a.....hub=Ottawa

[RCO]

( the liberals have opted for the earliest possible date in the by-elections even though most of the parties don't even have candidates yet in either riding )

Premier calls eastern Ontario byelections for March 4
Updated: Wed Feb. 03 2010 16:26:25

ctvottawa.ca

Eastern Ontario residents in two ridings will go to the polls in March to elect a new representative at the provincial legislature.

Premier Dalton McGuinty has set March 4 as the date to fill the ridings of Ottawa West-Nepean and Leeds-Grenville, which were both vacated by longtime politicians who resigned to pursue careers in different political arenas.

Former Ottawa West-Nepean MPP Jim Watson stepped down from his post as minister of municipal affairs and housing last month. He officially resigned as MPP on Monday, the same day he registered for Ottawa's mayor's race.

In Leeds-Grenville, veteran Tory MPP Bob Runciman vacated his seat last week when he was appointed one of five new Senators joining the upper house.

The byelection will be the first time Runciman hasn't been on the ballot in Leeds-Grenville since he was elected to represent the riding in 1981.

With files from The Canadian Press


http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/a.....hub=Ottawa

[RCO]

( looks like the ontario pc's will have a candidate by friday night for the by-election )

OTTAWA WEST-NEPEAN
ONTARIO PC RIDING ASSOCIATION



Notice of Nomination Meeting



A Nomination Meeting is called for the purpose of selecting a candidate to represent the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario in the riding of Ottawa West-Nepean for the 2010 Provincial By-election.


Date : Friday, February 5, 2010


Location : Tailgators (Sports Bar), 1642 Merivale Road (south side of Merivale Mall)

Time : Registration to commence at 5:00 p.m. Registration to close at 6:45 p.m.

The Meeting will commence at approximately 7:00 p.m.


To be eligible to vote at a Nomination Meeting a person must hold a valid 2010 membership for the Ottawa West-Nepean Ontario Progressive Conservative Association proven to have been obtained before 5:00 p.m. February 4th, 2010.

Identification will be required to register. Please bring with you two (2) pieces of identification that together show name, address, and signature. If appropriate, confirmation that a member has attained the age of fourteen may be required.

There will be no new membership sales at the door that include the eligibility to vote at this meeting. Members in good standing in 2009 will be allowed to renew their memberships at the door. There will be no advance or proxy voting. (Ontario P.C. Constitution, Nomination Rules, article 10.15.)

Current members who need to vote earlier for religious reasons may do so at 3:00 pm, but must inform the riding president of their intentions by 1pm Friday February 5 by e-mailing cpendrith@rogers.com.

http://www.ontariopc-own.ca/

[RCO]

Graham to run for Tories
By OTTAWA SUN

Last Updated: 5th February 2010, 9:14pm
Email StoryPrintSize A A AReport TypoShare with:
FacebookDiggDel.icio.usGoogleStumble UponNewsvineRedditTechnoratiFeed MeYahooSimpySquidooSpurlBlogmarksNetvouzScuttleSitejot+ What are these? .Beth Graham will run for the provincial Progressive Conservatives in the race to fill the vacant seat in Ottawa West-Nepean.

Graham, a community activist, won the nomination at a meeting Friday night. The nomination was also being contested by Mike Patton, who ran against Jim Watson in the last provincial election. Watson recently stepped down as the riding’s Liberal MPP to run for the mayor’s chair in Ottawa’s municipal election.

Bob Chiarelli was acclaimed as the Liberal candidate earlier this week, and the NDP will hold its nomination meeting Sunday. Mark MacKenzie is running for the Green Party of Ontario.

Voting day in Ottawa West-Nepean is March 4.

— Ottawa Sun


http://www.ottawasun.com/news/.....65051.html

[RCO]

Beth Graham 'new face' for Tories
Ottawa West-Nepean riding association selects longtime community activist

By Robert Sibley, The Ottawa CitizenFebruary 6, 2010Comments (2)
Beth Graham, a one-time political aide and longtime community activist, will represent the Conservatives in the provincial riding of Ottawa West-Nepean after winning the riding association's nod in a lively nomination meeting Friday night.

"It's time to bring Ottawa West-Nepean back into the Conservative fold," Graham said following her win. "(Liberal Premier) Dalton McGuinty has lost the privilege of having this riding."

The 55-year-old candidate, who in recent years managed constituency affairs for Lisa MacLeod, the Conservative MPP for Nepean-Carleton, defeated another longtime Tory stalwart, Mike Patton.

Riding officials would not release the vote results, but an estimated 250 people attended the nomination meeting, held at the Tailgaters Sports Bar in Merivale Mall.

Graham, who resigned her job as a political staffer for federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, will face Liberal candidate Bob Chiarelli, a former MPP, regional chairman and two-term Ottawa mayor, in a March 4 provincial byelection.

The vote was triggered when the riding's Liberal MPP, Jim Watson, resigned the seat in order to seek the Ottawa mayor's job in this fall's municipal election. Riding members credited Graham's win to a combination of being well known in the riding, even if not well known to the media, and a desire on the part of the association membership for a "new face" to represent the party. "We needed a new face, new blood," one woman said.

Graham acknowledged the byelection campaign would be tough, but she argued that voters are disillusioned with the McGuinty government and may well use their votes to express dissatisfaction with the Liberals.

After six years of Liberal rule, the McGuinty government has shown that it "doesn't really believe in Ontario," Graham said in her pre-nomination speech, referring to the premier's $7-billion green-energy deal with a Korean consortium composed of Samsung Corporation and a Korean utility company.

Under the deal, the Ontario government will subsidize the consortium's establishment of wind and solar farms in the province. The deal has been criticized for ignoring Canadian firms.

Graham was also critical of McGuinty's willingness to harmonize the provincial retail sales tax with the federal GST, saying it will especially hurt seniors and those living on low incomes.

The byelection will not be Graham's first foray into electoral politics. In 1994, she ran unsuccessfully against Rick Chiarelli for a seat on Nepean city council.

However, she is better known for her behind-the-scenes work. Graham has served as president of the Leslie Park Community Association and the Nepean Federation of Community Associations. She has also chaired Nepean's environmental advisory committee, and served on committees of the Ontario Trillium Association and the Ottawa Special Olympics


http://www.ottawacitizen.com/n.....story.html

[RCO]

( liberals bring new meaning to the term buy-election, say glen murray was called the 15 million dollar man , i wonder what chiarelli is going to reach by the time this one is over as it will be much closer than toronto centre )

Liberal plan for Nortel pension bailout under fireOntario's vow to top up Nortel plan for pensioners in key by-election riding is 'callous,' opposition says

Former Nortel employee Baraba Araelien wipes her eye during a gathering in Oct. 7, 2009 at Queen's Park to protest the loss of pensions.

MARK BLINCH/REUTERS FILE PHOTO
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By Tanya Talaga
Queen's Park Bureau OTTAWA–The cash-strapped Liberal government promises to top up Nortel's underfunded pension plan – a move affecting many retirees in an Ottawa riding where a key by-election is being held March 4.

Opposition politicians say it's just another example of the government trying to buy votes.

"This is the most callous, mean-spirited thing I've heard," said Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod (Nepean-Carleton).

While supportive of the pensioners, she said the government has known about this problem for many months but only now has come up with the funds, which could run into the millions.

"To do this in the by-election, it is simply disgusting. If they really wanted to help Nortel pensioners they would have done it earlier," MacLeod said.

However, Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan calls that claim "nonsense."

The Nortel campus is located in the riding of Ottawa-West Nepean, formerly held by Liberal MPP Jim Watson. He abandoned his seat to run for mayor of Ottawa. The Liberal candidate is former mayor of Ottawa, Bob Chiarelli.

The Liberals' move during the by-election campaign is reminiscent of what happened last week in the Toronto Centre by-election, where the McGuinty government – already saddled with a $24.7 billion deficit – came up with $15 million to save the Salvation Army Grace Hospital.

Duncan confirmed the province will pay into the Pension Benefits Guarantee Fund so pensioners can get up to $1,000 per month.

Ontario is the only province with a pension guarantee fund. The fund, which applies only to retirees who worked in Ontario, kicks in when a pension plan fails to provide its full benefit, or any at all. It is funded by corporate contributions and the government has no legal obligation to top it up.

Telecom equipment giant Nortel filed for bankruptcy protection in January 2009 after mounting losses and the prospects of continued red ink.

It has since been selling off its operations and there are now nearly 17,500 retired Nortel workers at risk of losing their pensions.

Don Sproule, president of The Nortel Retirees and Former Employees Protection Canada organization, said he was still waiting for government details but believes it involves winding up the plan – a move that could aid those pensioners earning $12,000 a year but would do little for those whose plan is on the higher end.

Nortel must pull out of creditor protection in order for the pensioner payouts to happen.

"This is still a potential claim," Duncan told the Star. The Liberals have gathered in Ottawa for a caucus retreat. "We've been setting this up for a number of months now."

Duncan said he'll have more to say on the pension guarantee fund after an actuarial study on it is completed this spring.

But Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the government could have helped the pensioners a lot earlier.

"The McGuinty Liberals have ignored the plight of Nortel pensioners for months," Horwath said. "The thought of losing a seat has now forced them to listen. Sadly, the only jobs they really care about are their own."

Last spring, Duncan brought changes in the budget that gave the Liberals more flexibility in the pension fund so something like the Nortel top-up could happen.


http://www.thestar.com/news/on.....under-fire

[RCO]

School board trustee nominated by NDP in Ottawa West-Nepean

By Zev Singer, The Ottawa CitizenFebruary 7, 2010
OTTAWA-The NDP will be represented by Pam FitzGerald in the Ottawa West-Nepean byelection March 4.

FitzGerald, who has been a trustee on the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board representing the College zone since 2006, was confirmed as the nominee at a meeting on Sunday.

“Pam has been a champion for excellent schools, quality health care, and a better deal for Ottawa families,” NDP provincial leader Andrea Horwath said in a release. “She’s exactly the sort of woman we need at Queen’s Park.”

FitzGerald has served as executive director of the Canadian Health Coalition.

According to the release, FitzGerald has also served on the boards of two community health centres and a daycare, and as chair of a community housing project.


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