RAINY RIVER, Ont. – Andrew Hartnell says he was quite happy representing residents of Rainy River, Ont. on town council.
But as the 2019 federal election neared, so too did his desire to make a difference at the national level. Taking up the Thunder Bay-Rainy River nomination for People’s Party of Canada seemed like the next logical step.
“I feel people are ready for a change and I think they’re tired of the same old, same old back-and-forth of the main parties. I agreed with everything that (Leader) Maxime Bernier was saying and I agreed with the party platform.
“The country needs a change and another party to help the country move forward,” Hartnell said in a recent interview with Thunder Bay Television.
Hartnell said reaction to the newly formed party, which broke free from the Conservatives and is delivering an even further right party platform, is mixed.
Some like what they’ve heard, others are afraid of change, Hartnell said, firmly standing on his local political record.
“We’re still trying to get our name out there, so people aren’t as familiar with it as they are with the other parties,” he said.
“I feel it’s been a pretty good response. I’m pretty well known in the area and people know who I am and what I’ve done for the town and the area ... Our platform is starting to make a lot of sense to people.
Hartnell, the lone candidate who doesn’t live in Thunder Bay, said that makes things a bit more challenging, but it’s nothing that can’t be overcome.
“I do have my team out there trying to spread the word,” he said.
Hartnell believes there’s plenty to like in the PPC platform in Northwestern Ontario, especially its focus on Canadian jobs and values, as well as ending corporate welfare and government handouts, while cutting back on foreign aid to give taxpayers a break.
“I think this area, with the job losses at Bombardier and big places like that, it shows that corporate welfare doesn’t work, because Bombardier has been getting all the corporate handouts and corporate welfare and they still lay off jobs and they still lay off people,” Hartnell said.
“It just goes to show you right now the government is more concerned with the CEOs than they are about the workers in the factory.”
Hartnell said the PPC should not be taken lightly this election, noting the party has more than 300 candidates and thousands of volunteers from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
“What we’re doing is obviously working, because people want to be a part of it.”
TBNewswatch.com has profiled all 11 candidates running in Thunder Bay-Rainy River and Thunder Bay-Superior North and will be rolling them out over the course of the next two days. They can be found in our news section, as well as our special Federal Election page, Canada Votes.
