Downes up to the occasion

Kingston residents cast their votes today to choose their representative for Kingston and the Islands riding in Parliament.

Incumbent Liberal MP Peter Milliken is running for his sixth term in office, against Conservative candidate Brian Abrams, NDP candidate Rick Downes and Green Party candidate Eric Walton.

NDP candidate Downes is a breath of fresh air for a community that’s starting to go stale from 20 years of Liberal dominance.

Downes has been an active Kingstonian since 1979, serving three terms as a city councillor and two as a school trustee.

He ran unsuccessfully in the 2006 mayoral and 2007 provincial elections, but his political exposure has given him the opportunity to meet many residents and find out what’s important to them.

Downes should be applauded for his dedication to Kingston; in three elections he has stayed true to his message of working for the common good. A close finish behind Harvey Rosen in the mayoral race suggests Kingston’s ready for his ideas.

Although Liberal MP Milliken is Parliament’s Speaker of the House, he’s unable to raise his voice for Kingstonians.

Milliken is out of touch with residents and seems particularly disengaged from most students, save a few student political club members.

That being said, Milliken has done many good things for the city over his five terms in office; perhaps his distant air is a result of becoming too comfortable in his position and signals a need for change.

By referring to the Liberals’ platform as “their” plans, he’s not showing constituents that he actively subscribes to his party’s philosophy. It’s a shame, because the Liberals have developed a strong vision for Canada.

They’re the only party to offer a viable plan to deal with environmental problems.

Their GreenShift strategy, which would see Canada reduce its carbon emissions and adopt alternate energy sources, has met with success in various European countries.

The Liberals are the strongest competition against the Harper Conservatives and voting for them ensures Canadians won’t have a government that caters to the elite.

While a national Liberal victory would be good for Canada, NDP candidate Downes is the most capable person for bringing Kingston’s issues to Ottawa.

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