The Nipissing-Timiskaming New Democratic Party is pinning its hopes on a new candidate, Rob Boulet, to gain traction and attract votes in the upcoming Federal election.
Boulet was officially named the NDP candidate for Nipissing-Timiskaming during a nomination meeting in North Bay yesterday, on August 22. It’s an important date in NDP circles, the eight-year anniversary of beloved former leader Jack Layton’s death.
For Boulet, a labour activist and 2SLGBTQ+ community advocate who works as a Learning Systems Technologist at Nipissing University, the new entry into the political arena felt like a natural progression.
“I’m generally more comfortable behind the scenes connecting people and solving issues. Over the last few years, I’ve grown more accustomed to being the person who stands up for people. When Charlie Angus called me in the spring and asked if I’d consider running, it felt like a natural fit,” said Boulet.
“I’m really excited about this opportunity. I’m looking forward to getting out and meeting people and see what the actual issues are in Nipissing-Timiskaming. I’ll be out knocking on doors and listening to the people very soon.”
Henri Giroux, president of the North Bay and District Labour Council and a well-known former NDP candidate, moved to acclaim Boulet as the federal NDP candidate. The crowd of about 30 people voted unanimously in favour.
“Today is a very happy day,” said Giroux in his speech. “We are ready to start this campaign and I am so happy that we have a candidate that I strongly respect. In this riding, we have been climbing. I think there is a big possibility that we can go over the hump if we do a good campaign and talk about the issues that people want to hear that are important to us: social justice, equality, LGBTQ.”
Boulet shares that optimism.
“I’m pretty confident,” he said. “The last two governments have been Liberal and Conservative flip-flopping and I think people are tired of it. We have a good platform and a lot of good candidates across the country, so I’m excited.”
The federal election is scheduled to take place on October 21.
Boulet is the fourth candidate announced who will run in Nipissing-Timiskaming. Other candidates include Mark King for the People's Party, Jordy Carr for the Conservatives and Anthony Rota for the Liberals. The Green Party is expected to name a candidate in the next few weeks.
