Mike Duggan
Why are you running?
I am running in these 2019 federal elections because I do not have faith in Trudeau’s Liberal government. They have failed in their most important 2015 commitments and Canadians deserve better. Instead of responsibly managing the economy and helping transition Canada to a renewable energy future, they continuously embroil us in divisive social issues while running up massive deficit spending. Too many of our international and interprovincial relations are in chaos. While campaigning door-to-door and interacting through social media, I am detecting a high level of anxiety from people at the prospect of another four years of Trudeau. We must restore objectivity and reason to our socio-political discourse and elect a responsible government that will manage the economy and environment sustainably. We Conservatives are the only party with the capacity to do this, and I am proud to be part of the team of 338 candidates working tirelessly to offer their services to fellow Canadians. Please refer to http://www.arealplan.ca to find out how we’re going to move towards a sustainable future with a Conservative government.
What is your day job?
Municipal councillor for Deschênes ward in Aylmer sector, with the following appointments : President of the Comité de vérification, Vice-president of the Commission des arts, de la culture, des lettres et du patrimoine, member of the Comité consultatif d’urbanisme, President of the Table de Concertation des évènements, and Gatineau’s representative to the Conseil régional de l’environnement et du développement durable de l’Outaouais (le CREDDO).
What are your passions in work and life? (Volunteerism, sport, art, etc.)
Family, beer, music. Turning good ideas into reality. Electric transportation. Maintaining Aylmer’s charm. French language and culture.
What would your short-term and long-term priorities be, should you be elected?
My top local priority is transportation. Population growth has put our infrastructure under duress. Conservatives will immediately restore the tax credit for public transit passes (cancelled by the Trudeau Liberals). Public transportation reduces congestion, is greener, and increases productivity. The increased ridership will help justify investing in a modern fast transit system for Hull-Aylmer.
First, we re-implement the transit tax credit to help increase ridership and request that the STO (Gatineau’s transit authority) make public their latest study on fast transit for Hull-Aylmer. Let’s openly discuss the corridor(s) and technologies best apt to suit our needs.
Québec’s Premier François Legault has already committed substantial provincial funding and we’re now waiting for a feasible idea to gain a federal commitment. Imagine redeploying the Prince-of-Wales Bridge as a Rapibus extension linking Gatineau’s public transit to the O-Train system at Bayview and a green bridge to cross from Aylmer to Ottawa at the Deschênes rapids!
There is also the Phoenix system that has been broken for 3.5 years after a premature launch. I would like to accompany the efforts to resolve it. I have a background in IT, project management, federal programs, the complexities of collective agreements, and have been a serving in a decisional role as a municipal councillor for the past six years.
