Thank you!
Over the past seven months, and especially the past five weeks, I have had the opportunity to meet some amazing people in every corner of the Pontiac riding. Inspiring people who care about the future of their community.
So you won't be surprised if I tell you that I highly appreciated this campaign experience, even if the outcome was disappointing.
I chose to campaign on local issues because I firmly believe that a Member of Parliament must first serve his or her constituents. This is why I have addressed issues that are sometimes delicate but always important, such as the Chalk River nuclear landfill site, the Gatineau tramway project, the future of the Alexandra Bridge, the future of the Maniwaki SOPFEU, the relationship between the National Capital Commission and the municipalities, and the impact of Bill 96 on the English-speaking communities.
I also chose to run a clean campaign. I was not running against other candidates. Rather, I was running for the citizens of Pontiac, with values and commitments to share. They have made their choice and this must be respected.
Thank you to those who supported and encouraged me in this campaign, thank you to the citizens of Pontiac.
A comprehensive guide to help you
make your choice on Sept. 20th
Here are some important issues for the Pontiac riding and the known position of the Conservative and Liberal parties on each of them
Gatineau Tramway Project
For the Conservative candidates, this is the number one priority for transportation in Gatineau
For the Liberals, one candidate prefers a 6th bridge, another prefers the tramway and we don't know the opinion of the third
In panic, Liberals rely on
a campaign of fear and lies
With the election just days away, the Liberals, including those in Pontiac County, are in such a panic that they have opted for a campaign of fear and lies to voters, especially public service employees. This is unfortunate. Because here we are leaving a civilized debate and sinking into lies and manipulation of public opinion.
A wind of change is blowing on
Pontiac County.
I invite you to to be part of it
There are only a few days left in the campaign leading up to the September 20th election to elect the new Member of Parliament for Pontiac.
It is with great pride that I have been involved in this race since last February. A lot of pride for my part of the country, where I was born, where I grew up and where I have always worked.
I am also proud of and grateful for all the support and words of encouragement that you have sent me.
A wind of change is blowing through Pontiac County and I invite you all to be a part of it.
Your support is important. In fact, it has never been more important because it will make the difference next Monday in the election of the new Member of Parliament for Pontiac.
What I am offering you is my full and total involvement, as of September 21st, in order to change things, to make a difference for the better, for the region and for the entire Pontiac riding.
What I offer you is a strong voice and serious leadership.
A voice that will not be silenced when the issues are important and sensitive.
A voice that all citizens in every corner of the county can always count on.
That is the heart of my commitment.
Commitments to break RCMs
out of historic poverty
GATINEAU (Tuesday, September 7, 2021) - Getting the Pontiac and Gatineau Valley RCMs out of poverty will be the daily challenge to which the Conservative candidate in Pontiac, Michel Gauthier, is committed. He has just completed a series of consultations with the wardens of Pontiac, Vallée-de-la-Gatineau and Collines de l'Outaouais RCMs.
"For more than 50 years, people have been saying that the rural sectors of the Outaouais are poor. Currently, Pontiac and Vallée-de-la-Gatineau MRCs rank 96th and 102nd out of 104 RCMs on the economic vitality index published by the Quebec government. This is unacceptable."
First part of the unveilling
of my commitments and priorities
GATINEAU (Wednesday, August 18, 2021) - The priorities and issues that are attracting attention in the Pontiac riding are numerous and diverse, just like this great riding.
Pontiac is six districts of a large urban city to the south and rural MRCs to the west and north. In between, the MRC des Collines enjoys both urban and rural advantages.
The issues are very different when talking to a stakeholder in the Gatineau Valley or Pontiac than when talking to a citizen in the Plateau sector or the Limbour sector in Gatineau.
For this reason, the unveiling of my commitments and priorities is done in two parts.
Today, I am addressing the issues that affect the City of Gatineau in particular, but also, because of its proximity, the MRC des Collines.
Tramway at the top of the Conservative agenda in Gatineau
GATINEAU (Wednesday, May 12, 2021) - The federal government should open its eyes more, stop dithering and do its part in the West Gatineau tramway project, said Michel Gauthier, Conservative Party regional critic in the Outaouais and candidate in the Pontiac riding.
He was reacting to the announcement today of the choice of the Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) regarding the details of this issue.
The Alexandra Bridge,
a rich heritage
Lunch on the Alexandra Bridge in 2017 as part of the confederation 150th anniversary celebrations
Click pictures to enlarge
There is a growing chorus of voices calling for the preservation of the Alexandra Bridge, a 120-year-old heritage landmark in the Capital Region that is being considered for demolition by the federal government.
Defending our heritage
Among these voices is Heritage Ottawa, which created the Alexandra Bridge Coalition, which includes the Société d'histoire de l'Outaouais and the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario.
It is hard to imagine this bridge disappearing from the Outaouais landscape.
Consultations
The National Capital Commission has already held the first in a series of consultations last fall, with more to come in the 2021-2025 planning phase.
Lunch on the bridge
This bridge is not only a historical treasure, it is also a symbol, a link between the two founding communities of the country. In 2017, Ottawa and Gatineau, along with Quebec and Ontario, met on the bridge for Canada's 150th anniversary luncheon.
I hope that we will have the opportunity to have lunch on the bridge again, during our 200th anniversary celebrations.
« Public servants are
part of the solution »
( Gatineau - Monday, May 3rd ) Concerns about job stability in the region's public service remain, two weeks after the tabling of the last federal budget, according to Michel Gauthier, Conservative Party critic for the Outaouais region and candidate in Pontiac.
The main threat to public service jobs, in his opinion, is the current government's tendency to run out of control deficits with no plan to return to a balanced budget.
SOPFEU : Region wants answers by May 4
SOPFEU : Region wants
answers by May 4
( Thursday, April 29 ) The mayor of Gatineau, Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, and the prefects of the Outaouais and Antoine-Labelle regions joined today the prefect of the Vallée-de-la-Gatineau, Chantal Lamarche, during a zoom meeting to review actions taken since the mobilization of April 1st and to remind SOPFEU of the region's demands to ensure the future of the Maniwaki base.
As the Conservative candidate in the Pontiac riding and the party's spokesperson for the Outaouais region, I fully support the efforts of warden Chantal Lamarche, who is doing an impressive job, and the emergency committee to allow the region to keep its gains.
Greenhouse gases: Liberal's promise lacks credibility
Greenhouse gases: Liberal's promise
lacks credibility
Only serious governments deliver serious results. And that is not the scenario we have now.
Setting targets is one thing. Meeting them is another. The Prime Minister of Canada today announced an ambitious target of reducing greenhouse gases by 40-45% from 2005 levels by 2030.
Unfortunately, experience has shown that the liberal targets have never been met.
- See the section about the Conservative plan "Secure the Environment" : click here >>
A timid budget on transportation in the Outaouais
A timid budget on transportation
in the Outaouais
GATINEAU (Monday, April 19, 2021) - "The federal budget tabled today is too timid on the issue of transportation in the Outaouais region," says Michel Gauthier, Conservative Party spokesperson in the Outaouais and candidate in Pontiac.
While the tramway project linking the West of Gatineau to Ottawa downtown is a clearly identified priority for both cities and the Quebec government, the federal government is content to say that the project office, announced in the budget, "will work on the study and planning of possible interprovincial tramway links between Ottawa and Gatineau.
The Outaouais and Pontiac need a new leadership
The Outaouais and Pontiac
need a new leadership
PONTIAC (Sunday, April 10, 2021) - PONTIAC (Sunday, April 10, 2021) - In the upcoming election campaign, which we hope will not take place until the COVID-19 pandemic is under control, the issue of political leadership in the Outaouais and Pontiac will be at the heart of the debate.
"This weekend's Liberal convention is a reminder that this government champions populist promises but rarely delivers on them, including those that matter in the Outaouais," said Michel Gauthier, the Conservative Party's Outaouais critic and candidate in the Pontiac riding.
A mobilization for the respect of the regions
A mobilization for
the respect of the regions
Numerous volunteers from the organizing committee joined the Sûreté du Québec and
Kitigan Zibi police officers to ensure the smooth running of the citizen mobilization.
I participated in the mobilization of the MRC de la Vallée-de-la-Gatineau in support against the project to transfer the decision-making center of SOPFEU from Maniwaki to Val d'Or in Abitibi. It is the role of every person involved in politics to support the citizens he represents... or wishes to represent. It is therefore with pride that I joined this mobilization.
Chalk River: social acceptability not yet achieved
Chalk River: social acceptability
not yet achieved
Source
GATINEAU (Wednesday, March 31, 2021) - The Chalk River nuclear waste disposal project must first pass the social acceptability stage before it can be approved and moved forward. This is not yet the case.
SOPFEU: Thursday we support the MRC
SOPFEU: Thursday we support the MRC
It is time to put an end to supposed reorganizations such as the one for SOPFEU.
No reorganization or relocation should be allowed in these two MRCs.
The attention of our governments, both provincial and federal, must instead be focused on consolidating services and creating new jobs.
Health: dialogue with pharmaceutical companies must be resumed and federal transfers reviewed
Health: dialogue with pharmaceutical companies must be resumed and federal transfers reviewed
Immunization is doing well. Let's put behind us the failures of the last few months, but let's learn from what we have experienced and take a serious look at the future.
SOPFEU : a supposed reorganization
SOPFEU : a supposed reorganization
I fully support the efforts of the MRC de la Vallée-de-la-Gatineau in its objective to put an end to the supposed reorganization process of SOPFEU, that is to say the transfer of the regional management from Maniwaki to Abitibi.
SOPFEU : we are right to be concerned
The elected officials of the Gatineau Valley are right to be concerned about the reorganization intentions of SOPFEU and the possible transfer of the decision-making center.
The past teaches us that all too often the reorganization of government services rhymes with job losses.
A $31,825 event dinner for the Fondation Santé Vallée-de-la-Gatineau
A $31,825 event dinner for the
Fondation Santé Vallée-de-la-Gatineau
From left to right : Michel Gauthier, administrator of the Foundation, Jean-Paul Gélinas, representative of the Caisse populaire de Haute-Gatineau, Dr. Mohamed Amahzoune, administrator of the Foundation, and Pauline Patry, president.
On Saturday, March 13, I had the opportunity to participate in the gastronomic dinner of the Fondation Santé Vallée-de-la-Gatineau, of which I have been a director for the past ten years.
During this dinner, at the Restaurant L'Huile d'Olive, in Bouchette, the Foundation announced that it had raised a total of $31,825, thanks to the many participants and the generosity of several donors.
Two-thirds of the revenue came from donors, including $10,000 from the Caisse Desjardins de Haute-Gatineau, $3,500 from Gatineau MNA Robert Bussières, $2,000 from Ma-Mi Construction, $2,600 from Pierre Riel, the owner of L'Huile d'Olive Restaurant, $1,500 from Resolu Forest Products and $1,250 from doctors, including Dr. Amazhoune.
This success will allow us to reserve funds for an important development project, the details of which will be announced soon.
Many volunteers in the Pontiac and the Outaouais support the efforts of our foundations in the health field.
Year after year, they enable the various health care institutions to acquire new equipment to improve the care provided in all corners of the region.
If you wish to make a donation to one of these foundations, here are the coordinates:
Visit to Limbour: health, vaccine and workforce at the heart of discussions
Visit to Limbour: health, vaccine and
workforce at the heart of discussions
You don't even have to ask! Vaccination and pandemic control are also at the heart of the concerns of constituents in the Limbour district of Gatineau.Health remains the number one priority for them.
However, if you are a business owner or employer, the issue of workforce recruitment is a major concern. In Limbour as in all other areas of the Pontiac and Outaouais riding. This problem existed prior to the pandemic but has become more acute with the arrival of COVID-19. The Canada Emergency Respond Benefit (CERB) has been a necessary but also "overly effective" support, sometimes making the return to work less attractive than the benefit paid.
The District of Limbour is split between the federal ridings of Pontiac to the north and Gatineau to the south. LaVérendrye Boulevard is the dividing line between the two counties.
Vaccination and telework on the menu in the Plateau District
Vaccination and telework on the menu
in the Plateau District
Voters in Gatineau's Plateau district don't want to hear about an early election this spring. What matters to them is the CISSSO immunization schedule and the hope that the federal government will be able to obtain and distribute enough vaccine so that the entire population is immunized by the end of September. So that we can get back to our normal lives.
Many of the constituents in this corner of the Pontiac riding have also had to telework since the pandemic began. This was not a new practice, but it was the first time that it had been used in the region for such a long period of time. It could significantly change the approach to labour relations in the federal public service.
The municipal boundaries of this Gatineau electoral district will soon be changed. The district will be amputated of its western part which will form, with part of the neighbouring district of Deschênes, the new Mitigomijokan district. This name of Algonquin Anishinabeg origin means "the place of the oak".
Don't start rumors
"Don't start rumors"
No, I didn't get the call to join the Ottawa Senators coaching staff. I didn't put on my skates this weekend either. But I was in the Limbour sector of Gatineau and I couldn't resist making a detour to the Beaudry arena. Of course, it was closed, but why not take advantage of it anyway for a quick photo session.
At one time, many years ago, I often set foot in this arena. I was a coach for a competitive team from Maniwaki, the Braves. We were terrorizing the arenas in Aylmer, Hull, Gatineau and Buckingham... sorry !!!! :-) Of course, there are many fond memories of those years. For those who are curious, the stick and gloves are those of my son Jean-Christophe, who also became a hockey coach.
This involvement in the hockey world even led me to become president of the Outaouais Hockey Federation, at a time when the stakes were high. Like the return of a midget AAA hockey team, following a tripartite agreement between the City of Gatineau, the Polyvalente Nicolas-Gatineau and the regional Federation. During these years, I had the opportunity to work with dedicated volunteers such as Claude Allain, Robert Fournier, Dr. Gilles Morais, Fernand Dicaire, Claudette Tremblay, and many others.
In hockey as in politics and in other fields, volunteering and involvement have always been important civic foundations. In a few months, you will have the opportunity to elect a Member of Parliament for your riding. But behind this person, there are also tens and hundreds of people who share common values and who get involved in order to make a difference.
The voice that won't be silent
The voice that won't be silent
The Pontiac and the Outaouais region needs a strong voice and a strong leadership in the House of Commons.
Important issues do not always receive the necessary attention. All too often, the current MPs "shut up with one voice" or are at odds with our municipal elected officials.
It's time for a change.
Because the challenges are many, both in the large urban area of Gatineau and in the vast rural territory of the Pontiac and the Outaouais.
I propose to be "the voice that won't shut up", that won't duck when the issues are more difficult. This is the way I have always worked.
Bill C-21 about Firearms: Nothing other then an Electoral Improvisation
Bill C-21 about Firearms: Nothing other then an Electoral Improvisation
GATINEAU (Wednesday, February 17, 2021) - The federal firearms bill, introduced yesterday by the federal government, is going in the wrong direction by turning to the municipalities for the adoption of legislation or regulations to ban handguns, said Conservative Party spokesperson in the Outaouais and candidate in the Pontiac riding, Michel Gauthier.
The embarrassing 'pilgrimage' of the government in its quest for vaccines
The embarrassing "pilgrimage" of the government in its quest for vaccines
GATINEAU ( Sunday, February 14th, 2021 ) - « Nous devons tous être solidaires en cette période de pandémie historique et c’est très largement que tous respectent les mesures de distanciation et les autres contraintes sanitaires. Nous acceptons ces sacrifices, parce que c’est la santé et la sécurité de tous qui sont en jeu. Nous le faisons aussi par respect pour le personnel de la santé qui affronte quotidiennement et courageusement ce virus », a déclaré Michel Gauthier, porte-parole du Parti conservateur pour la région de l’Outaouais et candidat dans la circonscription de Pontiac.
Par contre, il est difficile de rester indifférent devant ce qu’il qualifie de « pèlerinage gênant » en parlant des plus récentes démarches du gouvernement Trudeau pour assurer un approvisionnement en vaccins suffisant pour l’ensemble du pays.
(April 14th 2021) The rather unusual news spread like wildfire in the evening throughout the media and on social networks: a photo of the liberal MP for Pontiac, naked in his office in the House of Commons. Despite the absurdity of the situation, I do not intend to comment on this event. I agreed to run as a Conservative candidate in order to offer the citizens of Pontiac and the Outaouais a new voice and serious leadership in Ottawa. I remain committed to that goal. What we are most concerned about at this time is defeating the COVID-19 pandemic, getting the region's economy back on its feet and offering all our citizens hope that we can put forward viable solutions for our future.
National day of remembrance for victims of covid 19
There is a growing chorus of voices calling for the preservation of the Alexandra Bridge, a 120-year-old heritage landmark in the Capital Region that is being considered for demolition by the federal government.
