With the federal election now one week in the rear view mirror, the country is quickly shifting its attention to how newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney will perform in the job voters hired him to do – defending Canadian interests against threats from the U.S. to our economy and to our sovereignty.

This issue was central to the election. In the Pontiac, results of THE EQUITY’s survey on voter priorities indicated tariffs and threats to Canadian sovereignty were third on people’s minds as they headed to the polls, superseded by cost of living and healthcare concerns. How this priority determined results in the Pontiac was similar to results across the country.

Liberal incumbent Sophie Chatel saw a significant surge in support in the Pontiac-Kitigan Zibi riding (up to 54.6 per cent from 43.4 per cent), as did the Conservative Party, this year represented by Brian Nolan (up to 27.5 per cent from 20.6 per cent). The smaller parties, however – the Bloc, the NDP, the Green Party, and the People’s Party – all took serious hits, the latter three losing more than half of their support in this riding.

Elections Canada data on voter results by polling station is not yet available, and likely won’t be for some time. But THE EQUITY checked in with the candidates who didn’t make it to Parliament Hill to hear what they made of these results and what they felt was lost in an election dominated by Donald Trump.

Brian Nolan
Conservative Party

“I knew it was going to be a tight race. What happened is all the NDP and Bloc and Green vote went to the Liberals,” Nolan said. “Our riding actually increased the Conservative vote by quite a bit, it was just not enough to get over the Liberals.”

Nolan said he believes the Pontiac-Kitigan Zibi riding should be slightly redesigned, so voters in the Pontiac aren’t up against the densely populated Chelsea, and Plateau sectors of the riding that have historically voted Liberal.

“The people living there, they’re not represented properly,” he said. “I think another solution is we need to populate the Pontiac and Haute Gatineau so that we gain more voters. Not necessarily as Conservative voters, but more people that can vote.”

Nolan said he would not have done anything differently.

“I traveled the whole riding many times. It’s just that [this election was] bigger than me. It’s the party, it’s the people that reacted to Mr. Carney and Trump. It’s bigger than me,” he said.

“You’ll see us at the next election. If the party wants me, I’ll be there for sure. I joined politics because I wanted to make a change and be present, and I guess it’s just going to have to wait a couple of years.’”

Gilbert Whiteduck
New Democratic Party

“At the end of the day, I wasn’t overly surprised, knowing what the concerns were with the U.S. and tariffs, and being unsure,” Whiteduck said. “I often heard people say, ‘Well I would vote for you, but we have a situation and we want to make sure there’s a strong government in place.”

Whiteduck said he believed he was bringing a different approach to politics, one not determined by the party lines, but by his own values.

“I was running for me. I knew I was tied to a banner, but it was me that was running [ . . . ] I was bringing my experience, I was bringing my teachings as an Algonquin person. [ . . . ] I wanted to bring a civil approach to debates, that it’s not about you as an individual but rather the interest of all citizens,” he said.

“It’s not only about the leader. It can’t be. It’s about you. What are you going to do? What can you do? What can you bring? And not ride on the coattails of the leader. That would never be my approach.”

He pointed to several key issues he believes were drowned out by the noise of the Trump concerns.

“We didn’t talk a whole lot about climate issues, supporting small municipalities in getting ready for climate change. Certainly Indigenous issues were way out there some place. Yes, there was a fair amount spoken about housing, but not with a lot of clear detail of how that would roll out,” he said.

Whiteduck acknowledged part of his challenge was that he was not a familiar face to many in the riding, but said the experience of becoming acquainted with the diversity of communities across the region was rewarding.

“At the end of the day, regardless of what the outcome was, I’m so much richer because of the people I met.”

Claude Bertrand
Green Party

“I think it’s madness, probably a form of masochism,” Bertrand laughed, when asked why he chose to run in a riding where polling was suggesting a Liberal sweep. He said for him, running was a way of getting involved in the community, acting in service to the country.

He said the results of this election offered an important lesson in the harms of our current electoral system.

“First past the post is not a good system. It’s been demonstrated that first past the post unavoidably leads to a two-party system,” he said, pointing to the significant decline in support for the smaller parties, specifically for the NDP, as evidence that the voting system could eventually eliminate perspectives too far left or right of centre.

“So this was a good demonstration here [in Canada]. We’re going to be losing some parties, unless we go through electoral reform.”

He suggested that while some argue a proportional representation system would lead to some controversial or fringe parties winning a seat in the House of Commons, this is democracy by definition.

“You don’t agree with them, but hopefully you’re able, with the power of your words, to convince people that’s not the way to go. But to oppress a small party just because it’s not what you would prefer, that is not a good reason to not go with proportional representation.”

He said as he sees it, the big loser in this election was the environment, pointing to Carney’s cancellation of the consumer carbon tax, which Bertrand described as the one financial incentive that was applied across the country to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as evidence of a lack of concern for climate action.

“It’s something that has no voice, the environment in which we’re living. We’re destroying it happily because of ignorance.”

Todd Hoffman
People’s Party

In a written letter to THE EQUITY, Pontiac’s only local candidate, Todd Hoffman, expressed gratitude to the “676 citizens who voted for their principles on election day.”

“While the final numbers were not what I, and the People’s Party had hoped for, I am grateful for the experience. I am moved by several encounters with supporters from the riding.”

He cited several people he met across the riding who expressed feeling disenfranchised, like their voices were not being heard, and who reminded him of why had decided to run for federal election. Each person, he said, was drawn to the PPC for their own reasons, including everything from support for the easing of interprovincial trade barriers, to concerns for the status of minority anglophone rights in Quebec, to a desire and frustrations with what Hoffman refers to as “the supply management food cartel.”

“I am very grateful to have had these, and other, conversations – it made me aware of how well the PPC platform resonates with voters in the Pontiac,” Hoffman wrote.

“However, I (like many others) was saddened that many voters were swayed by slogans, divisive rhetoric and fear. The PPC has always promoted sensible policies, like wanting to control mass immigration, tear down interprovincial trade barriers, or stop food producers from wasting food just to inflate grocery bills. We have never forsaken our principles for political gain.”

He said he was under no illusions as to his chances of winning, and that he will continue to work for the Pontiac.

“We will always be adding to the conversation, and always challenging the status quo because we want to help Canadians and we are not afraid to challenge the system [ . . . ] Thank you for the memories and support, and for showing me how important it is to keep working.”