Allyson Beauregard
Allyson Beauregard
PONTIAC – Members of the Liberal Party of Canada in the riding of Pontiac chose Will Amos (photo) as their candidate for the 2015 federal election. With over 1,100 ballots cast at voting stations in Bristol, Kazabazua and Gatineau on October 25, Amos won a first ballot majority in the five candidate race. Amos is one of Canada’s leading legal experts in environmental and natural resource law. He is a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa and litigates with a national environmental charity.
“It was a privilege to compete in the Pontiac nomination. Every contestant worked hard to grow the Liberal base in this great riding and our campaign will build upon their tremendous efforts to pave the way for Liberal success in 2015,” said Amos.
“I’ve always felt that public service is the highest calling: to stand up for the little guy, to fight against injustice, to protect our most vulnerable, and to create job opportunities. At the end of the day, this is what it takes to build stronger Pontiac communities,” he continued.
Amos believes two factors led to his win. “I ran a campaign in every corner of the riding and had a strong presence; we left out no terrain. Every nomination campaign is about electability; every member joined the Liberal party wanting them to win the next election, which is in the back of their mind as they choose their candidate. It’s my sense that, given this was a first ballot majority with a very clear victory, the membership felt I had the greatest potential to help Justin Trudeau win in 2015,” he explained.
Although Amos explained it’s too early to divulge any specific details about his platform for the 2015 elections, he said his next steps will be directed towards getting ready. “We will have regional meetings concerning election readiness and our plan is to build our team. I have reached out to all the different candidates with a goal of building an even stronger organization than the one that lead to our nomination win,” he explained, noting he intends to be present in much the same way as during his nomination campaign.
“Every voice deserves to be heard. The only way you succeed in forming the next government is by listening to people, and the only way you can listen to people is by knocking on doors and being in the community,” he added.
Also, Amos said he intends on continuing to promote respectable dialogue between himself and other candidates in the upcoming campaign. “People are looking for less aggressive partisanship and a more respectable dialogue where candidates treat each other as adults and with respect. They want their candidates to take the high road, which is what I want to continue to do.”