Vote for Keith Fountain in Ottawa Centre

People in Ottawa Centre are very lucky. The Conservative candidate, Keith Fountain, has that rare combination of intelligence, experience, and forthrightness. In a certain sense, Keith embodies what I would call ‘urban conservatism’.

First, Keith is libertarian on many issues. He supports same-sex marriage, pure and simple. He is very comfortable around gay people, and his campaign has advertised in Capital Xtra – probably one of the only conservatives in the country to advertise in a gay newspaper. But, this speaks to his ease in working with many people from many different communities – be them Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Gay, etc. I like that.

Part of the reason that Keith is so comfortable with people is that he has extensive experience in living and working overseas. He has lived in Poland, Malaysia and Pakistan, and he opened the Canadian embassy in Afghanistan. This foreign experience means that Keith has a good appreciation of what is good in Canada and what can be improved. He also has some good insights into other cultures. Shouldn’t more candidates for public office have spent some significant amount of time in other countries?

Secondly, Keith has some good ideas on how to make government work a whole lot better than it is now. He wants to bring in more market-based mechanisms to help the environment. He wants to lower taxes across the board, so that people have more choices in their lives. He wants government to tackle real issues – like smog – instead of just talking about (and doing little) about CO2 emissions.

Lastly, Keith is a regular guy. He’s not a lobbyist. He’s not a lawyer. He’s just a guy who has already worked hard for Canada through 15 years experience in the Foreign Service. And, that’s why he’s so comfortable talking to people.

If you’re lucky enough to live in Ottawa Centre, then please vote for Keith. Canada needs more MPs like him, and the Conservative Party can use another bright light in the House.