Paul d’Orsonnens is the Conservative Party of Canada candidate for Ottawa Centre running on “common sense change” during this federal election.
D’Orsonnens served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 35 years and held many leadership positions while deployed to Congo, Rwanda, Mali, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Ukraine. This is d’Orsonnens’s first time running for office.
“I firmly believe in the mantra “Service Before Self” and want to bring these decades of experience to the service of my country as the next Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre,” d’Orsonnens said in an April 1 email statement sent by his campaign team to the Charlatan.
The Charlatan made multiple attempts to secure an interview with d’Orsonnens, but requests were denied and comment was directed to his campaign team.
On April 1, d’Orsonnens’s campaign team emailed the Charlatan a letter attributed to d’Orsonnens discussing his platform points on affordability, housing, city life and safety and tariffs.
Affordability
D’Orsonnens’s plan for tackling affordability is to “reduce taxes and lower the cost of living,” according to his website.
“Enough is enough – rising costs and failed policies. The Liberals and NDP have held this seat for over 50 years. More of the same isn’t working,” d’Orsonnens said in a press release on March 24.
D’Orsonnens plans to prioritize economic growth and productivity. According to his website, he promises to strengthen the economy by supporting small businesses and removing investment barriers, which are restrictions that slow or stop businesses and people from investing in certain assets.
Barriers can range from financial, legal or regulatory. D’Orsonnens did not specify which ones he would focus on.
D’Orsonnens “shares common sense conservative values of sound public policy and careful spending of taxpayer dollars,” his website states.
Housing
Housing affordability is one of d’Orsonnens’s main priorities during his campaign. “We cannot afford inefficient programs and regulations that block the development of new housing,” he said in the emailed statement.
“It’s critical that we work with the City of Ottawa to cut through red tape, streamline development processes, and encourage innovative solutions to make housing more affordable and accessible for all,” the email statement said.
The statement also said addressing housing affordability is important for students finding housing close to their university campus at a reasonable price.
City life and safety
D’Orsonnens has lived in Ottawa since 2013 and said he’s watched as the city’s health and downtown core “declined.”
He promises to work with all levels of government to create a shared vision and clear “actionable plan” to revitalize downtown, according to the emailed statement.
Increasing safety on Ottawa streets is also a major priority for d’Orsonnens. “A Conservative government will focus on reducing crime, ending the revolving door bail system,” d’Orsonnens said in the emailed statement.
D’Orsonnens’s statement said a Conservative government will achieve this by empowering police to use stricter penalties and “take on criminal organizations.”
Tariffs
D’Orsonnens said a Conservative government will have a “Canada First” approach toward the economy and national security.
This includes breaking down provincial trade barriers, investment in critical infrastructure like roads and ports, and maximizing the benefit of extraction and processing of our natural resources for Canadians, according to his campaign team’s statement.
“Our energy resources are in demand globally, and we must ensure we get full market value for them.”
For more information on d’Orsonnens, visit his campaign page.
Featured image courtesy of Gyasi Swann.
