Quinte News, in conjunction with the Lorne Brooker Show, have been interviewing the candidates for the April 28 federal election.
The Brooker Show has/is chatting with all Conservative, NDP, Green, and Liberal candidates in the ridings of Hastings-Lennox and Addington-Tyendinaga and Bay of Quinte.
Quinte News made west to Cobourg last week, to sit down with Liberal John Goheen and incumbent Conservative Philip Lawrence.
Polling site 338 Canada has the riding of Northumberland-Clarke as a single digit lead for Lawrence, however just months ago, it was seen as a slam dunk blue riding.
The resignation of Justin Trudeau, combined with tariffs, and the current American President, it appears the Grits are now surging.
John Goheen is a 51-year-old is a married (wife Dani) father of three boys (14,11,8).
They live in Grafton and he is a Principal at Hillcrest Public School in Campbellford.
We asked him his thoughts on the surge of the Liberals in the past few weeks
Audio Player“Think a big piece of that is the Trump effect. People are concerned about Donald Trump, people are concerned about our neighbour to the south. We’ve had a great trading relationship, a great financial relationship and we tied ourselves really closely to that. That relationship’s not so great anymore.”
He adds a large polling increase appears to be party leader Mark Carney.
Audio Player“People feel very confident and comfortable with Mark, that’s his financial background, his financial experience, is really going to be the key part to help guide us through all the uncertainty down there. Mark guided us through 2008, the financial crises here in Canada.”
There is a balance that needs to be struck when you are a candidate.
You have to represent everyone in you riding, while following the guidance and policies of the party, and listenning to your personal convictions.
Goheen says everything does not always line up
Audio Player“When I look through policies, I look how it will impact us here in this riding. I have in my role as a principal, actually taken on an advocacy role. I’ve been elected to represent us at the provincial level, at a provincial body. So I’m very used to advocating both locally, within my school board, and provincially to help to ensure that principals voices are heard.”
He says he has loves going door to door to listen to what people have to say.
