There are officially seven names on the ballot in the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell for the September 20 federal election. 

Brennan Austring is the candidate for the People’s Party of Canada (PPC), led by Maxime Bernier.

A resident of the Hawkesbury area for 13 years, Austring works in the aerospace industry, has a spouse of 21 years, and four children. He is described as a “proud blue-collar worker,” who has been involved with coaching and fundraising for minor hockey. 

The PPC platform includes the abolition of supply management in agriculture, reduced immigration, and smaller government. In the current election campaign, it has taken a stand against many COVID-19-related measures, and rejects what it calls “climate alarmism”, as a response to issues involving the environment and climate change. 

Defending its concept of personal freedom is a major component of all PPC policies. In the 2019 federal election, the PPC received 1,174 votes or 1.78 per cent of the popular vote under then-candidate Jean-Jacques Desgranges. To reach the Brennan Austring campaign, go to https://www.peoplespartyofcanada.ca/brennan_austring .

The Parti Libre Canada (Free Party of Canada) has a mixture of policies which include helping Canadians to become free, sovereign, and self-reliant. The party proposes free education, development of renewable energy, and improved infrastructure. Marc Bisaillon is the Free Party’s nominated candidate in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell. The Marc Bisaillon campaign website is https://partilibrecanada.org/candidate/?region_id=35031 .

Incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) Francis Drouin is the Liberal Party of Canada candidate.

Drouin was first elected as the MP for the riding in 2015 and is aiming to make this his third election win. Drouin has been a highly visible MP in the past six years at the constituency level, responding to resident needs and attending community events. He has always contended that helping people is his greatest priority. 

In addition to defending his record as an MP for the past six years, Drouin is also in the position of defending the record of the Liberal party and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Priorities in the Liberal platform this election is Finishing the Fight Against COVID-19, Building a Better Canada for Everyone, A More Resilient Economy, An Equal Canada for Everyone, A Cleaner, Greener Future, Moving Forward on Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, A Stronger Canada, and A Plan for Fairness and Growth. The website for the Francis Drouin campaign is https://francisdrouin.liberal.ca/en/ .

In the 2019 federal election, Drouin won with 31,293 votes, or 47.56 per cent of the popular vote. 

The riding’s Green Party of Canada candidate is Daniel Lapierre of L’Orignal.

Lapierre has a strong commitment to evidence-based science and concern for climate change issues. He has a physics degree from the University of Ottawa and works in the electric transformer industry. He has recently organized a concert to raise funds for Action Champlain’s effort to stop the construction of a cement plant near L’Orignal.

Lapierre has also volunteered as a coach and organizer for his children’s minor hockey, baseball, and soccer teams.  To find out more about Daniel Lapierre’s campaign, go to https://www.greenparty.ca/en/riding/2013-35031 .

The 2021 election is the second attempt at federal politics for New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate Konstantine Malakos.

Before the campaign officially began in August, Malakos established himself as a critic of the proposed Colacem cement plant near L’Orignal and organized the August 17 demonstration in front of the site. Malakos has said repeatedly that if elected, he will ask the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to halt the project because of concerns the cement plant could harm the Ottawa River and its tributaries. He also has contended that water contamination from the plant could affect the Kanesetake Mohawk nation near Oka, which justifies federal intervention to stop the plant from being built. 

Malakos has been described as a community builder and human rights activist. A major influence on his activism and politics comes from growing up in Peterborough, Ontario, where his parents owned a pizzeria and he saw the economic challenges people faced in the community. 

In the 2019 election, Malakos received 6,851 votes, which was 10.41 per cent of the popular vote. More information on the Malakos campaign is available at https://www.konstantinemalakos.ca/ .

Susan McArthur is the Conservative Party of Canada candidate in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell. So far in the campaign, the biggest challenge for McArthur has been defending the circumstances of her nomination. She was appointed by the party after former MP Pierre Lemieux was denied the chance to run again by the party. 

McArthur has 35 years of business experience in the finance, real estate technology, and insurance sectors. She has served on the boards of various publicly traded companies and is a past chair of the Canada Revenue Agency Board of Management. 

The Conservatives, with Lemieux as their candidate, received 23,660 votes and 35.96 per cent of the popular vote in the 2019 federal election. 

The Susan McArthur campaign website is https://susanmcarthur.ca/.

An independent candidate not aligned with any political party is on the ballot in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell this federal election. The candidate’s name is listed only as The Joker.