BEAVER BANK: Kevin Copley’s surge to being the Conservative candidate for the upcoming federal election in Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook is not exactly what the Beaver Bank father of three had planned.
Copley simply signed up to be a member of the party, led by Andrew Scheer, because he was disappointed “with the direction Canada was headed under the current government.” He joined the federal Conservatives two years into the mandate just to help out.
“Once I started going to our local riding association meetings, meeting people who were of the same opinion,” said Copley in an interview at Good Day Cafe. “A group of them said they would support me if I put my name forward.
“After a lot of encouragement from this group of people, and with the support of my wife, I decided I would seek the nomination for the riding.”
At the nomination meeting, Copley was selected as the winner after a tie-breaker.
He said if elected, he sees challenges faces the riding the same way he looks at any riding across the country.
“It’s more of a holistic view of what’s happening in Canada,” he said. “It starts from looking at the 2015 election and looking at the promises made then.
“This Liberal government is a government that promised everything and the kitchen sink to Canadians. They haven’t been able to deliver on many of those promises. There’s some pretty big misses.”
Copley said Canadians expect politicians to own up to promises they make, and the Trudeau government hasn’t done that.
He said a Conservative government can really bring life back to the riding of Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook if elected in October.
“I believe our party can bring Canada back to balance, and ending that constant cycle of promising everyone the world and not delivering on those promises,” said Copley, who came a distant third to Lisa Blackburn in the 2016 HRM municipal election. “
What are Copley’s top three issues in the riding? High taxes and decreasing those to make life more affordable for Canadians; look at and work with municipal and provincial governments to invest in infrastructure like mass transit opportunities; and the fisheries.
Copley said the Liberals are trying to use something they can campaign on because they can’t stand on their own record, so they’re trying to paint Scheer as bad for Canada.
“As an election tactic they will start to sow fear and doubt in Canadians minds and hope they will buy into it,” he said. “Andrew Scheer is a young fella just like me. We both have a lot of skin in the game and want a strong future for our children in Canada.”
He has been going door-to-door through the riding and is hearing a lot of feedback from those he’s meeting.
“It has been great feedback from those I am talking with,” said Copley. “People are open to hear from me. There’s many that aren’t sure how they’re going to vote come October.”
