Move aside Philadelphia, Queen's Park could be the next top spot for brotherly love.

That's if the New Democrats' Claude Bisson — the first potential contender in the upcoming Ottawa-Vanier byelection race — joins his brother New Democrat MPP Gilles Bisson at the Ontario legislature.

NDP MPP Gilles Bisson (left) could be joined at Queen's Park by his brother Claude / Facebook

New Democrat MPP Gilles Bisson, left, could be joined at Queen's Park by his brother Claude / Facebook

"Can you imagine having the two of us in the legislature?" Claude Bisson said and laughed.

"One day Gilles and I were talking and I went, 'If I don’t agree with what's going on and I want to make a change then how do you do it?' He said get involved. So that’s really the bottom line . . . I want to do it to see if I can make a difference, and for the community as well," said the former RCMP executive, who retired four years ago after a three-decade career.

The Ottawa-Vanier seat became vacant when former attorney general Madeleine Meilleur officially stepped down last week. Bisson called her resignation a loss for the Ontario Liberals.

"She is a real classy lady," he said, adding, "I completely respect what (she's) done, but, like I say — I could probably do a better job."

As for Meilleur's party, Bisson is less enthused.

"I don’t like what they're doing with Ontario hydro. I don’t like the idea of the fundraising (reform) that they’ve done, which borders on the illegal. So those are issues that are close to me but it's not something I'm going to make a big deal about. What they do, they do, and they can answer for themselves."

Of particular concern for Bisson is provincial funding to boost business development in the riding and to shore up the ones that are already there, and struggling. He is also hoping to create more employment opportunities, and address high interest rates, particularly those charged by "pay day" places that cash cheques.

He said he met with the former NDP federal candidate Emilie Taman last night, who offered him hope that the longtime Liberal riding (Meilleur's since 2003) might fly the orange banner.

"(Taman) did quite well (federally). To me, it rings that the community is willing to look for change, to look for something different. I don’t think there's a real love fest on right now with the provincial Liberal government . . . So I think we have a fair-to-middling chance to pull it off."

So far, Bisson is the only official contestant for Ottawa-Vanier. The NDP is vetting other potential candidates, in the hopes of a contested race. Meilleur's choice heir, Ottawa city Councillor Mathieu Fleury, declined the throne. A spokeswoman for the Progressive Conservatives said she had "no information to share yet."

A byelection must be called six months from June, but a date has yet to be set. Rumour has it the government will run the Ottawa-Vanier byelection at about the same time as the one for Scarborough—Rouge River, which must be called by September.

To contact the reporter on this story:
snanji@qpbriefing.com
416-212-5789

Claude Bisson, brother of Gilles, throws first hat into Ottawa-Vanier byelection ring

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