I’d like to congratulate Mr. Blair MacLean for his victory on nomination night. I was very encouraged by the turnout to both the leadership vote and the nomination vote. As Conservatives, we’re back. We had some Liberal malcontents (now proud Conservatives) at the nomination as well! I’ll be posting more thoughts on tonight when I’m not so exhausted.
This was my speech on nomination night. Some of you who couldn’t attend have asked for a transcript of it. So here it is.
First of all, I’d like to thank Lou Grimshaw, our riding president for his kind words and I’d like to thank all of you for attending this evening. Our choice this evening is not one that is difficult; after all we will be choosing a conservative tonight.
Indeed, as Conservatives we choose professionals over patronage, values over vitriol, and constituents over corruption. I stand before you tonight, proud to be a Conservative.
My name is Stephen Taylor and I am seeking your vote tonight so that I may represent you on the next federal ballot. I have been a resident of Kingston for five years and my family has been shaped by this city over three generations. My grandfather came to Kingston as a student and then left as an officer who fought in the second world war for King and country. His commitment to Canada serves as a source of my inspiration as I too want to provide service to this country that I love. I have never experienced the tragedy of war and I am thankful for his service to Canada.
It was in that war, that Canada strengthened its alliance and its friendship with our two historical allies, the United States and Great Britain. It was after this war that Canada took a great role in lending its wisdom to the international community and it is now, after 11 years of wasteful and inappropriate Liberal governance that Canada has all but lost its face and its guidance among our greatest allies and friends. Kingston has had a proud military tradition and I want to fight to restore this pride.
As a biochemist from Queen’s University, I have had the opportunity to work and learn from a challenging field based on developing innovative ways to solve problems. My recent work has ranged from investigating the causes of drug resistance in the treatment of malaria to my work in developing gene therapies for the treatment of prostate cancer.
In the wake of the sordid corruption of the governing Liberals I have had the opportunity of speaking with John Williams, the Conservative Member of Parliament for St. Albert and the chair of the House of Commons Committee on public accounts. The same day that he grilled Alphonso Gagliano for his role in the Liberal Sponsorship Scandal, John and I had a conversation surrounding our mutual concern for government accountability and honesty. Upon informing him of my intentions to seek this nomination and to stand before you all tonight, the honorable Mr. Williams did say that “I could tell the good people of Kingston and the Islands that Kingston will finally have a Conservative voice in Stephen Taylor.” John informed me that I could call him anytime to arrange for his visit to Kingston to help me campaign on a platform of government responsibility. After all as I’m sure you’ll agree, as Conservatives we are responsible people.
John Williams is not the only prominent conservative to lend his endorsement. Jason Kenney, Conservative Member of Parliament for Calgary South-East has kindly endorsed my campaign to be your representative. Jim Flaherty, member of Ontario Parliament and former Ontario PC leadership candidate, has also given me his kind words. I also find the guidance of Rahim Jaffer, Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Strathcona, particularly heartening as he too ran as a young candidate and then became one of this country’s youngest MPs in history at age 25.
I am a younger candidate, yet I believe that this is an asset. My bid for nomination started six months ago after the formation of our new party and after a discussion with Peter MacKay. As a young candidate my nomination would bring national media attention upon Conservatives in Kingston and the Islands and upon our party as the NEW team, the NEW Conservatives and the NEW government.
As I’ve said many Conservatives have already joined my team.
I ask today that you join my team; I ask that you join OUR team.
We’re already calling it the “Blue Wave Campaign” and we will give Kingston the Conservatism it desires, we will give Ontario the Conservatism it wants and the Blue Wave will wash over all of Canada, sweeping out all of the sordid Grit with it. My name is Stephen Taylor, let’s get our campaign started right now!
Thank you
Adscam whistleblower and Public Works official Allan Cutler tabled many documents in his testimony to the Committee of Public Accounts on March 11th. Among those documents is a memo dated January 26th, 1996 where he questions a $909,000 amendment to a department of finance contract with Groupe Everest. In his memo, he writes “Groupe Everest will presumably obtain a commission on the sub-contract without having done any work.”