Karen Graham
Jamie Schmale speaks with residents to hear their concerns. Photo: Karen Graham.
The crowd at Sylvia`s last Thursday who joined Conservative Candidate Jamie Schmale’s “Coffee with the Candidate” were for the most part not the undecided voters seeking information on which to base their October 19th decision , but committed Conservative supporters there to show candidate Jamie Schmale they were firmly in his camp. While there were no twenty-year-olds in attendance, there was still a broad demographic represented in the audience. With roughly 30 in attendance, it was a full house and the coffee was on the candidate. It was an intentionally informal affair, and Schmale made no big presentations nor did he appear with an entourage, but was accompanied by one sole campaign volunteer who was in the drivers seat to ensure Schmale remained on schedule.
Many of those in attendance, including Millbrook resident Ross Gillis, were there to communicate their satisfaction with the Conservatives` handling of the economy. Gillis was seeking more of the same from this candidate, wanting the new government to `stay the course`. These voters were focused on what has been accomplished under Harper and they wanted more of the same. With Schmaleès 11 years on the job as the second in command under retiring incumbent Barry Devolin, it seems likely Schmale will do just that.
Others in the room were reacting to the some of the positions expressed by Schmaleès opponents, like small business owner Chris. He took offense at what he interpreted as Trudeau`s inference that small business owners were tax cheats, who were using this legal structure as a way to reduce their tax bill. As a hard-working small business owner himself, he was looking for support for his efforts to create employment for himself and others on staff instead of suspicion. He was also wary of opposition partiesè views on opening the doors for immigration for large numbers of refugees. His own experience of trying to bring his American father-in-law into the country on a permanent basis has been long and exasperating, and he resented the idea of offering others an express route around those who have already invested time and effort working their way through the system.
Among the long-time Conservative supporters was Jim Chaplin, who like others in the room, remains puzzled by the backlash against Harper that is evident in some campaign literature and rhetoric. Chaplin defended Harperès record, explaining that the lack of significant progress during his previous term in office was largely attributed to the opposition parties blocking major legislative changes. He views Harper as an effective leader, and disagrees profoundly with the vilified version of Harper: the dictator.
If the mood at the café seemed upbeat, perhaps the audience was buoyed by recent poll results showing Conservatives gaining ground. In any event, this group has made up their minds and will certainly show up to express their views on October 11th.
