TORONTO – While few can say for sure when the next election might be, the Conservative Party of Canada announced today in Toronto, that Peter Kent, former CBC and Global TV news anchor and foreign correspondent, will be their candidate for the riding of St. Paul’s in the next federal election.
Conservative leader Stephen Harper welcomed Kent to the Conservative Party family today at a Toronto gathering, and Stephen Snell, the riding association’s president, said, “Conservative party members in St. Paul’s and across the Greater Toronto Area are excited by Mr. Kent’s decision to support Mr. Harper and the Conservative Party team. We couldn’t have asked for a better candidate. We are honoured to have him and we are election-ready.”
“Paul Martin’s diminished moral authority at home is diminishing this country’s moral authority abroad, which has economic ramifications as Canada’s reputation slips deeper into international disrepute,” said Kent in a statement. “The Prime Minister’s recent announcements are largely cut-and-paste reiterations of empty promises from last year’s campaign, and repackaged announcements made years ago. Other Martin announcements, like the pledge to re-unite immigrant families, should have been a priority when he first became Prime Minister, yet he waits until times are desperate for his party to even consider this important issue. Another year in limbo with a government that sees power as an end, rather than a means, is unacceptable. Canada needs new and competent government now.”
Peter Kent is a member of the Canadian Broadcasting Hall of Fame and the recipient of various ACTRA Awards in Canada. He is also the winner of the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Award that was bestowed on him for a series on U.S. inner city issues. Kent was also nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work with NBC News.
With 40 years of experience in the field, he’s covered major international events in all parts of the world including, as NBC TV’s Senior European correspondent, the Cold War from both sides of the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall. He also covered the final months of the wars in Cambodia and Vietnam and the U.S. evacuation of Phnom Penh and Saigon, the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, as well as major news events in South America, the Middle East and Africa. Kent has reported on many domestic stories over the years, including provincial and federal elections.
In the late 1970’s, he became the first journalist to anchor the National News on the CBC television network and has worked with CTV, Global Television, CBC, NBC, and Monitor Television in the U.S. In 1981 Kent helped to start up CBC’s current affairs magazine show, "The Journal" as a founding producer. He spent the next three years with "The Journal" anchoring, producing, writing and reporting.
The central Toronto riding of St. Paul’s has long been see as a “riding to watch” during election time as it represents a cross section of urban Toronto, says the Conservative Party. Deemed a “swing” riding, it often goes the way of the victorious party and has been represented by prominent Conservative cabinet ministers Barbara McDougall and Ron Atkey, and Speaker of the House and Governor General Roland Michener.
The riding’s current MP is Liberal Carolyn Bennett, who has held the seat since 1997.
