Conservative, Pontiac

David Blackburn

Why are you running?

I entered federal politics to improve the structures in place at Veterans Affairs Canada and to build greater and better recognition of the sacrifices of our Veterans and families for our country. I want to become the MP who will be the Canadian Champion for Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Veterans, Active Service Members and their families. I have the expertise, the field experience and the professional and academic qualifications to carry out this mission. 

What is your full-time job?

First, I am a father of two young boys, 5 years old and 3 years old. The boys play a lot of sports (hockey, tennis, skating and sportball) so my wife and I are often racing from one arena to another. 

I am an associate professor at the Université du Québec en Outaouais and a researcher in the field of mental health for veterans, active duty members and their families. For the past year, I’ve been on sabbatical concentrating on two major research projects and writing reports.

What are your passions in work and in life? (Volunteerism, sport, art, etc.)

I can say that I enjoy challenging myself and putting in the effort to achieve what I set out to do. That is what leads me to try my luck in federal politics, because I want to become the champion of all MPs for the cause of veterans, RCMP retirees and their families.

In my personal life, I focus on time with my spouse and children. Family is very important to me and it will always come first. 

At the community level, I am a member of the executive committee of a non-profit organization that trains service dogs for veterans who have an operational stress injury. I write opinion pieces for a military newspaper called 45North.ca. I am a member of the Royal Canadian Legion and I contribute annually to the Poppy Campaign.

What would your priorities be in the short and long term if you are elected?

I was appointed as the Conservative candidate for Pontiac on August 3, 2018. I wanted to be in the field at least a year before the election. During my meetings with the vast majority of municipalities in the riding of Pontiac, I took over 250 pages of notes and began to analyze the data collected. I have been able to draw up a 2019 to 2023 Mandate Plan that includes 46 local and national issues. 

In the rural part of the riding, the economy and the development of infrastructure are my two priorities. The lack of infrastructure needed to attract entrepreneurs and families is an urgent problem in the Pontiac and a major task in the way of developing commercial markets.

We are a few kilometres from the national capital, but many areas of our riding do not have access to high-speed Internet and reliable cellular coverage. 

Interprovincial free markets are also needed for the Pontiac. We must promote green public transit as well as quickly find solutions to the Phoenix pay system, repatriate Public Service of Canada jobs in our riding of Pontiac, which will also help with mobility issues, and work to protect and preserve our environment, the Boucher Forest and Gatineau Park as prime examples.