City council candidate jumps into federal race in London-North-Centre Tue, October 24, 2006 By CHIP MARTIN, FREE PRESS POLITICS REPORTER

A candidate for city council has jumped into the London-North-Centre byelection campaign.

Steve Hunter will contest the Nov. 27 vote for the Progressive Canadian party, party president Tracy Parsons said yesterday.

Hunter, a carpenter, is already registered as a candidate for council in Ward 11.

Hunter ran for the Progressive Canadians in London West in the 2004 and 2006 federal general elections, drawing 511 votes and 328 votes, respectively.

He said he will focus his efforts on the federal riding and is unable to withdraw his name from the municipal ballot.

"We have an opportunity to make a good splash," said Hunter of the party formed by members of the former Progressive Conservative party, upset at the takeover of their party by socially conservative members of the former Reform and Canadian Alliance parties.

"I have personality," said Hunter.

"Personality is going to be needed to override the other candidates who have name recognition," he said, referring to Conservative Dianne Haskett and Green party Leader Elizabeth May.

Parsons said she and other Progressive Canadians see the byelection as important because Haskett's supporters have backgrounds in the Reform and Alliance parties and Haskett herself is too conservative on social issues.

"The lady from Washington is a huge reason" for her party's interest in the byelection, Parsons said. It was a reference to Haskett racing back from Washington a week ago to announce she's seeking the Conservative nomination. The former mayor had been in the U.S. capital since 2000, when she left office as London mayor.

"We will continue to fight for Canada's social safety net," said Parsons, a Nova Scotian. She predicted the well-spoken Hunter will have "lots of appeal" to students at the University of Western Ontario.

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