PC Leader David Alward, Riding President Bev Day & Dr. Jim Parrott
About a hundred Progressive Conservative Party supporters showed up at the KBM on Monday, November 16th for the nomination convention for Fundy-River Valley. Only one candidate offered for the position. Retired heart surgeon, Dr. Jim Parrott, announced his intention to run in the 2010 provincial election as the Progressive Conservative candidate almost two weeks before. Parrot was nominated by former MLA, Milt Sherwood. Borden DeLong, a former PC candidate in the riding, seconded the nomination.
Dr. Parrott spoke about growing up on the prairies. He noted it was 20 years to the day that he was first approached in Manitoba to come to Saint John to head up the Provincial Heart Centre. He said it was the best thing he ever did. Wearing jeans, cowboy boots and hat, he told the crowd of supporters he is a ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of guy. Parrott then turned his attention to the Liberal government, criticizing what he called one fiasco after another, from shutting down ferries, to selling NB Power to picking a fight with the provinces doctors. He talked about some of the health care issues facing the province from shortages of doctors and nurses to the departure of the Canadian Blood Services office, which he called a big mistake.
Parrott lives just outside the riding, on the other side of the St. John River in Kars, New Brunswick. He says he looks across at the riding every day from his deck. When he announced his intention to seek the nomination, he said he doesn’t think living outside the riding will have an affect on the campaign.
David Alward, Thomas Patstone (4 years old), Jim Parrott & Milt Sherwood
“Without trepidation and with lots of enthusiasm, I accept this nomination,” Parrot told the crowd to a standing ovation. He showed them the red bandanna he was wearing and said that represents a liberal yoke around his neck that will soon be replaced.
PC Leader, David Alward welcomed Dr. Parrott to the team and talked about the NB Power issue, the river ferries and the parties preparations for the next election.
