Alan Riddell
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Alan Riddell is a Canadian lawyer who ran in the riding of Ottawa South in for the Conservative Party of Canada in the 2004 Canadian election.
Riddell attended Lisgar Collegiate Institute and has a law degree from the University of Toronto. As a young graduate he worked in the office of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
Riddell ran against two star opponents. David McGuinty of the Liberal Party of Canada is the brother of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and the son of a former MP of Ottawa South. The NDP candidate was Monia Mazigh, best known as being the wife of the unjustly imprisoned Maher Arar and for her tireless campaign to free him. Despite this Riddell was viewed as having a good chance to win in the traditionally Liberal riding.
During the mid-pont of the campaign the backlash against the provincial budget and the general increase in Conservative support lead many to believe that Riddell could win the riding in an upset, and he led in the polls- albeit just barely. His dreams of victory were destroyed, however, when it was asserted that he had been driving with a suspended driver's license undermining his campaign which had been based on integrity and honesty. Riddell first denied the story and then apologized saying "I made a mistake. I shouldn't have done that. That was not conduct that was appropriate for someone who is seeking public office." He ended up losing to McGuinty by over 5,000 votes. However in November of that year the Ottawa Sun published a retraction after it was discovered that in fact he had paid the fine and his license was reinstated prior to his journey. Thus Riddell was not actually driving on a suspended license. The generally conservative Sun stated that it regretted "the resulting prejudice to his campaign."
He hoped to run again in Ottawa South in the next federal election but his nomination was blocked by the Conservative Party, due to an incident when he was 17. Former MP Barry Turner would win the nomination instead. Riddell supporters vowed to not vote for the Conservatives in the election.
External links
- Official Site (http://www.alanriddell.com/riddell.htm)
References
- Eaves, Sutton "Riddell feels voters' wrath for driving while suspended" Ottawa Citizen. June 21, 2004. pg. A.7
- "Retraction:Re Alan Riddell." The Ottawa Sun. November 28, 2004.