Pubdate: Thu, 22 Oct 2015
Source: Creston Valley Advance (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Black Press
Contact:  http://www.mapinc.org/media/1413
Author: Will Johnson

'LINE UP, POT'S LEGAL!'

Kootenay-Columbia Liberal candidate Don Johnston spent Monday evening
in the basement of the Hume Hotel in Nelson, surrounded by a
smattering of supporters, watching television while election results
rolled in from across the country. The moment Justin Trudeau was
announced as the next prime minister of Canada, the Nelson native
pumped his fists in the air and cheered: "Line up, pot's legal!"

"I'm feeling absolutely blown away and happy," a tearful Johnston told
the Star. "I got my Canada back. When I did my nomination speech in
this very hotel the title was 'I want my Canada back' and I'm so happy
to have my Canada back. The possibilities are limitless and for the
last nine years we've done nothing but limit them. It's so nice to be
free of that weight."

He said he's excited Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been
defeated.

"Justin [Trudeau] ran an amazing campaign, he's put together an
amazing team, and he's definitely ready. That question is dead and
gone. To see this? This is so good for Canada and so exciting. We've
all heard there's no way a Liberal can win in this riding, but our
first hope and goal tonight was to have a Liberal government, and now
we know we're going to have that."

Local supporter Cheryl Elliott was effusive as well.

"We were all holding our breath, and as soon as the results started
coming in from the Maritimes we realized the best possible scenario
was starting to happen," she said. "I think Justin will be an amazing
prime minister. He has a lot to learn but he will surround himself
with very smart people, and if he doesn't know something he'll ask for
advice. He's got a coalition of really bright people guiding him."

Johnston's communications director, Brian May, was surprised by the
results.

"I didn't expect this. I don't trust the polls, but people are
obviously starting to hear our positive message. Justin stayed on
message the whole way through the campaign, he never went negative,
and we ran things the same way here."

Addressing Johnston's pot proclamation, May said: "Our policy is
legalization, the NDP's is decriminalization. There's a big
difference. Legalization means putting controls on it, putting
controls on the kids and controls on the gangs and taking control of
the situation."

He said NDP leader Thomas Mulcair's dismissive comment about Trudeau's
marijuana-smoking past during a debate was "immature" and showed how
out of touch the NDP leader is with young voters. He also criticized
the local NDP campaign, which he called "a campaign of fear."

"They said 'I'm the only one who can beat Harper,' and that just
wasn't true."

May said there were plenty of disenfranchised Conservative voters
elsewhere in the riding who would never vote for Green or NDP - a fact
he feels some overlooked.

Liberal riding association vice president Reggie Goldsbury, who
celebrated with his wife Xyiah, told the Star transparency was the
most important issue for him in this election, and said seeing Trudeau
elected gives him hope.

"As a young person - I'm 25 - I want to know what my government is
responsible for. There's been this shroud of secrecy and we've had no
say, the people of Canada, and that's why I'm happy to be supporting
the Liberal Party."

Former Nelson Mayor Dave Elliot was also there to support Johnston,
and said the Liberals are gathering political strength in the
Kootenays. "I have a sense we've come a long way and Nelson will start
to open their eyes to the Liberals. Most people are pretty unhappy
with the Conservatives, and I think the main thrust of this election
was 'anyone but Harper'."

And though he wasn't successful this election - Johnston is poised to
finish third, behind the Conservatives and NDP - Johnston was still
elated to spend the night in Spiritbar.

"We chose the Hume because I'm a local boy. I grew up here, more
downstairs than upstairs, and to me the Martins are the epitome of the
small town entrepreneur and concerned corporate citizen. They're a lot
more than business people - they're Nelsonites through and through.
There's no better place."

May said he believes the election's results show a "generational
shift."

"This means a lot of 24-year-olds, 35-year-olds, they got out and made
a vote. They got committed, and if they got committed this time it
means they're going to be committed next time. Trudeau shows that
generational change. Here's a 43-year-old winning the election with a
great team behind him."

Johnston feels proud.

"We're proud of the campaign we ran and we're proud of the way we did
it."
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MAP posted-by: Matt