Photo by Whitehorse Star
Jonas Smith
Conservative candidate names campaign manager
Jonas Smith, the territory’s Conservative Party candidate for the 2019 federal election, has a campaign manager.
Jonas Smith, the territory’s Conservative Party candidate for the 2019 federal election, has a campaign manager.
Linda Benoit will fill the role, Smith said Wednesday.
Benoit, 37 and born and raised in Faro, has lived in Whitehorse for most of her adult life.
She is currently the office manager for Kluane Drilling Ltd and was previously the director of Property Management for Northern Vision Development LP.
An active community member, Benoit serves on multiple volunteer boards. Those include Yukon Women in Trades and Technology, the Youth of Today Society and the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 254, Ladies Auxiliary.
Benoit and Smith worked together on the Yukon Party executive dating back to 2010, including on the successful 2011 territorial campaign and then in former premier Darrell Pasloski’s office.
“I could not be more delighted to have Linda providing leadership for our campaign team as we ready ourselves for the next federal election,” said Smith.
“Her demonstrated campaign success, incredible experience, knowledge and commitment to the Yukon greatly benefit our efforts and strengthen the team.”
“I am honoured and excited to work with Jonas and the team to help ensure a Conservative Party of Canada victory for the Yukon,” said Benoit.
“Jonas has proven himself to be bright, diligent and dedicated to Yukoners and their interests in all the time that I’ve known him.”
Incumbent Liberal MP Larry Bagnell has said he’ll likely run again, but hasn’t made a definitive announcement.
No one has publicly emerged as a potential NDP or Green Party candidate.
The 43rd Canadian federal election is scheduled to take place on or before Oct. 21, 2019.
Though date is determined by the fixed-date procedures in the Canada Elections Act, the Governor General of Canada may issue the writs of election at an earlier date.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau firmly ruled out a spring 2019 election.
Add your comments or reply via Twitter @whitehorsestar
In order to encourage thoughtful and responsible discussion, website comments will not be visible until a moderator approves them. Please add comments judiciously and refrain from maligning any individual or institution. Read about our user comment and privacy policies.
Your name and email address are required before your comment is posted. Otherwise, your comment will not be posted.
Comments (22)
Up 4 Down 5
tagish resident on Dec 6, 2018 at 4:52 pm
He's got my vote!
Up 15 Down 3
Just Sayin' on Dec 5, 2018 at 2:19 pm
Linda should have run
Up 25 Down 6
Wayoutwest on Dec 5, 2018 at 6:23 am
Does this guy have an actual Job?
Up 3 Down 12
Confirmation Bias on Dec 4, 2018 at 8:44 pm
@ Yukoner - So you’re saying that he has experience managing Capital projects? Is that not a good thing?
Up 12 Down 5
Ginger Johnson on Dec 3, 2018 at 4:20 pm
Help Us Obi Max Bernobi !
You're our only hope !
Up 13 Down 0
Resident on Dec 3, 2018 at 1:50 pm
@EJ: It means government small enough to fit right up in your private affairs.
Up 40 Down 8
Bob Ablanalp on Dec 3, 2018 at 10:27 am
Having just read the article it sure seems that Linda Benoit would be a
much better candidate.
You know - someone who has actually DONE something.
Why didn't you run, Linda ?
A female Conservative candidate in The Yukon is long overdue.
Up 36 Down 17
yukoner on Dec 3, 2018 at 7:47 am
So Jonas has:
Run a bar (capital)
Ran Pasloskis campaign
Was Pasloskis EA
Got the golden parachute after the YPs defeat into the KPA
This is what's he's done, but where is the experience that would qualify him to be our MP? This reads as another Ryan Leef.
All his government experience has been politically driven rather than service driven.
I don't care what their political stripes are, just give me someone who has: government experience (no, being an EA doesn't count), a proven track record of working for all Yukoners, has a diverse background, and is not a one trick pony. It's a tall order, but being our MP is not an entry level position.
Up 17 Down 31
Clark Griswold on Dec 2, 2018 at 5:53 pm
@ You - This years Yukon bonus is a politician the caliber of Jonas.
Tired of being the Territory represented by a ne’er do well
Time to retire that Larry Bagnell
Looking forward to less confusing times?
Jonas will bring the reason and the rhymes to rid the Territory of those liberal slimes...
Hope renewed, sanity construed, Jonas has the winner’s attitude!
Go Yukon, go Yukon, it’s your birthday, it’s your birthday, go Yukon!
Up 37 Down 15
Fred Norris on Dec 1, 2018 at 10:22 pm
Surprise, Surprise! Another member of the Pasloski/Lang political complex. Too late though, had she run, Linda would have had a better chance at getting elected than Jonas ever will.
Up 29 Down 16
Dean LaRue on Dec 1, 2018 at 3:21 pm
Most Yukoners are very smart about analyzing national and local politics and who our one MP might be.
We don't need this wall of blather months before an election is even called.
Up 30 Down 26
Allan Stanley on Dec 1, 2018 at 10:14 am
How pathetic does one have to be to start begging for a job 11 months before it might become available ?
I for one hope that "Socialist Girl" returns and gets rid of some of Smith's garbage
Up 27 Down 23
Juniper Jackson on Nov 30, 2018 at 10:35 pm
I wasn't going to vote for Jonas anyway.. he's peddaling the same crap that lost Darryl Drugstore the election. I'm sorry he was an acclimation.. just like Darryl, he didn't get voted into anything. The Conservatives have become rather weak.. Maybe it's just me, but i remember a day with a better selection of candidates. Is Max running a candidate up here? I personally don't care for the split..but it would make for an interesting election. I seriously doubt Larry will ever see another mandate here...
Up 47 Down 16
EJ on Nov 30, 2018 at 9:29 pm
First of all, how is this news? lol. Second of all, Jonas needs to explain what he means by being a 'social conservative' before he has a chance of getting my vote. Because that is a big red flag for most sensible non-religious folks.
Up 39 Down 17
north_of_60 on Nov 30, 2018 at 9:01 pm
PSG is correct. Too much, way too soon. The only people who might vote for this guy would have voted for anyone running on the CPC ticket anyway. All he's doing at this point is driving potential voters away. Enough is enough. Go and actually do something in the community worth reporting on and stop making these 'announcements'. It's turning people off.
Up 35 Down 16
Hugh Mungus on Nov 30, 2018 at 8:01 pm
Remember when Jonas was too young/old to join the military?
Hahaha
Up 41 Down 15
Johnson on Nov 30, 2018 at 7:26 pm
Why on earth is this news? For one, the staff should never be the news in politics. For two, who gives a care. Will they make a public announcement of his volunteer doorknockers too?
Silliness, why would the Star publish such a thing.
Up 42 Down 19
Gordon of Riverdale on Nov 30, 2018 at 7:05 pm
HMMMM - I'm already tired of this guy's endless yapping
Articles in the newspapers - pictures on bus stops - online pop ups - radio ads - blurbs on bulletin boards ... (and ?????)
and the ELECTION IS A 10 MONTHS AWAY
Which self- interest group is providing the Hipster version of Darrly Pasloski the money for this ?
I bet most of us aren't going to like the answer !
Up 36 Down 20
Henry Wensleydale on Nov 30, 2018 at 6:53 pm
“Jonas has proven himself to be bright, diligent and dedicated"
LMAO !
Smith ran the recent disastrous Darryl Pasloski reelection campaign.
Prior to that he was a high level toady during Pasloski's self-serving, petulant years as Premier.
Right leaning Yukon voters deserve better candidates than this guy.
Hopefully the Maxime Bernier Party will produce one - it won't be too difficult to do.
Up 33 Down 21
BnR on Nov 30, 2018 at 5:34 pm
Good to see the Alberta Vision, er, I mean Northern Vision connection is covered.
Heck, Northern Vision should just start their own political party here.
“Jonas has proven himself to be bright, diligent and dedicated to Yukoners and their interests in all the time that I’ve known him.”
Ok, let's see the list that proves this claim.
Up 24 Down 32
Low-Science Weenie on Nov 30, 2018 at 5:21 pm
Hopefully... As part of the Rebel Alliance we need to hear from the people like Jonas that the Liberal Empire can be defeated... We need good news now... To know that good order can be restored...
Up 73 Down 28
ProScience Greenie on Nov 30, 2018 at 4:07 pm
Dear Jonas, please wait until an election is called to bombard us with online campaigning like you're doing. It's becoming a turn off to voting for you.