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Linda Benoit
Conservative candidate names campaign manager
Jonas Smith, the Yukon’s Conservative Party candidate for the next federal election, has identified a campaign manager.
Jonas Smith, the Yukon’s Conservative Party candidate for the next federal election, has identified a campaign manager.
Whitehorse businesswoman Linda Benoit will again fill the role, as she did in 2019, Smith said Wednesday.
“I am thrilled to have Linda at the helm of my campaign once again,” says Smith.
“Her superior skills, depth of experience and strong and steady demeanour will ensure the campaign reflects, and responds to, the needs and expectations of Yukoners across the territory.”
Benoit, raised in Faro, is “a dedicated and long-standing volunteer,” the candidate said.
Earlier this year, she received the party’s Doug Finley Award for outstanding campaign management of Smith’s 2019 campaign.
Benoit was also a candidate for the leadership of the Yukon Party, won by Currie Dixon in May 2020.
Amid ongoing preparations and continuing speculation surrounding an election call in the coming weeks, a Conservative campaign office has been established on Main Street. It will open to the public when the election is officially called.
Location details and office hours will be announced at that time.
In the interim, Smith is reaching out to Yukoners through a variety of avenues, including virtually.
He will host a Zoom town hall at 10 a.m. Saturday “to hear directly from Yukoners about their successes, challenges and priorities,” a statement said.
To participate, pre-registration is required via: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpfuCupjMrGtOcVNMQPGmOqLxTwDe91w8U
In December 2020, Liberal MP Larry Bagnell automatically received his party’s nomination to run again, but he has not specifically indicated whether he will definitely do so.
There has been no word on potential NDP or Green Party candidates.
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Comments (26)
Up 5 Down 3
Charlie's Aunt on Aug 10, 2021 at 8:32 pm
Late breaking news today, after Star press time, is that Brendan Hanley is replacing Larry as Liberal candidate. Maybe some will change their thinking on who will need a magician.
Up 17 Down 14
Groucho d'North on Aug 10, 2021 at 10:52 am
@ProScience
It appears you got caught up in the brand association the Liberals and their purchased media friends made during the Trump term of office. Did you ever notice when Justin was trying to defend one of his many expensive mistakes, mainstream media like the CBC would be running stories on Trump and making him out as the conservative anti-Christ while ignoring issues that should matter to Canadians like the SNC Lavelin case and subsequent punishing of Ms. Wilson-Raybould as attorney general for not supporting the Liberals desire to cut a deal for the violators of the law. He also destroyed the career of one of Canada’s proven military leaders to cover up possible massive corruption in ship building contracts.
Trudeau also fired two of his MPs; Massimo Pacetti and Scott Andrews for sexual harassment allegations, yet when he was revealed to have done the same - he skips out of any punishment because the woman "experienced it differently" or so he says. He remains unaccountable and who knows what other egregious things he was done while being the Prime Misery? His team well understands what will happen to them if they don't support the egomaniac what's in charge.
Perhaps I'm old school, but I believe elected officials have a duty to demonstrate the manners and ethical standards they promote the rest of us to follow. Clearly Trudeau is not up to the task as he continually demonstrates his many faults. He appears to believe he works for the UN and fixing the world's problems rather than working for the betterment of Canada.
Lastly, I doubt our grandchildren can afford another term of Money for Nothing and Votes for Free. It takes zero talent to give other people's (our) money away.
Up 29 Down 23
A vote for Larry on Aug 9, 2021 at 3:42 pm
@Groucho d'North
I never voted for Liberals--I voted for Larry. I know a vote for Larry was a vote of the Liberals, however, I vote for whomever I feel is the best person to represent my riding (in this case, the Yukon), knowing that our 1 riding will have very little influence on the broader government. It wouldn't matter which party we voted in. Larry overall did an amazing job of representing the Yukon.
Up 34 Down 14
Dex on Aug 9, 2021 at 3:27 pm
Has Jonas ever had an actual job (aside from being on the back of the City buses for a year and a half)?
He drove his election run, Paz's, Linda's, Ryan's and Currie's all into the ditch. That's gotta be some sort of record.
Up 17 Down 8
Dex on Aug 9, 2021 at 3:22 pm
@June
Now is your chance June. You know EVERYTHING about..well, EVERYTHING.
Please run for office and save us from ourselves!
You'll get paid (and a pension) to chirp from the sidelines.
Up 18 Down 17
ProScience Greenie on Aug 9, 2021 at 2:06 pm
Too much far right Trump-stink and bad Q-craziness in the CPC Groucho. With over a third of Canadian conservatives supporting that ugly populism, the CPC needs to clean house. Getting rid of the ProFa Reformers and bible thumpers like Derek Sloan should be their top priority and then they can focus on become progressive again. Till then, the majority of Canadian voters (including many red tories) will continue to reject the far right ideological Q-infected CPC.
Up 39 Down 24
Groucho d'North on Aug 8, 2021 at 12:56 pm
All you anti-conservative commenters, are you implying you would still vote for the Liberals after another term of excessive spending and debt building, violation of established standards of performance and blatant favouritism for Justin's political friends? The Ethics Commissioner has a thick file on Mr. Trudeau and despite how he has wiggled out of any real penalty for his misdemeanors, he has clearly demonstrated he is not somebody who can be trusted.
As a conservative I too am disappointed in Mr. O'Toole so far, but I am willing to give his party a chance rather than voting in a party with known ethics issues and a penchant for lying and poor management skills. Take a chance on an unknown or re-elect a verified political problem? In case you have a short memory, there is a list of Liberal 'accomplishments' made prior to the last election, more screw-ups are to be added since then. There is a whole chapter to be written on the COVID cock-ups made by the Trudeau Liberals, other promises made yet undelivered.
Read the list here: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/howie-mandel-justin-trudeau/
Up 36 Down 43
Sheepchaser on Aug 7, 2021 at 12:15 pm
Given that the federal conservatives can’t agree on the basic framework of reality in regards to climate change, can’t put forward a coherent argument without falling back on faith-based fantasy, and can’t find a leader that is anything more than a tool for ultra-right-wing-short-sighted-slash-and-burn capitalism while whispering and winking racist dog whistles; a vote for them is obviously a vote for the Fox News fear monger idiotcracy.
Most Canadians don’t want to turn the clock back to the last century. Could you imagine? Old white men having a say over settled issues like abortion, gun laws, immigration, diversity, etc all over again? They had their chance. Proved themselves to be selfish, fearful, nepotistic and thoroughly opaque.
If conservatives are so amazing at business and community, how is it that someone so unqualified is the candidate? Don’t get me wrong, the Liberals are just as weak on candidate backgrounds, but at least they don’t rule based on fear and loathing of half the country.
Up 36 Down 8
Not so, Woodcutter - but the comments! on Aug 7, 2021 at 11:35 am
Of the 6 federal elections Larry's run in, he lost one (in 2011, to Ryan Leef, by about 130 votes. He then defeated Ryan handily in 2015).
But honestly, the election hasn't even been called yet, and already the ugly, personal comments are starting. Haven't there been enough of those in the past 18 months? C'mon
Up 28 Down 6
Avery on Aug 7, 2021 at 4:54 am
Expecting a different result? There's a definition for this.
Up 32 Down 38
drum on Aug 6, 2021 at 7:55 pm
He is such a good man and a good candidate. Jonas is what we need to represent the Yukon. He is ready.
Up 15 Down 21
Nathan Living on Aug 6, 2021 at 6:54 pm
Will Dan Curtis throw his hat in for the Liberal nomination?
Up 29 Down 19
Observer on Aug 6, 2021 at 12:35 pm
Hell we won't win, but at least we have nice big hair!!
Up 15 Down 19
Yukoner ‘71 on Aug 6, 2021 at 12:23 pm
@BnR, in all honesty at first I thought you were talking about Justin Trudeau but after you mentioned Pasloski I realized you must be referring to Mr. Smith. So one can be PM but the other one can’t be your MLA? That’s Liberal logic at work.
Up 22 Down 46
He'll win now on Aug 6, 2021 at 10:16 am
With Larry out of the picture, Jonas is a shoe-in. Congrats on your win, whenever it will be. Get ready for the chaos.
Up 47 Down 27
Dave on Aug 6, 2021 at 7:00 am
Well, it's going to be pretty hard to beat Trudeaus minions who are spending like there's no tomorrow with Canadas' credit card. Trudeau and the Liberals 2021 campaign slogan, 'Spend today for your descendants to pay tomorrow.'
They know that another party will eventually get in and have to clean up their debt mess and cut spending, at which point the Liberals can complain about the mean government of the day which is cutting the spending that we all deserve right? It's a win win win by Trudeaus math and it's not his or the Liberals debt or money anyways so how can he lose? Long after Trudeau is a footnote in history Canadians will still be crippled under the debt he's piling on.
Up 10 Down 24
TheHammer on Aug 5, 2021 at 10:14 pm
JSM @ The glorious knights of the right will save our nation from the communist horde. With a little help from JSM they might be able to enlist the help of a Korean god, who just happens to be looking for a job after being unemployed for the last thousand years.
Up 38 Down 22
Olav on Aug 5, 2021 at 8:28 pm
Too bad the Party doesn't have a leader.
O’Toole should resign. PERIOD. It is the only hope the “C’s” hope of winning an election.
If Jonas wins the Yukon, he could be one of few Conservatives to sit in Ottawa.
Heck, he might even become the party leader!
Up 29 Down 25
Juniper Jackson on Aug 5, 2021 at 7:48 pm
Sigh.. Jonas Smith. Another loss. There are many fine people in all the parties. Why not pick one of them? Are they not running?
Recent history, that is, a part time substitute drama teacher, whose resume includes bar bouncer and life guard.. shows us that what really gets a vote is not experience, or education. it's charisma.. a social loser became the leader of a country because he had charm, charisma.. people liked him. We know now of course, that that 2015 campaign was all show. But, he still got elected. He only got the popular vote 1 time. People are not stupid. But, here we are.
Our elected reps, that spend our money, decides who lives or dies. (Remember Terry??? Liberals let him die. Remember Frank? he had to move for the right meds to live..this covid fiasco. Yes. They decide who lives or dies.) So..how many are qualified to do the jobs they are in? Not a single Liberal or a Conservative, or a NDP.. and who has charisma? They don't have that either.
So, I go to the polls and vote for the best I dislike as a candidate, the least. When I feel like it's a waste of time to vote, I remind myself of how much tax money I pay..my franchise to vote.
Up 38 Down 42
drum on Aug 5, 2021 at 6:53 pm
Go Jonas Go. We have to move on and leave the Liberals behind.
Up 31 Down 31
Woodcutter on Aug 5, 2021 at 6:20 pm
Isn't that the boy wonder that lost the last election? Don't give up, Larry lost lots of elections before he won the easiest electoral position.
Let's hear the parties platform, does it still deny climate change and that covid is a hoax?
Up 55 Down 36
BnR on Aug 5, 2021 at 5:11 pm
Id like my MP to be at least as smart as I am.
Seriously. What experience and education does Jonas (Has Nice Hair) Smith have? He was Pasloskis coffee boy, and when that didn't work out he was parachuted off to some partisan association of like affiliation. He's never been on a board of any sort, he's never worked for or in government, he has no idea how government works, and he's a self professed libertarian.
Ryan Leef at least had governmental experience.
Up 95 Down 57
The Resistance on Aug 5, 2021 at 4:52 pm
I have voted Liberal for years. However, I can no longer stomach the chaos of the internecine, nepotistic orgy of self promotion as politics propagated by the Liberals. I am sickened and disgusted by the anti-democratic, inhumane, and fascistic fervour with which the Liberals have operated under with relative impunity while creating social and cultural division.
Up 72 Down 44
Cap't Camo on Aug 5, 2021 at 3:02 pm
The dynamic duo!
I don't recall ever seeing 2 people lose more elections than these folks.
Up 88 Down 51
TheHammer on Aug 5, 2021 at 2:31 pm
He's going to need more than a manager, he's going to need a magician.
Up 65 Down 76
JSM on Aug 5, 2021 at 2:08 pm
All aboard the Jonas train choo choo! Time to put the lieberals out and start building to greatness after this pandemic. All for it and the AMAZING team that they are going to put together.