Conservative candidate Slade says he's ready for October

Fred Slade, the Conservative Party of Canada's candidate in Sudbury, is pleased Prime Minister Stephen Harper has picked Oct. 19 as the day Sudburians will election a new MP.

Harper rolled the byelection for the vacant seat into the already scheduled federal election on the same day. When the federal vote is called, the byelection will become a general election.

“The campaign to elect a Conservative member of Parliament for Sudbury has officially started,” Slade said in a news release. “We have been contacting the people in the riding and they are telling me Sudbury wants a strong, serious leader for the tough job of being prime minister.

“I'm proud to be part of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's team and I'm someone who will work hard and be dependable for Sudburians.”

Slade, a self-employed chartered accountant from Sudbury who was born and raised in Falconbridge, said in the release he understands the importance of giving back to the community with his years of volunteering for many charity events and organizations. He has worked hard all his life and believes the next step is to become a strong and vital link to Ottawa.

"As I talk to people here in Sudbury, they're excited for our balanced budget plan to lower taxes, and help hard-working middle-class families exactly like those here in our community,” Slade is quoted as saying.

“I'm thrilled that our measures will help 100 per cent of families here through our increased and expanded Universal Child Care Benefit, as well as income splitting, to go along with the measures we just introduced to make retirement more affordable for seniors.

“The choice in this election couldn't be more clear - the strong, serious leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, or the high-risk, high-tax, high-debt schemes of Justin Trudeau and Thomas Mulcair."

On May 3, Elections Canada called the byelection for the vacated seat formerly held by the NDP member of Sudbury.