Former Huntsville and District Councillor Fran Coleman who served with Aitchison on municipal council was the master of ceremonies for the event. She described Aitchison as a loyal Canadian who has dedicated his life to public service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe is a consensus-builder who will lead and make Canada a better place,\u201d said Coleman who also lauded Aitchison for his skills as an orator, speaking skills she quipped she has always envied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coleman also introduced Conservative MP for Kenora, Eric Melillo, the youngest sitting Member of Parliament. Melillo said he is incredibly proud to support Aitchison, who he considers a friend, in his bid to lead the party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Melillo said he is concerned with a crippling federal debt \u201cthat is threatening the sustainability of our government services and social programs for future generations. I\u2019m concerned with the war in Ukraine that is threatening democracies around the world, and I\u2019m concerned with the hyper-partisan political rhetoric that is gridlocking our politics here at home,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s evident that we need a serious leader. We need someone who can step up to face these challenges head-on, unite our party and guide our team to victory whenever the next election comes\u2026 I know that Scott has the poise and the determination to be that leader and get the job done.” <\/p>\n\n\n Aitchison thanked those who took the time to attend the gathering, and said he\u2019s never forgotten the honour of representing his hometown and the people who make it an incredible place to live. \u201cI\u2019ve never forgotten the values that I learned here and I continue to fight for them in Parliament today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said the country is facing serious problems and the right approach is required to solve them. \u201cOur economy no longer works for the people who power it; there are countless families who can barely get by despite putting in a hard day\u2019s work. The next generation is uncertain about the world they will inherit \u2013 climate change, a housing crisis, a failing health care system\u2026 solving the challenges of our time requires more than politics as usual. More partisan bickering is simply not the answer. Solving problems requires real leadership. I\u2019ve been in Parliament now two terms and I am dismayed by the energy wasted on political games, instead of getting things done. What\u2019s missing in Ottawa is leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight here in Huntsville is where I learned what real leadership is. I learned to inspire the team around me. I learned to inspire a community and empower citizens with an open and transparent government. This is the place that taught me the importance of dialogue, of respectful debate, and the remarkable possibilities that could come from listening to those we might disagree with. Today, Canada needs the kind of inclusive, engaged and compassionate leadership that I learned right here,\u201d he told those present to applause, cheers, and people holding up multi-coloured signs with Scott written on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aitchison said it was humbling to be surrounded by so many neighbours and people who have taught, mentored, and supported him through the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut of course today many are meeting me for the very first time. I\u2019m sure many Canadians might be wondering about the audacity of some dude from rural Northern Ontario thinking he has any business running to be leader of anything,\u201d said Aitchison who talked about his journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aitchison told those present he was born and raised in the town of Huntsville. \u201cI was raised in a Jehovah\u2019s Witness faith but at the age of 15 I saw a different path and left home to find the faith that guides me to this very day. I didn\u2019t really have much of a plan at the time. I just knew I had to make the move and of course in typical Canadian fashion neighbours took me in, gave me a hand up, and made me part of their family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the age of 21 he was elected to Huntsville Council. \u201cI believed then as I do now that public office should be about rolling up your sleeves and solving problems,\u201d he said. \u201cHere\u2019s the thing about municipal politics: It\u2019s close to the people and it is about building consensus to get things done. It\u2019s about putting words into action. We work on a common goal and relentlessly focus on breaking down barriers to find solutions. That is the right approach and it is missing in Ottawa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said many Canadians are wondering why places like Europe are \u201crelying on a tyrant like Vladimir Putin for their energy needs while their own government makes it more difficult every single year to get ethically produced Canadian energy to market.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He blamed the Liberals for making billion-dollar announcements to address the housing crisis \u201cand yet today there are more Canadians than ever who are desperate for a secure, safe bed to sleep in at night, and there are many more Canadians who\u2019ve simply given up on the dream of homeownership.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aitchison said as mayor of Huntsville \u201cour council worked with developers to get homes built. This is the kind of leadership we need across Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aitchison spoke of taking Canada\u2019s national security and international commitments seriously and ensuring Canada\u2019s armed forces are capable and ready \u201cand have the tools required to protect those who serve us and to defend our commitment to freedom and democracy around the world\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said Canada\u2019s healthcare system has been neglected for far too long and the challenge of fixing it will not be easy \u201cbut the status quo is a recipe for more Canadians needlessly suffering and we Conservatives must be the ones who finally make the federal government the full partner it promised to be with our provinces and finally fix healthcare.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aitchison promised to be the type of leader that does not sow division and anger but one who inspires and unites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He told fellow Conservatives that \u201cthe only way we are going to win in every part of this country is through our unity, by respecting each other, by talking about the big ideas and demonstrating to Canadians that we have the commitment, the courage, the character to be trusted to govern.\u201d Aitchison also echoed some of those sentiments in French, a language he has been studying in order to gain the confidence of his party and francophone Canadians. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I say I\u2019m opposed to the carbon tax it\u2019s not because it\u2019s politically convenient. It\u2019s because I represent hardworking people who cannot afford to paint their homes and put healthy food on the table. There are people that cannot afford to wait for a small refund at the end of the year. We must not make the most vulnerable in our society carry the heaviest burden when it comes to tackling climate change. I ask you to join our team and we will help Canadians reduce their carbon footprint, not just punish them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He spoke of freedom of religion, \u201cour party has a proud tradition of being a voice for freedom of religion across the world. We must have the courage of our convictions to do the same here at home in every province and territory. This includes the right of every single Canadian to proudly wear a cross or a hijab, a turban, or a kippah at their place of worship. Bill 21 is wrong, and we must stand up to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aitchison said that under his leadership all Conservatives would have a genuine seat at the table, and invited all Canadians to join them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe must be the generation that finally ensures that every single Canadian has access to clean drinking water whether they live on a reserve or not. We must be the generation that understands our environment is our economy and our economy is our environment,\u201d said Aitchison. \u201cWe must be the generation that restores Canada\u2019s reputation in the world. We must choose to be ambitious. We must choose to be fearless. We must choose our own destiny as Canadians, but we cannot do it as a fractured people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aitchison blamed politicians for carelessly demonizing one group of Canadians to appeal to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo let today be the day that we tell those who seek to divide Canada [that] we\u2019re putting an end to the politics of fear and anger. That right here, right now, together we will begin to write a new chapter on what government can be. It won\u2019t be all things to all people, but it must be a place where we can all come together and ensure that nobody gets left behind. That it must be a place where your influence as a citizen matters more than a few connected insiders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aitchison told his supporters there will be those who seek to divide. \u201cThere will be those who dismiss me, maybe even attack me personally. What the critics forget is that hope is infectious. That unity is strength. That our work ethic is the basis of our optimism. That we won\u2019t back down from a fight and we will never be deterred from standing up for anyone left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He told those present that there is nothing wrong with Canada that cannot be fixed with everything that is right with Canada. \u201cAnd together we will prove that a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can indeed change the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media-doppleronline-ca.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com\/2022\/03\/DSC_0700.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media-doppleronline-ca.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com\/2022\/03\/20220320_140440-1-1.jpg\")