Re-elected CBRM councillor running for Tories in N.S. election

Darren O'Quinn is anxious to get back out on the campaign trail, even though he was just re-elected in Cape Breton Regional Municipality last week and officially sworn in on Wednesday.

O'Quinn, who's from New Waterford, N.S., has been nominated by the Progressive Conservatives to run in the provincial election next month.

"I'm going to be a busy guy," he told reporters shortly after the municipal swearing-in ceremony. "I'm going to be knocking on some doors. I'm going to be attending to all of my councillor duties as well."

O'Quinn said he's been thinking about running for the PCs for several years, but finally decided just a couple of days before the Oct. 19 municipal elections.

He said he's already heard from some constituents who are not happy about his decision.

'I think I'm doing the right thing,' says PC candidate

"I was already a candidate for CBRM," O'Quinn said. "I couldn't take my name out of it because ... it was too late.

"It's hard. I'm taking a lot of criticism for this, but I really think I'm doing the right thing here and I really think I'm the right person to do the right things for our community and be a big part of Tim Houston's government."

O'Quinn, who won his CBRM seat last week with 63 per cent of the vote against opponent Louie Piovesan, will carry the party's banner in Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier.

That seat was most recently represented by New Democrat and former CBRM councillor Kendra Coombes, who is running for re-election.

Asked how he felt about taking the oath of office that includes a code of conduct requiring that councillors give the municipality's interests "absolute priority" over other interests while seeking a different office, O'Quinn said Coombes did it.

However, Coombes was nearing the end of her first term on council when she ran for the NDP in a provincial byelection after MLA Tammy Martin stepped down citing health reasons.

'I'm stepping up for my community'

Piovesan also ran in that byelection as the PC candidate.

O'Quinn said the riding needs a strong voice and he wants to be at the table where decisions are made, assuming the PCs are returned to government.

"I just feel that I could do really good things for the community at a provincial level and I'm stepping up for my community," he said.

Campaigning councillor

O'Quinn said he will be busy over the next month attending to his municipal duties and fitting provincial campaigning around those.

"I'm doing my job as councillor," he said. "I am campaigning, but that's in free time. Councillor is a part-time job, so I can do other things as well."

CBRM Mayor Cecil Clarke, who ran for the leadership of the PCs in 2018 while still sitting as mayor, wouldn't say if he had a problem with a councillor taking an oath to put CBRM first, while running for a higher level of government.

He said it's possible to have a job or hold other positions while looking after municipal matters.

"Those are questions that are really good for Coun. O'Quinn to address, if he's able to find that balance over the next month."