MacDonald's former campaign manager elected riding association president

Posted Feb 2, 2012 By Craig Bakay

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Incoming Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington riding association President Roger Martin presented a gift basket to outgoing president Tricia Waldron at the association's annual general meeting in Sharbot Lake Saturday.

Incoming Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington riding association President Roger Martin presented a gift basket to outgoing president Tricia Waldron at the association's annual general meeting in Sharbot Lake Saturday.

EMC News Roger Martin, who was Liberal candidate Bill MacDonald's campaign manager in last fall's provincial election, is the new president of the Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Provincial Liberal Association.

Martin defeated fellow candidate Doug Steele in an election at the riding association's annual general meeting in Sharbot Lake Saturday to replace outgoing president Tricia Waldron, who stepped down because a new job is demanding much of her time.

Central Frontenac Coun. Frances Smith was acclaimed as the new Vice-President for Frontenac County, as were the rest of the slate of officers.

"I'm thankful for the experience of being Bill's campaign manager," Martin said. "I'm excited for the time ahead.

"It's going to take a lot of teamwork to paint this riding red."

For her part, Waldron said she'd continue "working on getting the rural message through to the party," something that was echoed by the former candidate.

Although he said "I'm not making any announcements right now," MacDonald did sound like someone who's thinking about running for office, and given the minority status of the current McGuinty government, a provincial election is only a non-confidence motion away.

"There will be a rural agenda (in any upcoming election campaign)," MacDonald said. "Keep in mind that of the 97,000 people in this riding, more than 50 per cent didn't vote.

"We have to change that."

Despite fighting a losing election campaign, something that tends to deplete riding association war chests, the association is in decent shape financially, Waldron reported, with more than $8,500 in the bank.