Third candidate for local Conservative nomination

By Erika Engel Barrie Advance Dec 10, 2010
Paul Throop is the latest candidate for the federal Simcoe-Grey Conservative Party nomination. The newest candidate for the federal Conservative candidate nomination for the Simcoe-Grey Riding already has a desk in Ottawa. 
Paul Throop, grew up in The Blue Mountains and Collingwood area and was surrounded by politics. His grandmother worked for MPP Rev. Wally Downer and his uncle, Gordon Braniff, who worked at Collingwood’s shipyards was always talking politics.
Throop has worked in Ottawa as Defense Minister Peter MacKay’s director of operations and is now on a leave of absence.
The 65-year-old has bicycled around the world, participates in cross-country ski and running marathons, worked for international cross country ski companies as a tech advisor, and been the executive director for Canada’s Cross Country’s ski team.
“I’m at a stage where I think that, not only do I have the people skills … I know Ottawa,” said Throop.
He’s been volunteering with the federal and provincial Conservative parties since the 1980s. He organized several party meetings and conventions and worked on Brian Mulroney’s, Kim Campbell’s and Stephen Harper’s general election tours.
“From the day that I’m elected MP here, I can hit the ground running,” said Throop.
He says his work for Minister MacKay has introduced him to people in many government offices.
“I work with the officials everyday,” he said. “I’m in a unique place as an individual… I’ve been a person who has been very stimulated by the world. I’m coming back [to the area] with a very unique set of skills that I think are very well suited to performing at a higher level… I have the prerequisites to do this for a couple of terms.”
He said the main issues for Simcoe-Grey will be agriculture and tourism.
“It’s a huge challenge to capitalize small crops,” said Throop. “We shouldn’t let farmers lose the ability to produce food.”
When it comes to tourism, he said it’s important for all levels of government to work together.
He said the definition of growth is changing.
“Today it is more about how we’re taking care of citizens,” said Throop. “Tourism is part of that.”
Throop will be up against former Collingwood mayor Chris Carrier and Clearview resident Dr. Kellie Leitch.
Members of Carrier’s campaign are calling Leitch a parachute candidate.
Throop is convinced that is not true. He said if there was a parachute candidate he’d know about it, but he said he has the blessing of the federal party and Defense Minister Peter MacKay to run for election.
Throop said he’s aware that former Conservative, now independent, MP Helena Guergis has support in the community, but he’s convinced the “staunch Conservative riding” will stay Conservative in the next election.
“Conservatives are intelligent enough to realize it’s not to their advantage to have an independent MP,” said Throop, adding that it would be like voting for the opposition. “Conservatives in the end, vote for the conservatives.”
Paul Throop is married to Heather, he has two children and he spends his winters at the family chalet at Blue Mountain and summers at a cottage in Wimblewood Beach.