Editor`s Note: The Weekly Abaka has no Canadian political affiliation. However, it provides in its pages an open tribune to all political parties and their candidates participating to the Canadian federal and provincial political discourse, in order to allow them to explain and convey their platforms to its readers.
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In this interview, conducted by Lala Mouradian Mr. Tom Pentefountas, the Conservative candidate of Laval-Les îles, talks about the issues and priorities in Laval-Les îles, climate change, and the banner of the Conservatives. A lawyer by profession, Mr. Pentefountas has spent the first 15 years of his professional life in criminal defense. Then, Mr. Pentefountas became the vice-chair of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and also worked with the Stingray Digital Group where he held the position of senior vice-president. Mr. Pentefountas resumed practicing criminal defense in 2017. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Philosophy from Concordia University. He has also earned a Mini-MBA from McGill University and a Certificate in Entertainment Law from Osgoode Hall Law School.
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There are over 60 different ethnic communities living in Laval-Les îles, including large Greek and Armenian communities; how are you planning to serve them specifically? And what are your key priorities?
My conservative friends offered me any riding, but I insisted that Laval-Les îles is the riding that I wanted to have for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it’s the riding that has the greatest percentage of Canadians of Greek origin and they have never been represented by a Greek and I thought it would be only natural that someone would come forward to represent them. Secondly, Laval-Les îles is a multicultural riding and more than fifty percent of the population is not francophone. The second biggest cultural group is the Lebanese community. There is a small Muslim community within that Arabic-speaking community, but the majority of Lebanese in that riding are Christians. Then we have the Armenian community and there are around 7000 voters in Laval-Les îles who identify as Armenians. There is also the Portuguese community, the Italian community, and a small Jewish community. So I felt very much at home within those cultures. Specifically as regards to the Armenian community and the Greek community, as we have such a common history, shared values, and shared sufferings.
So I wanted a riding where I would feel comfortable representing the people that live there. I never wanted to be in a situation where I wouldn’t feel comfortable. Speaking for the Armenian community as regards to putting pressure on the Turkish government to recognize the Armenian genocide from the early part of the twentieth century or pushing very hard, what I hope to be a Conservative government, to open a Canadian embassy in Armenia, not in four years, not in ten years, but immediately, and also speaking about the issues that the Armenian people have in respect to Azerbaijan. I would not have any problems defending those interests because they align with my values. So it might be easier to win a riding somewhere else, but it would be nice to be in a riding where you feel comfortable and you have a sense of purpose defending the interests of those constituents. So what I say to my Armenian friends is for them to allow me to be their voice and that they will be able to hold me to that because I plan on delivering.
Why did you choose to run under the banner of the Conservatives?
The Conservative banner for me, first and foremost, reflects my values. I’m Christian Greek Orthodox by birth and baptism and I’m very comfortable with the values of my church. I know these are the same values of the Armenian Church, as I have spent some time recently with the bishop and the priests of the church. So firstly, I think we have a common sharing of values.
Secondly, the economy is a key factor, because everything else stems from the economy. If you can’t run an economy properly, I think you’re in big trouble. So you need to have a fiscal restraint and you need to have a plan for the economy. And I think the Conservatives have proven that over the last 10 years during the previous administration. Currently, we’ve got a situation where we have a horrible surplus without reason.
When it comes to international relationships, doing business internationally is very much like doing business domestically, it’s a personal relationship. Do you get along with the person? Do you trust the person? Do you see eye-to-eye on their values? We’ve unfortunately lost all credibility on the international front and it’s having an impact. If we look at our relationship with the United States, I would qualify it as catastrophic. When the leader of the United States is democratically-elected, we have to deal with that person and we have to find a way to cultivate the relationship. Because when 80 percent of your exports depend on trading with the United States, you need to make sure that relationship stays focused and moving forward. Canada is a country that depends on exports for its high standard of living.
Another issue that has come up repeatedly is the question of immigration. And that’s another area where the Conservative party is on the right side. It is unacceptable when people want to bring their family members to Canada and they have followed the rules, paid the fees, and passed the exams and they can’t get over here. So we need a return to a normal, organized, civilized, fair, and compassionate system of immigration.
In this election Canadians will be focusing on environmental issues, such as climate change, reducing fossil fuels, and one time usage of plastic bottles. If your party forms the next government, how will you foster greater levels of cooperation on environmental issues among industry, and various provincial and municipal governments?
The environment is a very important issue. It is important to me and it is important to Canada. We, the Conservative party, have 64-page plan with 55 points of action. A quarter of those actions are also in the Green Party’s plan and are based on technology, tax credits, and other efficiencies. Canada only contributes 1.5 percent of the greenhouse gas in the world and Quebec only produces 0.1 percent gases in the world. Most of that is because we are basically a province that runs on hydroelectricity and we don’t burn coal or oil for the most part to heat our homes. Of course there are still homes and buildings that run on oil but under the tax credit we would convert those immediately in Canada. But more importantly, we have carbon emissions capturing technology that, if sold to China, Japan, and South Korea, which still use coal-fired energy plants, would eliminate the Canadian footprint immediately. So our plan is based on technology, conservation but, unlike the Liberal party, not on taxes.
So on the environment, we have a serious thought-out plan. The environment is very important to the Conservative party; it is very important to me personally and we have a plan to meet our targets.
What do you think are your chances to win this riding?
People are going to decide and not me. The riding is very high in ethnic and multicultural votes and there has always been a conservative base in Laval-Les îles. I think all those communities understand that there is an immigration system that does not work and will not work on forward. When you compare Isis fighters to Greek, Armenian, Romanian or Italian immigrants from the 60s and 70s, I have to take that very personally. Because our parents came to this country completely broke, with no education and no linguistic skills and all they did was to work hard and create a better future for themselves and more specifically for their children. These communities, whose mother tongue is not French, would find the arguments that I’m putting forward attractive. My commitment is to be present for these communities and the reactions that I get on a daily basis, on the street, door to door is very positive, so we are very excited about our prospects.
The ethnic communities in Laval-Les îles are ready for a party and for an MP that reflects their vision and interests. And I am hoping that people will vote for me and I can assure them that in ten or fifteen years they are going to say that they made a good choice for once, because I don’t have any intention of letting people down. I don’t have any intention of not being present and not going to bet for people. When I speak to you about going to bet on against the Turkish government on Armenian Genocide, I’m deadly serious about it. When I talk to you about defending the interest of Armenians in Georgia or Azerbaijan, I’m deadly serious about it. And we have to have a Canadian embassy in Armenia. It is crucial for Canada, irrespective of the fact that we have hundreds of thousands of Armenians are living in Canada, but for our own geopolitical and economic interests. We should be there to create ties between the business community here and the business community there.
It was a privilege for “ABAKA” weekly to do this interview with Mr. Tom Pentefountas. We wish him the best of luck in his campaign.
Interview done by Lala Mouradian for “ABAKA” weekly
