Simply red: Rota keeps riding for the Grits

Newly re-elected Liberal MP Anthony Rota smiles as he enters the Davedi Club last night. Rota now begins serving his second term as the Nipissing-Timiskaming representative. Photo by Kate Adams, BayToday.ca.

Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota says things are going to be "interesting" in Ottawa the next little while.

Rota cruised to victory Monday night, retaining the riding for the Liberal and defeating his three opponents, Conservative Party candidate Peter Chirico, NDP candidate Dave Fluri and Green Party candidate Meg Purdy.

Once all the counting was done, Rota had garnered 21,393 votes, 44.7 per cent of the total.

Chirico followed with 16,511, 34.5 per cent of the vote,
trailed by Fluri, with 8,268 and 17.3 per cent of the vote.

Purdy closed out the night with 1,698, 3.5 per cent of the vote.

There was never any doubt Rota would win once the results started coming in after the polls closed at 9:30 p.m.

By 11 p.m. he had almost doubled the 2,500-vote plurality he had achieved in defeating Conservative Party candidate Al McDonald in 2004, when Rota won the seat vacated by Liberal Bob Wood.

Rota became a member of the Liberal government then.

But things are different now, with the Conservatives having
won a minority in the federal election.

"It’s going to be interesting over the next little while," Rota said.

"As the opposition it’s going to be a different role there, but it comes down to doing what’s best for the riding and doing what’s best for Canada so that the Canadian values are protected and we stand up for them."

Rota said he will be an MP to all.

"I wasn't elected to represent a party, I was elected to represent our riding, our country and the people of Nipissing-Timiskaming," he told a packed crowd at the Davedi Club last night.

While he's not a member of the government, Rota doesn't think the riding will be hurt because of that fact.

"You know, I’ve seen a lot of opposition members be very effective," Rota said.

"I plan on being an effective opposition member and I plan on representing Nipissing-Timiskaming well."

Rota said he watched the results come in from his Oak Street campaign headquarters.

And while his numbers continued to surge, Rota didn't want to take anything for granted, he said.

"It’s kind of strange that way because I don’t really pick up on things and get all excited," he said.

"It’s more a case of 'let’s build it, build it, build it,' but once you get past a certain momentum... and I waited quite a while before I start to scream 'victory.'"

Rota finally released a breath when Chirico came by to congratulate him, he said.

"He was very gracious. He came with his family, and I appreciated that," Rota said.

Rota thanked everyone for helping him achieve victory, but perhaps the most heartfelt thank-you of the night was reserved for his late father Sam.

"Oh no, he's not missing this, he's just here under a different forum," Rota said.

The Liberals, Rota said in his victory speech, want what’s best for Canada.

"But so do the Conservatives the NDP and the Greens,” Rota said.

“Our methods may differ, but not our hopes. Now’s the time to find common ground and build a Canada which we can all be proud of.”

Rota also put Conservative Gordon O'Connor, likely to become the government's Defence Minister, on alert regarding the future of CFB North Bay.

"I'll keep his feet to the fire," Rota said.

In assessing the Liberal loss, Rota acknowledged Canadians had voted for change.

"Twelve years is a long time, and I guess every government has a shelf life," Rota said.

"And you know people don’t really think it through every time, they just get this mood for change. I would just like people to think what they’re voting for as opposed to what they’re voting against."

With files from Kate Adams, BayToday.ca.