In a hotly-contested nomination in 2011, Jim was on the ballot
as the Liberal candidate for St. Barbe. In the provincial general
election he was then up against the Tory incumbent who had been
entrenched for over a decade.
It was not the most ideal time to run – the Liberal Party
was in debt and during the election, the Liberal Leader resigned due to health
problems. It made for uncertain times – exactly the environment in which Jim
shoots for his best!
Team Bennett was on the ground in the huge district of St.
Barbe and it was non-stop. The five most senior members of the team combined
over 200 years of political experience. Every poll was a contest – and
the finish lined revealed a mere 36 vote margin victory. That is an
average of 1 vote per poll! It was the closest vote of any district in the
Province. The Liberals came 3rd in popular vote, but
maintained Official Opposition Status of 6 seats!
Jim has since proven to be an outstanding member in the District, the House of Assembly and as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee. As he promised during the campaign, he established an office in the District - the first permanent office in St. Barbe since Confederation. The output from this office is nothing short of phenomenal with his capable Constituency Assistant and Jim’s very efficient approach.
In the House of Assembly, Jim has distinguished himself in
debate, presenting scores of petitions on a variety of issues, presented a
number of Private Members Resolutions and taking part on dozens of debates,
including on the infamous Bill 29 debate (The Secrecy Bill) and the
Muskrat Falls debate – two notable record’s in the province’s Legislature.
Jim has the spiritedness of a courtroom lawyer and is not
shy in speaking up for people , nor in opposing poor legislation. Jim has
proven himself as one of the constructive and reasonable members of the House.
He has built solid relationships with Ministers so as to advance the interest
of the public in general – and the residents of St. Barbe in particular.
Team Jim Bennett