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Games official willing to wait for MP shot

The current Cariboo-Prince George MP hasn't said that he's ready to hang up his Ottawa hat, but if he does, there's someone else waiting in the wings to attempt to fill his seat.
Todd Doherty

The current Cariboo-Prince George MP hasn't said that he's ready to hang up his Ottawa hat, but if he does, there's someone else waiting in the wings to attempt to fill his seat.

Todd Doherty confirmed that he will put his name to stand for the federal Conservative nomination but only if Dick Harris retires from his nearly 21-year post.

"I've been interested in politics for a long time and been involved when I haven't been travelling overseas and promoting our region through aviation," said Doherty, who previously held posts with the Prince George Airport Authority as director of business development and aviation services and as route development director with the Edmonton International Airport. "I worked with provincial programs as well and always had the aspirations - this is the next logical next step for us. And this is something we're very interested in."

Doherty said he has worked closely with Harris over the past year and knows him well from previous encounters.

"He's fairly successful, leaves a huge legacy within our region in terms of the work that he's done," Doherty said. "I think my goal would be to make sure we're standing loud and proud in Ottawa and making sure that the issues at hand that affect us the most are being heard."

Before any of that can happen, though, Doherty said he's concentrating on his current role as revenue generation director with the 2015 Canada Winter Games.

"To me, that is paramount. It's something that from the moment I came on board with the 2015 Canada Games that I felt the importance of, not only the event coming to Prince George, but ensuring that my department - the revenue generation team - fulfills our obligation to the [Games] team and that first starts with me," he said.

Should Harris choose to seek re-election in 2015, Doherty said he will work to make the incumbent a success.

"But my other focus is filling the bank for the Games and ensuring that a positive financial legacy is left within the region and within our community. That is first and foremost my main focus and we're very close in doing that."

Vanderhoof teacher Gerald Caron has also announced his intention to seek the Cariboo-Prince George nomination.