By Justin Medve [1] and Cody Starr [1]
BELLEVILLE –Loyalist students are reacting to the announcement that former Dragon’s Den [2] investor Kevin O’Leary [3] is entering the federal Conservative leadership race.
Scott Rok, a second year TV student, said he thinks O’Leary has the personality for the job.
“He has a very tough personality which I think is very attractive as a politician.”
Patrick Chapelle, a business administration student said, “I think his personality might bring a different aspect to the table.”
QNet News asked students a series of questions about O’Leary’s candidacy.
One of the big issues facing students is debt coming out of school. There is an argument as to how students should be helped to deal with this debt. Should there be more debt forgiveness or should there be more sustainable jobs to help pay off that debt? O’Leary said he pledges to create sustainable jobs for twenty-somethings and fix what he calls a “mismanaged” economy with “immense potential.”
Loyalist students were asked which should take priority: debt forgiveness or sustainable jobs.
“I feel like six months right after college is a bit too much to start paying it back. I think (it should be) maybe a year or something. Just to get us on our feet first,” Syara Simpson, a community justice services second-year student, said.
Rok had a different opinion.
“They kind of go hand in hand right? If you have a job, then you can get rid of debt. I think it’s better to have a secure job then to get rid of debt right away.”
When asked if O’Leary’s minimal French would be an issue as he ran Chapelle said, “I think it’s definitely an asset but, I don’t think it’s mandatory to run at least. I think if you’re going to be PM the(n) yes you should absolutely learn. We have two national languages.”
Rok said, “It’s extremely important,” especially if he wants to appeal to voters in Quebec.
QNet News’ final question to students was if they thought that O’Leary had entered the because of the success of Donald Trump’s recent presidential bid.
“I feel like they have a lot of similarities. In the sense that they have more brash personalities where they’re not afraid to say what they’re feeling. O’Leary is more politically correct in the way he says stuff but he still says stuff similar to the ideas of Trump,” said Chapelle.
“I believe it had some persuasion for it but, I think he’s going to do his own thing. The fact that they’re both successful business men is a coincidence but, I think they have different policies,” Rok said.
The Conservative leadership vote takes place May 27.