Provincial Politics
In 1997, Bob Chiarelli resigned from the Legislature to run for Chair of the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality. In the subsequent Ottawa West by-election, Cullen ran for the Liberals and was easily elected as MPP. He soon gained national prominence as the only provincial legislator in the country to vote against the Calgary Declaration, as he opposed any document that would give Quebec unequal powers under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
This vote made him unpopular within the Liberal Party. In the run-up to the 1999 provincial election, Cullen was challenged for the Liberal nomination in the new riding of Ottawa West-Nepean by Rick Chiarelli, a Nepean city councillor. After a contentious nomination battle, Chiarelli emerged victorious and on November 15, 1988 Cullen was expelled from the Liberal caucus and sat as an independent MPP. He joined the New Democratic Party a few weeks later, and subsequently won the NDP nomination in the riding.
Cullen received 7,701 votes in the 1999 Ontario general election, behind second place Chiarelli (16,419 votes). Progressive Conservative Garry Guzzo was elected with 22,834 votes.
Read more about this topic: Alex Cullen
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