We have to do something different. I wear this type, because it doesn't turn around as easily.
My road to being elected wasn't an easy one. I've done many things. I would say the nomination battle was probably more vicious than QP. It's probably the ugliest part of being elected, and I'm not a mean person by any means.
I didn't get into politics to ruin anybody. I didn't get into politics to hurt people, and the people are hurt most in things like nominations, or even being elected, from social media, and how vicious it can be that way. I want to talk about that a little bit later as well, but the nomination process was one that really made me doubt whether I was doing the right thing. That was not so much because of our desire to serve, it was really about what we were putting our families through.
We always have to remember that first and foremost, people, whether they are on our side of the House or on the other side of the House, whether it be somebody who is running against us in a nomination or in a campaign, are somebody's mom, somebody's dad, somebody's brother or sister or cousin. The things that are done and said are oftentimes very hurtful. If I were going to put forth anything, there would be things we could do differently, and that could probably start with me as well. I'm probably just as much to blame, but I try not to be mean-spirited. I will tell you this unequivocally, if I am taking you to task or holding your feet to the fire, it's not frivolous. It is with merit, and there is reason to it.
I'm also not somebody who just stands and reads something for the sake of reading it, as was mentioned earlier on. There was mention of truth versus half-truths. When you stand in a court of law to argue over a piece of legislation, a civil issue, or a criminal issue, you are supposed to speak the truth. I would hazard that when we are in the House, we should be speaking the truth as well, and I would like to think that is done. When we stand, or when I stand, it is based on truth not half-truths, unlike what was mentioned earlier.
I'm going to get back to the election. I was nominated in December 2014. I started my campaign for the nomination in August 2014, won the nomination in December, and then kind of pushed through. That was the longest campaign, because, really for me, when the writ dropped, it was the whole cumulative part, so from August 2014 to October 2015.