He taught at the University of Manitoba, and later worked in the tourism, hotel and restaurant business in Nova Scotia before returning to eastern Ontario to build a retirement cottage. He sported long silver hair during the campaign, and has described himself as a Willie Nelson lookalike. One newspaper article described him as an "anti-NAFTA crusader". He received 429 votes (0.72%), finishing seventh against Conservative incumbent Scott Reid. Bens was born in Cold Lake, Alberta, and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Ottawa. He has a strong background in the labour movement, and has worked as an organizer for the Newspaper Guild and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, as well as small local unions. He also worked to assist the homeless in Ottawa. He was thirty-five years old during the election, and listed himself as an internet marketing specialist and business owner. He received 121 votes (0.20%), finishing sixth against Conservative candidate John Baird. Cochrane was fifty-three years old at the time of the election, with thirty-five years experience in industrial catering and as a restaurant owner. He listed himself as self-employed. He received 217 votes (0.32%), finishing sixth against Conservative candidate Jim Flaherty.