Someone new will represent the Lambton-Kent-Middlesex riding in Ottawa, following the results of the October 21st federal election.
The riding has been Conservative since 2006 when MP Bev Shipley was elected to represent the area. However, in 2018, Shipley called it a career and announced that he would not seek re-election. Prior to Shipley's appointment, the riding was Liberal for a number of years.
Candidates campaign for the MP position include Conservative Party candidate Lianne Rood, Liberal Party candidate Jesse McCormick, New Democratic Party candidate Dylan McLay, Green Party candidate Anthony Li, People's Party candidate Bria Atkins, and Veterans Coalition Party candidate Rob Lalande. Details about the candidates and their party's platform can be found below.
Election day is on October 21, however, advance voting is scheduled to take place from October 11 until October 14. Residents can find out where they are supposed to vote by clicking here.
Candidates: Lambton-Kent Middlesex Riding
CONSERVATIVE PARTY:
[one_fourth last="no"]
Lianne Rood[/one_fourth][three_fourth last="yes"]
As a third-generation farmer and a businesswoman in Grand Bend, Lianne Rood said her number one priority is to make life a little less financially-stressful for residents. Rood won the conservative nomination in March. She said after speaking with residents while on the campaign trail, the majority of concerns deal with life being “unaffordable”.
“I’ve heard from small business owners, I’ve heard from folks in agriculture — and being farmer myself, I know how much of a struggle it is to get by,” said Rood. “Anything we can do to help folks get by is what we’re going to do. We want people to get ahead and we want to put more money in their pockets.”
Rood said she believes her party’s platform will help improve affordability by cutting down on some costs.
“Something that is going to help on a local level is scrapping the carbon tax, lowering personal taxes and taking GST off of home heating,” she said.
If elected, Rood will succeed incumbent MP Bev Shipley. As a member of Shipley’s parliamentary staff, Rood is no stranger to working alongside the long-time MP but this time it’s Shiply who is rooting for Rood throughout the campaign trail.
“He’s a great mentor to me,” she said. “I am so thankful that I have him as a mentor and I thank him for his service over the last number of years.”
The Conservative Party of Canada is being led by MP Andrew Scheer. Aside from introducing a universal tax cut, the Conservative’s have made promises to make maternity leave tax free and provide tax credits for kids’ activities, if successful at the voting polls.[/three_fourth]
LIBERAL PARTY:
[one_fourth last="no"]
Jesse McCormick[/one_fourth][three_fourth last="yes"]
Jesse McCormick is looking to represent an area he has known since birth. According to his candidate biography, McCormick was born and raised in Middlesex County. A couple of points McCormick is passionate about that align with the Liberal Party are in regards to environmental protection and strengthening the relationship with First Nation communities.
As stated in the biography, as a father himself, McCormick wants to help "shape key environmental policies" in order to help future generations. As a member of Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, McCormick said in the biography that he will remain committed to the reconciliation process.
The Liberal Party of Canada is being led by incumbent Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. According to the Liberals’ official website, they plan on making after-school programs more affordable for families, helping first-time home buyers by creating an incentive of up to 10% off the purchase price of a home that is $789,000 or less, and supporting entrepreneurs by cutting the small business tax rate.[/three_fourth]
NDP:
[one_fourth last="no"]
Dylan McLay[/one_fourth][three_fourth last="yes"]
After attempting to get involved in municipal politics, Dylan McLay is trying his hand at a federal level. McLay won the NDP nomination in September.
The NDP candidate may be familiar to some residents in Chatham-Kent as he ran for a position on council during the 2018 municipal election but was unsuccessful in that bid. Now, the Tupperville resident is getting involved in federal politics. McLay said the urge to get involved started with wanting to make a difference within the riding.
"I've sat back and watched year after year, election after election, issue after issue, go unaddressed," he said. "It's about giving the riding a voice...that's the hope."
Aside from just getting involved as a candidate, McLay said he wanted to run as an NDP candidate for many reasons - specifically because of their commitment to addressing inequality in every form.
"The inclusion policy of the party is second to none. They believe that everyone is, in fact, an equal being which is absolutely key this day and age," he said. "Their policies are very good in regards to small business. They're a party for the people without other agendas."
Some of the issues McLay would want to see addressed within the riding include providing more support for farmers, improving transit -- specifically for seniors and youth members -- and helping residents affected by water well issues.
The New Democratic Party of Canada is being led by MP Jagmeet Singh. According to the NDP's official website, their plans include implementing a pharmacare system, putting a cap on tuition fees as a step towards eventually making post-secondary education part of the public education system, and building more affordable housing.
[/three_fourth]
GREEN PARTY:
[one_fourth last="no"]
Anthony Li[/one_fourth][three_fourth last="yes"]
As a first-year medical student at Queen's University, Anthony Li said one of the key topics included in the Green Party's platform that appeals most to him has to do with improving health care. Li said there also some other key issues that he would like to see addressed, which include democratic reform and economic sustainability.
"Housing prices are [through] the roof because we have individuals from larger cities coming in and inflating the price," said Li. "The cost of living is just too high and we have to do things about that, whether it's covering pharmacare, covering basic dental care for low-income [residents], whether it's implementing a seniors strategy or making sure that big corporations don't receive the tax breaks that they're getting."
Li is no stranger when it comes to campaigning as he also ran as a Green Party candidate during the 2018 provincial election. Since then, Li said he has noticed a shift in environmental concerns, which he believes may help more Green Party candidates get elected this fall.
"Even from last year's provincial election, the response I've perceived from the community has changed considerably," said Li. "Last election, people had climate change on their mind, they knew about the environment... but in this election, it has really been a huge target issue, it's one of the issues Canadians care most about because of how dire the situation is."
Li admits that with the current election climate, it may be easier to not follow politics, but he's hoping more people become informed.
"This is a very important election. Canadians need a change from the status quo. We need good government, a democratic reform, we need to act on climate change, and we need sustainable growth for our economy," said Li.
The Green Party of Canada is being led by MP Elizabeth May. The Green Party's platform consists of addressing climate change by cutting carbon emissions, cancelling the Trans Mountain pipeline, and renewing the National Forest Registry. The 2019 platform also includes the reconciliation of Indigenous Peoples by developing a national strategy for housing and clean water.[/three_fourth]
PEOPLE'S PARTY:
[one_fourth last="no"]
Bria Atkins[/one_fourth][three_fourth last="yes"]
As a business owner and a supply teacher for the public school board, Bria Lee Atkins has kept busy in trying to raise awareness of a new party that will show up on the ballot this year. Atkins won the People's Party nomination in July, the party itself just recently formed in 2018.
Originally from Wallaceburg, Atkins has lived in Dresden with her husband for about a decade. Atkins said she never intended on getting involved in politics, however, she said the climate of today's society and the development of a new party spurred her into action. Atkins said a major point she makes sure to mention to people while out on the campaign trail, is the PPC's plan for an income tax reform if elected this fall.
"With the People's Party there is going to be an income tax reduction and it's going to positively impact every income bracket. For example, the base income for our low-income citizens is going to be raised up to $15,000 before any tax," she said. "Anything from $15,000 up to $100,000 is a flat tax rate of 15% and once income is over $100,000 the tax rate is a flat tax rate of 25%"
Another point to the PPC platform has to do with free speech, in allowing Canadians to express their opinions without the fear of being sued or censored. Atkins said the definition of hate speech has become "muddy" and hard to define as of late.
"If [people] are saying things... which our party does not welcome, for instance, racism, our party does not welcome racism and we do not align with those ideas but those people still should have the right to say what they believe. Then, we can largely shame them in the public square and let them know that the masses do not agree," said Atkins. "As far as criminalizing it, we believe that it's a very slippery slope as far as where the definition begins and ends and it could potentially eat up a lot of our justice system's time that could be better spent."
The People's Party of Canada is being led by MP Maxime Bernier. The People's Party platform includes allowing Canada's oil and gas industry to grow, restructuring the refugee policy, and "rejecting alarmism" in regards to global warming.[/three_fourth]
VETERANS COALITION PARTY:
[one_fourth last="no"]
Rob Lalane[/one_fourth][three_fourth last="yes"]
The Veterans Coalition of Canada (VCP) party is being led by Randy David Joy. According to the VCP's website, their policies include repealing the United Nations Compact, implementing a short-term moratorium on internal aid, and making sure Canadian Forces are given adequate funding. Further details about the party can be found on its website.[/three_fourth]