The Liberal Party of Canada’s candidate in Cariboo-Prince George believes his party’s leader is best suited to navigate Canada through the escalating trade war with the U.S.
The Citizen spoke to Clinton Emslie by phone on Monday, April 7 while he was in the Vancouver area, where he said he was due to attend an event with Liberal Leader Mark Carney and BC election candidates.
Originally from South Africa, Emslie said, he and his partner came to Quesnel in late 2023 from Ontario so they could be closer to their goddaughter who lives in Prince George.
He runs both an immigration practice and business consultancy out of the Gold Pan City.
Though this is his first time running for public office, Emslie said he’s been politically active for a long time, working with former Mississauga mayor and current Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie on what he called grassroots initiatives and receiving a community leadership award in 2018 from former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
As someone in a same-sex relationship, Emslie said a large part of why he was drawn to run to the Liberals he feels it is the party most welcoming to marginalized people.
“For me, working with marginalized communities like the LGBTQ side of the world and all the First Nations is where my passions lie because they are the communities that need a loud voice to fight for them and to stand up for them when decisions are made,” he said.
He said strong leadership is needed to get through these challenging times with the U.S., which is where Liberal Leader Mark Carney comes in.
Emslie touted Carney’s doctorate in economics and tenures as both the governor of the Bank of Canada and later the Bank of England, saying other party leaders don’t compare.
“Mark Carney got us through the 2008 financial crisis,” Emslie said. “That alone says a lot in terms of getting us through this next crisis. We’ve got four years of hell on our table with what’s going on down south and having someone strong enough to deal with that and to professionally challenge the U.S. president … is what we need.”
The part of the local economy that Emslie said he thinks will be most hit by the escalating Canada-U.S. trade war is forestry.
He said the region needs to diversify what it offers to the rest of Canada and develop it as a tourism destination. He said it could host travel lodges, sporting events, canoe marathons down the Fraser River and invest in accommodations to welcome more visitors at once.
On the cost of living, Emslie said Carney has already moved to scrap the carbon tax and is promising a middle-class tax cut.
During his opportunity to speak with Carney, Emslie said he wanted to raise mental health and drug concerns, homelessness, tourism and reducing interprovincial barriers for skilled professionals and reconciliation.
He criticized the BC Government’s drug decriminalization and safe supply programs, saying it isn’t logical to provide addicts with drugs.
Before Emslie was announced as the Liberals’ candidate in Cariboo-Prince George, CNC instructor Chris Beach announced he had been acclaimed as the party’s representative before eventually being told he had been rejected.
Emslie said he wasn’t familiar with Beach or that situation.
On April 15, Emslie said he will attend an all-candidates forum in Vanderhoof. He also said he plans to host town halls, including in Prince George, during the campaign.
Since Cariboo-Prince George was first contested in 2004, it has only ever voted in Conservative members of Parliament.
“You need to vote for the right guy for the job,” Emslie said. “It’s not just about (party) colour here … we’ve got bigger issues on the table than differences. We’ve got economic challenges, we’ve got other challenges and having the right people at the table at this point in time is really how people should be voting, instead of the emotional side of it.”
Those interested in following Emslie’s campaign can visit facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574675801389. Election day is April 28.
