Almost four years since Cory Longley placed second in Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies, the NDP candidate says he’s a more optimistic person this time around.
The former Dawson Creek radio host-turned-plumber and union activist is challenging Conservative incumbent Bob Zimmer once again.
During a phone interview from Haida Gwaii, where he was picking up what he referred to as his “mobile command centre,” Longley said he wasn’t satisfied with the result in the 2021 election.
“I was disappointed, but I’m also realistic,” Longley said.
“The Conservative machine has been in place for a long, long time and it’s tough for a person that’s progressive and actually care about people to break through that sometimes, so I thought I would give it another try because I deserve it and so does every member of my riding.”
The last time that Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies elected a non-Conservative MP was between 1968 and 1972, when Robert Borrie served as the Liberal representative for the area.
Longley said that when you look at where the riding is since the last election, including what Zimmer has accomplished, not much has changed.
“Hardly anything (has changed) other than the temperature down south has been turned up and we’re looking for our leaders to help us out with what’s going to be happening in the future and whether or not we’re going to have jobs, whether or not Americans are going to try to turn us into a 51st state, tariff our health care, that kind of stuff,” Longley said.
“We need strong leadership and I haven’t seen it in the riding, so I’d like to offer myself to provide that.”
Speaking of his opponent, Longley criticized Zimmer’s past comments on Indigenous people and what he described as voting against LGBTQ rights.
As a former Navy reservist, Longley said he has a hard time taking the Vichy and Quislings who want Canada to concede to the United States seriously.
Vichy refers to the Nazi-aligned rump state created after the Nazis conquered France in 1940 while Quisling refers to a Nazi collaborator who led Norway’s puppet government after that country was conquered.
He said it’s important for Canada to take U.S. President Donald Trump as well as the challenges and opportunities he presents seriously, pointing to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s recent victory bonds campaign plank.
During the world wars, countries like Canada sold bonds to residents to help finance its war efforts that were repayable with interest after a certain term.
Singh has proposed bringing these back to help the country through the escalating trade war with the U.S.
Though Liberal Leader Mark Carney has promised to get the federal government back in the business of building homes if re-elected, Longley criticized the Liberals for stopping the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation from doing that back in the 90s.
Longley highlighted the NDP’s policies on housing, including letting homes be built on federal lands.
“The NDP believes that houses are for people, they’re not for corporations,” Longley said. “When you talk about Mark Carney, you’ve got to remember where Mark is coming from. He’s an investor.”
On affordability, Longley touted the NDP’s promised middle-class tax cut and said they want to refocus manufacturing in Canada after other parties got rid of the country’s ability to be self-reliant by selling off Petro-Canada and the Canadian Wheat Board to the private sector.
At the time of the interview, the Liberals had yet to nominate a candidate in Longley’s riding. Citing the NDP’s work to establish pharmacare and dental care programs in the last Parliament, he said local Liberals should consider supporting him.
“I would encourage you to vote for Cory ‘Grizz’ Longley because I’m going to work hard for you,” he said. “In fact, my beliefs will line up more with yours than the Conservative candidate without a doubt.”
