The federal Liberals seemed to stumble as the federal election campaign got going last week.
It took several days after the formal election call for the Liberals to name a candidate in Cariboo-Prince George, an announcement that took an odd turn when the federal Liberal campaign notified The Citizen that Chris Beach was not, in fact, an official candidate.
This despite Beach holding a formal campaign launch surrounded by Liberal signs and announcing that he had been acclaimed. Beach called it a bureaucratic mixup. We’ll see how that plays out.
Meanwhile, there’s no word on a Liberal candidate in Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies.
Both ridings have been Conservative strongholds for years. Cariboo-Prince George has been represented by Todd Doherty since 2015 and Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies has been in the hands of Bob Zimmer since 2011.
This less-then-ambitious approach to campaigning could mean the Liberal party is worried about the tough challenge these ridings present.
Or maybe the leadership had time finding someone willing to run against the longtime Conservative incumbents.
It’s hard to know, as the party doesn’t have a local riding association so there’s nobody to ask.
No matter the reason, the Liberals’ disinterest in Prince George is an issue.
If the Conservatives win, it’ll be important for leader Pierre Poilievre to make sure Prince George and Northern BC get some attention in Ottawa.
This region has always felt ignored by the federal government and a Conservative victory could be a chance to finally change that. Northern BC has unique challenges — mostly around its resource-based economy and vast, rural areas —and it’s been overlooked for too long.
One way Poilievre could show us some support would be to name at least one of our MPs, if re-elected, to cabinet.
On the flip side, if the Liberals pull off a win, it’s a real opportunity for Mark Carney to show that he can unite the country, as he promised when he took over as party leader.
But for Carney to make good on that, he’ll need to listen to the people of Northern BC. He can’t just focus on big urban centres; he needs to make sure our voices in the north are heard and our needs are addressed. If he can make that happen, he’ll prove his leadership is about more than just winning an election. It’ll show he’s committed to all Canadians, not just those in the biggest cities.
As for the incumbents, Doherty and Zimmer have strong track records. In the 2021 election, Doherty won with 50.8 per cent of the vote, and Zimmer got 60.7 per cent.
The Liberals, however, have had a harder time making headway in these ridings.
In 2021, Prince George Coun. Garth Frizzell’s Cariboo-Prince George Liberal campaign managed only16.6 per cent of the vote.
That was a decline from the previous election, showing that the Liberals are struggling to break through here — something made clear by their apparent lack of interest in these ridings this time around.
The NDP has its candidates, with Angie Bonazzo running in Cariboo-Prince George and Cory “Grizz” Longley in Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies.
The Green Party and People’s Party of Canada are also in the mix, with Jodie Capling and Mary Forbes running for the Greens and David Watson and Rudy Sans representing the PPC.
While these parties are unlikely to win in these traditionally Conservative areas, they’re still important as they help shape the conversation.
Post-election, Northern BC needs to be at the table when decisions are being made in Ottawa.
Our region has significant potential. However, the only way that potential can turn into employment opportunities and tax revenue to pay for services such as healthcare, seniors support, and public safety, is if the newly elected government makes it a priority
The stakes are high, and the people of this region deserve a federal government that will truly represent us, no matter who forms it.
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