In a recent interview with the Peak, Liberal Party of Canada candidate Jennifer Lash responded to questions concerning the qathet region and the country as she campaigns to represent the North Island-Powell River riding as a member of parliament in Ottawa.
The resident of Sointula has a BA in political science from University of Toronto and a masters in climate leadership. She recently served as a senior advisor to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Peak: Why do you want to be an MP?
Lash: I have lived in the riding for 27 years and I have always voted NDP. In 2021, I went to the polling station. I love to vote but I wasn’t excited about it. I realized I was voting to keep the Conservatives out, not for the vision of what I wanted for me, my kids and for the riding.
So, I started to kick the tires of the Liberal party and see what they had to offer, and I liked what I saw. I liked the way that they could balance the economy with environmental protection and social programs. I really liked that and eventually started thinking that this is a great step-up and I should put my money where my mouth is.
I started thinking about running about a year ago. It’s a big commitment. So, I submitted my application and decided this is what I was going to do. I’m glad that I made this decision because the Liberal party is even better than what it was before.
Under Mark Carney’s leadership, we are seeing a party, and hopefully, a government, that’s really ready to take on what is happening in the United States and lead Canada into a whole new era. It’s an opportunity to define the country and who we are.
I’m super excited to be part of that and to be charting a new way forward, not only for Canada, but also for this riding.
Peak: How will your address the needs of qathet region constituents as MP when you live elsewhere in the riding?
Lash: I live in Sointula. So, the first thing I would have to do after the election is find a place to live, probably in Campbell River.
I understand what it is like to be from an isolated community. I understand the challenges. I also know what it is like dealing with a politician who only shows up during an election and doesn’t come back for the next four years. I have been insulted by that so I will not let that happen.
To me, the only way to understand how to develop federal policies properly is to understand how the communities are affected by it. I would make a point of being over here all the time so I understand what is going on and so I could represent constituents properly.
Peak: Why is your party best suited to address the needs of Canadians?
Lash: Mark Carney is laser-focused on defending this country against the economic and sovereignty threats from the United States. We need to diversify the economy so we’re no longer at the whim of an elected official from the United States.
We need to build. That includes building infrastructure, building housing and building projects. I really need to work with local people to understand what the projects are and what the priorities are, and how we can take federal dollars that are going to be available through building initiatives and do them here.
Mark Carney and the Liberal party are committed to caring for people. We have the dental care, pharmacare and the child benefit that has lifted thousands of kids out of poverty.
Defending, building and caring are the three priorities that I see in the Liberal party. I see that can be translated really well to this riding.
Peak: What do you feel is the right way to handle US president Donald Trump’s administration on the national stage?
Lash: I was impressed with Mark Carney when I found out he was running because of his pedigree with the Bank of Canada and Bank of England. When he said he would not talk to the president of the United States until he drops the 51st state issue, I thought, here’s a man who understands international politics.
We want to be defining who we are on our own terms. Mark Carney is the right prime minister for that and the Liberal party is the right party. My fundamental belief is that our leader is well-positioned to deal with the president of the United States.
Mark Carney is somebody who is clear on what he wants to do. He is the first to navigate us through this situation. We don’t want to be slowly trading away the way we do things. We want to be defining who we are on our own terms.
Peak: What makes you the best choice to represent the North Island-Powell River riding in Ottawa?
Lash: Having lived in the riding for 27 years, I have raised my family and have built my career here in an isolated community. I understand what it is like to live in and navigate in this riding. I get the culture and I understand the economy.
For the past two years, I’ve been a senior advisor to the federal government, so I understand how government works. Before that I spent years working to develop federal climate policy and oceans conservation policy, so I understand how federal policy is made.
I understand how Ottawa works. I understand the culture and the economy of this riding. That is what makes me the most qualified of all the candidates to go and do a bang-up job for this riding. I’m up for the challenge.
Also seeking to represent North Island-Powell River as MP are Aaron Gunn (Conservative Party of Canada), Tanille Johnston (New Democratic Party), Paul Macknight (People’s Party of Canada), Glen Staples (Independent) and Jessica Wegg (Green Party of Canada). An interview with Johnston was published yesterday. Wegg’s interview will be published later this week. Gunn and Macknight have not yet scheduled interviews offered by the Peak in March. Staples, who was a late entry in the race, will be contacted this week.
Powell River Chamber of Commerce will host an all-candidates meeting from 6 to 8 pm at Evergreen Theatre in Powell River Recreation Complex on Thursday, April 17.
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