Rachel Blaney, federal New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate for the newly configured North Island-Powell River riding, wants to reconnect citizens to Ottawa.
In Powell River with Nathan Cullen, NDP finance critic and Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP, at a town hall meeting on Friday, February 13, Blaney said what led her to seek the NDP nomination was a sense that the voice of the riding is not being expressed in the federal government.
“As I’ve gone through the riding, I’m hearing a lot of information from people about feeling a large disconnect,” she said. “They are wanting to see more focus on making sure we have a good health care system. There are a lot of concerns about the environment, where we are going with that and how we could do better. There is a lot of focus, also, on jobs.
“There is strong need for employment and a desire to see employment and good-paying jobs really benefiting the community in addition to working with the environment.”
Blaney said a lot of people watch logs floating down the ocean or driving away in trucks and those logs are going to other countries.
“I think we really need to take a look at what we are as a country and look at how we are making sure to take care of the everyday Canadian.”
Blaney said she feels the NDP is the party to move forward with those strategies and she’s “really excited” to do this work.
In the newly configured riding, Powell River once again joins northern Vancouver Island in a federal electoral area. Powell River is currently part of a mainland riding called West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country.
When asked about how she would represent Powell River, Blaney said there are a lot of ferries in the riding, complicating travel, but she said it’s important to spend time in all of the communities.
“I’m really dedicated to doing that,” she said. “Since I was awarded the candidacy, I’ve already been in Powell River three times. I’m out there, I’m knocking on doors and looking forward to speaking to people.”
Blaney is a Campbell River resident. She is the executive director of the Multicultural and Immigrant Services Association of Northern Vancouver Island.
