Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Conservatives in Vancouver Island’s northern riding are aiming for an electoral hat trick as a federal election draws near.
Federal Conservative candidate Aaron Gunn held a True North Strong and Free election rally in Campbell River Thursday night that drew about 200 attendees.
Continue reading Conservatives aim for right-wing trifecta on northern Vancouver Island
Jennifer Lash has been working at the intersection of the economy, ocean conservation, climate change and reconciliation for the past 27 years. She founded two non-profit organizations in Sointula and more recently was a senior advisor in the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Now she is running for election in North Island-Powell River.
“In the situation we’re in right now, with the dire need for strong leadership both at the riding level and nationally. We’re not getting that leadership from the NDP and the Conservative Party. Whether you’re voting for the leader; whether you’re voting for the party; or whether you’re voting strategically: I think the best choice this year is Liberal,” she explained.
Continue reading Jennifer Lash, the Liberal Candiate for North Island-Powell RiverEnvironmental Defence just released a report showing that last year oil and gas company lobbyists were targeting the Conservative Party, in preference to the Canadian Government, by more than a 2 to 1 ratio. Cortes Currents interviewed Emilia Belliveau, lead author of ‘Big Oil’s Playbook, A Summary of Big Oil’s 2024 Federal Lobbying’ and asked Max Thaysen, from the Cortes Island Climate Action Network for his insights.
Emilia Belliveau: “Environmental Defence is a charity, so we are nonpartisan. What I can do is simply relay the facts, which are that the Bloc Québécois and the Green Party did not take any lobbyist meetings. The NDP took a very small number, four. Then you have most of the lobby meetings targeting the Federal Liberals and the Federal Conservatives. The Federal Liberals had 62 meetings with ministers and 29 meetings with backbencher MPs, and Conservative MPs took 216 lobby meetings.”
Continue reading A Peek Into Big Oil’s Playbook with Environmental DefenceAfter trailing far behind in the polls for the better part of two years, the Liberal party’s prospects appear to be on the rise nationally, and the gap between the Conservatives and NDP is narrowing in our riding. Canada’s two leading political forecasting websites, 338Canada and CBC’s poll tracker, still show the Conservatives in the front, but no longer predict a Conservative majority. Last week Ipsos and EKOS both released polls showing the Liberal party edging into the lead. However Innovative Research, Abacus Data, Leger, and Nanos all reported the Conservatives were still ahead.
Continue reading Polls Suggest Gap Narrowing Nationally, And In Our RidingNDP candidate Tanille Johnson recently visited Cortes Island, where 20 people were waiting to see her in the Pioneer Room at Mansons Hall. The event was sponsored by Cortes Island’s Climate Action Network, which also provided lunch.
Johnson said she prefers small meetings like this, “I’ve been spending most of my time going to people’s houses, meeting with their friends, I like to think that I’m a very truthful, honest person and I actually care about what happens in this riding. It means a lot to me, like my family, generations and generations, lived here.”
Continue reading NDP Candidate Tanillle Johnson Visits Cortes Island
