Tag Archives: NDP Canada

Politics

Pierre Poilievre aims to turn B.C. coast blue at NDP’s expense

Editor’s opinion: Prior to NDP candidate Rachel Blaney’s election in 2015, our area (North Island-Powell River) was a Conservative stronghold for 7 years. Blaney won 40.2% of the popular vote, as opposed to the Conservatives 26.2%. Since then, the Conservatives have slowly been increasing their numbers in North Island-Powell River. They lost by 5.3% in 2019 and only 3.5% in 2021. Now that Blaney has decided not to run in the next election, the Conservatives have a chance to retake the riding. As of this morning, 338Canada’s projections show the Conservative Party of Canada taking as many as 5 of Vancouver Island’s 7 seats and the most likely riding to switch is North Island-Powell River.

(This is by no means certain and any swing to the right would most likely have less momentum in the Cortes, Quadra and the other Discovery Islands – which tend to lean more to the left than Campbell River.)  

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Long before the next election, Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre is setting his sights on winning seats on Vancouver Island, despite the NDP’s domination over the past decade. 

The NDP holds six of the region’s seven ridings, with the exception of Green Party Leader Elizabeth May’s Saanich-Gulf Island riding. 

Continue reading Pierre Poilievre aims to turn B.C. coast blue at NDP’s expense →
Politics

Rachel Blaney will not seek reelection in 2025

After close to a decade as the Member of Parliament for North Island-Powell River, Rachel Blaney announced that she will not run in the next Federal Election.

“It was a very hard decision to make but, sadly, I have family issues that have come to the forefront. I recognize that time is precious and this is a long commute back and forth, so I’m happy to be able to continue until 2025 and stay till the next election . Going past that would have meant missing precious time with someone I love greatly, so I had to make a very hard and bittersweet decision,” she explained.

Continue reading Rachel Blaney will not seek reelection in 2025 →
Politics

Greenwashing death threats ‘show you who the Conservatives are,’ NDP leader says

By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson & Rochelle Baker, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh slammed the federal Conservatives on Wednesday for spreading falsehoods that left his party’s natural resources critic facing death threats and homophobic slurs. 

Earlier this week, Canada’s National Observer reported that NDP MP Charlie Angus had been “inundated” by calls from people — mostly men — threatening and insulting him for tabling a bill to rein in misleading advertising by the fossil fuel industry. If successful, Bill C-372 would prohibit oil and gas companies from marketing their products as a solution to climate change. 

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Jobs

Unions to Get More Power with Replacement Worker Ban

Editors note: The 300 or so employees of Rogers Communications Inc currently on strike in Campbell River, belong to  United Steel Workers, Local 1944.

According to statistics Canada, 29.7% of British Columbia’s workforce was unionized in 2022. While the word ‘union’ does not appear to be used often in our area, teachers working at the Cortes and Quadra Island schools are members of the Campbell River District Teacher’s Association. School District 72’s other employees belong to CUPE 723. CUPE 401 represents Vancouver Island Public Library employees on Cortes, Quadra and throughout Vancouver Island, as well as staff working for the city of Campbell River. United Steelworkers Local 1-1937 represents forestry workers and the 82 unionized workers at Strathcona Gardens Recreation Complex. There are undoubtedly more examples of unions in our remote corner of the globe.

In addition to the union aspect, this story is of local interest because it is about the struggle to obtain a liveable wage while prices continue to rise.    

By  Zak Vescera, The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Raine Wright yells into his megaphone as men in neon yellow jackets circle around a chain-link gate outside an East Vancouver industrial yard.

They’re members of United Steelworkers Local 1944, some of the roughly 300 technicians who have been locked out by telecom giant Rogers after contract talks broke down and the union announced it would launch rotating strikes.

Continue reading Unions to Get More Power with Replacement Worker Ban →
Politics

‘There’s a reason we call ourselves Alberta’s NDP,’ says Van Tighem

By Laurie Tritschler, Shootin’ the Breeze, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Kevin Van Tighem, NDP candidate for Livingstone-Macleod, was careful to differentiate his party from its federal cousins when he addressed Pincher Creek’s mayor and council on Monday.

“There’s a reason we call ourselves Alberta’s NDP,” he said, recalling that party leader and former premier Rachel Notley “went to war” with Jagmeet Singh’s Canadian New Democrats after her government backed the federal Liberals’ Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion project.

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