By Chad Ingram
Published March 14 2019
The NDP candidate for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock for the fall’s federal election is reminding voters that they have more than two parties to choose from.
The NDP riding association chose Lindsay-based activist Barbara Doyle as its candidate during a nomination meeting in late February.
“We’ve seen what the Conservatives have done in this riding for decades now” Doyle says adding it’s time for change that will improve the lives of residents.
From Lindsay Doyle has a background in legal administration and has been involved in activism and advocacy for many years.
“I became involved in justice issues” she says explaining her activism has included work around greater supports and easier navigation of the justice system for victims of domestic violence. “I saw the need for social services and support in so many different areas.”
Along with justice reforms affordable housing universal pharmacare support for the skilled trades and policies to combat climate change are among Doyle’s priorities.
She says in addition to embracing more green technology Canadians must reduce their reliance on fossil fuels a cultural change that must be led by the federal government.
“We can’t keep propping it up” she says of the oil industry noting it has a strong proponent in her opponent HKLB MP Jamie Schmale. “He’s really a nice guy . . . he’s very much in favour of pipelines and the fossil fuel industry.”
“Fighting climate change must be at the top of our priorities” Doyle said in a press release. “It is not a matter of recycling and putting a blue bin at the end of the driveway anymore. It has become an issue that our government has to take seriously. It’s not done by being a Conservative mouthpiece for the fossil fuel industry. It’s not done by buying a pipeline at the cost of $4.5 billion.
“It is entirely possible for Canada to become 100 per cent renewable in the next decades and by 2050 we can have a 100 per cent clean economy. But in order to do that we need real leadership in the House of Commons. Someone who isn’t shy about wanting to end fossil fuel subsidies raise royalties on resources increase income taxes on corporations carbon tax and dividend and most importantly move to a more locally based economy by ending trade deals that directly interfere with sustaining and investing in our local economies.”
Doyle says she intends to hold town hall meetings and conduct door-to-door canvassing throughout the riding once the snow has dissipated.
“We’re following the federal platform but also want to take it to a local level” she tells the paper adding she wants to talk to residents about what their concerns and priorities are.
Doyle is asked about NDP leader Jagmeet Singh who many political pundits throughout the country seem to have assessed as weak and unable to gain traction. Singh has been leader of the party for more than year and recently won a seat in the House of Commons in a by-election in Burnaby B.C.
Doyle says Singh is relatively new to federal politics and believes Canadians will really take to him once they get to know him a bit better.
“Now that he has a seat in Burnaby he’ll be able to do a lot more work in the house” she says. “They’ll see he’s different and he’s not the same old politician we’ve always had.”
“It’s not just a two-party system” she adds.
The election takes place Oct. 21.
