Federal candidates hit the campaign trail

By Leah Bauer

Advocate Correspondent

It is safe to say that the last few months in Canadian politics have been very calm with little occurring that is worth noting… other than the fact that we recently re-elected Ontario Premier Doug Ford for a second term, switched out our Prime Ministers after an internal Liberal election, and are enduring multiple threats to our economy and sovereignty from the President of the United States, nothing has really happened.

On March 23rd, Prime Minister Mark Carney requested the Governor General dissolve Parliament which kick-started a Federal Election across Canada.

Election day is on April 28, 2025 and advance polling takes place April 18-21. Visit Elections.ca for information on where to vote.

Regardless of your personal political leanings, we can all agree that this election is different, there is more at stake for Canadians than in the 2021 election. Extreme rises in the cost of living, the controversial carbon tax, tariff threats, and concerns about the sovereignty of Canada are all dominating Canadian’s sentiments in this election. The importance of this (and every election) cannot be understated and it is important to be aware of the candidates running in our riding of Haldimand-Norfolk.

GREEN PARTY

Nathan Hawkins

At the leadership level, the Green Party has two co-leaders: Jonathan Pedneault and Elizabeth May. However, Pedneault will take on “singular leadership roles” as required by certain aspects of the campaign. At the local level, representing the Green Party of Canada is Brantford native Nathan Hawkins. Hawkins grew up in Brantford, and lives in Kitchener, but is a regular visitor of Haldimand-Norfolk as he is a passionate fisherman.

Hawkins is excited to run as the Green party candidate in Haldimand-Norfolk. He has been a Green party supporter, stating that the election of Jean Chretien was the last time he voted anything other than Green. His allegiance lies in his concerns about climate change, Great Lakes conservation, and his belief that we need to be funding research on how to use tech to improve and advance sustainable farming practices.

When asked about concerns in regards to dividing the left-leaning votes, he says he does not view the Green Party as a party of the left, but rather a party of the centre. Haldimand-Norfolk is exaggeratedly Conservative (the last non-Conservative candidate federally was Bob Speller in 1988). Seeing this, Hawkins hopes to work with potential Conservative voters to demonstrate that his politics lie in the centre as opposed to the left. His personal views of the party being left leaning differ from the policies published in the Green party’s election platform.

NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Shannon Horner

The federal New Democratic Party (NDP) is led by Jagmeet Singh, who has led the party since 2017. Locally, Shannon Horner is running as the NDP candidate. Horner is a “steel worker who’s been a longtime resident of Haldimand-Norfolk.”

The NDP of Haldimand-Norfolk are aware that the party has not performed well historically in the riding. They are looking to build support, increase their vote count, and present a real alternative to break the Conservative hold on the riding. They describe themselves as a grassroots riding association, which means they “can't spend $90,000 on federal campaigns like the Liberals or the Conservatives.” Regardless of their position, the NDP are unafraid and aware stating, “Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was the NDP.”

In regards to policy, the NDP takes a strong stance against corporate greed, the housing crisis, and works to support community development and affordable housing projects. They also referenced reforms to our tax system such as eliminating income tax on those making $19,500 or below yearly, elimination of the GST on home energy bills, cellular and internet bills, children’s clothes, and pre-made meals from the grocery stores.

CHRISTIAN HERITAGE PARTY

Lily Eggink

The Christian Heritage Party (CHP) advocates for Canada to be governed according to Christian principles and ethics. The party is founded on the idea that the federal government should ensure security, freedom, and justice for all of its citizens from conception to natural death.

Lily Eggink, CHP’s Haldimand-Norfolk candidate, describes herself as: “a single mother who is courageous, a small business owner, and a missionary who fights for what is right.”

Eggink believes the foundational principles of the Canadian Constitution of Charter of Human Rights is found in the preamble. “Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.”

Eggink described how the CHP looks at needs and societal problems and seeks a viable solution based on God’s morals, values, and laws. She stated, “Canadian’s morals are constantly changing and are on a downward trend. Our families, society and economy are following suit. Returning to God’s morals is the only viable solution to Canada’s problems, and CHP is the only party that stands with God.”

If elected as MP, Eggink says she would work to restore the family unit, influenced by the idea that “a great country begins in the homes it consists of.”

PEOPLE’S PARTY OF CANADA

Henry Geissler

The People’s Party of Canada (PPC) is fronted by Maxime Bernier who famously left the Conservative caucus in 2018 to form the PPC. Since then, the PPC took a strong stance against the Covid regulations, and many aspects of what they see as authoritarian leadership in Canada.

The PPC has accepted Henry Geissler as their candidate for Haldimand-Norfolk. Geissler is a resident of Hagersville who has various experiences in different fields. He is currently working as a snow plow driver, and also has experience as a gas fitter. His experiences prior to politics lies in what he refers to as the “grunt work.” His motivation for entering politics is less focused on personal advancements and more on the fact that he wanted to vote for the PPC and no other candidate had stepped up.

Regardless of his seemingly unlikely background, Geissler offers many opinions and solutions on the current situation of Canada. He believes that governments must allow for dissension and disagreement citing his fear of “authoritarianism creeping into the fabric of our society.” While the PPC gained notoriety as a party which combatted the ‘excess of government authority’ in regards to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, Geissler agrees the party and Bernier have used their same strong stance to combat this issue in all areas of Canadian governance.

CONSERVATIVE PARTY

Dr. Leslyn Lewis

The Conservatives are headed by Pierre Poilievre, who has led the party since 2022. While he is a right-wing politician, he has used this campaign to distance himself from the right-wing US President who continuously threatens to make Canada the 51st state.

Dr. Leslyn Lewis’s bid for the Leader of the Conservative Party in 2021 led her to be critical of Poilievre, though since then she has represented Haldimand-Norfolk as our elected Conservative MP.

Lewis states that representing the ‘hard-working people of Haldimand-Norfolk in Parliament has been the greatest honour of her life.’ She is aware that people are anxious because of Trump’s tariff and annexation threats which add to the economic pressures which people are already facing. Lewis states that she is committed to standing up for farmers and workers in facing the threat of U.S tariffs.

Lewis highlighted how a Conservative government will prioritize making life affordable again by scrapping all carbon taxes for everyone, both on the consumer side and on our farmers and industries. Directly relating to our community, Lewis is proud to have worked on the issue of orphaned gas wells at the federal level. She believes that more must be done to address the thousands of orphaned wells still posing health and safety concerns.

LIBERAL PARTY

Colin Walsh

The Liberal Party has experienced a tumultuous few months. The final months of 2024 represented the beginning of the end for longtime Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which was finalized by his arguably forced decision to step down. This resulted in the internal Liberal election wherein former Central Banker Mark Carney won out to former Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland, eventually assuming the position of Prime Minister.

At the local level, community-based French teacher Colin Walsh also experienced many changes in relation to his position in and around politics. Initially, his goal was to get involved as a volunteer for the Liberal party in the Ontario election. As the inevitable Federal Election was called he was inspired to run as a candidate to avoid the likely possibility of having a candidate ‘parachuted’ into the community. His contempt for parachute candidates is demonstrated in his critique of his campaign’s strong adversary Dr. Leslyn Lewis. Walsh doubts her ability to listen and engage with the community, arguing that the incumbent candidate seems to be more concerned with her own political career than with the concerns of her constituents.

The Liberal Party of Canada is represented by leader Mark Carney, who Walsh believes is the man to lead us through the economic crisis in Canada. Walsh believes in Carney’s centrist politics and fiscally conservative agenda regarding the economy and trade. Walsh highlighted how Carney worked to improve free trade within his first week in office, strengthening ties with alternative trade partners as well as setting goals to improve internal trade amongst provinces and territories.