‘Team Canada first': Tight race between Liberals, Conservatives in Calgary Confederation
Considered a fiercely contested riding, Calgary Confederation was forecast to be neck-and-neck leading up to Monday's federal election.
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The Calgary constituency is considered to be one of the few Alberta ridings where a Liberal win is within reach, according to political analysts.
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Projections by 338Canada on election day pinned Calgary Confederation at 45 per cent support compared for the Liberals, versus 44 per cent for the Conservatives. The NDP trailed at six per cent.
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The riding's three frontrunners are Conservative Jeremy Nixon, a former MLA for Calgary-Klein in Alberta's UCP government; Liberal Corey Hogan, a podcaster and vice-president of communications and community engagement at the University of Calgary; and Keira Gunn, a university instructor who holds a PhD in pure mathematics from U of C.
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He called the current state of the relationship with Canada's southern neighbour 'divisive.'
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'Locally, I think people are pretty unified, everybody's like 'Team Canada first',' said Collings, who works in the tech sector.
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Other issues on the ballot this election were food and energy security, he added.
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He believes the issues are pretty well addressed by the main parties on the ballot.
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an hour ago
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‘A very ambitious agenda': Alberta MP to support minister of energy and natural resources' efforts
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CH: I think first and foremost, we all know that we need to rebuild relationships. It's been a bit of a rocky time between Alberta and Canada, as far as governments go, and this is great. We've turned a page. We've got more constructive conversations and constructive relationships. Constructive conversations is the foundation on which we're going to build our future ambitions, whether they be energy corridors, increasing production, or whatever the case may be. So the prime minister and the premier are setting foundations for lots of great work to come. MH: How prepared are you for hurdles in navigating the road forward with the Smith government? CH: It's always good in theory and then the rubber hits the road, and I think what we need to make sure is that we're able to get through those hurdles. It's a goodwill relationship, and so it's part of why it's so important that they've gotten off on the right foot, the prime minister and the premier. So my job will be trying to make sure that we stay on the right foot as we walk down that road. MH: There was a degree of reaction in this province, even disappointment, over the fact you were not named to Mark Carney's cabinet. How do you engage those who say that because you're one of only two liberal MPs elected in Alberta, you should have a portfolio. CH: The reality is, there's 164 Liberal MPs that could be in cabinet, we all want to be in cabinet, we don't all get to be in cabinet, but because I am the sole Liberal in Calgary, I assure you there's still a very strong voice in this very strong place at the table for me to bring forward those issues and those concerns. I think that's in part reflected with this appointment that just happened. MH: It's only been a few weeks in Ottawa now, but what have you tackled post election? What has been the priority? CH: There's a lot of parliamentary nuts and bolts that need to happen whenever you've got a new government. 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I've had lots of constructive conversations with my fellow Calgary MPs such as Greg McLean. We like to say that we share custody of the Bow River, and we're continuing to find common ground on a number of things. You saw that as recently as yesterday, where the Conservatives were happy to support the tax cut that was brought forward by this government. MH: How much is dialogue over the prospect of a referendum on separation weighing on your responsibilities in representing this province in the House of Commons? CH: It's a big part of why I ran. I wanted to make sure that I was able to be a strong pro-Canada voice, and I thought that we needed a strong pro-Canada voice. So that's a bit of my why. It weighs on everything, in a sense, but I also don't want to overstate it. We've seen polls that have support for separation anywhere from 20 to 35 per cent in terms of more mainstream polls, and that's roughly where it's been for a long time. That's obviously too high. We don't want Albertans to feel that they can only meet their ambitions outside of this country, but it is definitely a very minority opinion, and so you're always trying to strike a balance between addressing those concerns and not giving too much oxygen to those concerns but it weighs heavily. It comes up regularly. It's something that we talk about. It's certainly something everybody in the house is aware of, Liberal or Conservative, and it's something we know needs to be addressed. MH: Two weeks left in this short sitting of Parliament, though the PM indicating during a news conference today that may be extended. What should Albertans expect your government to accomplish in what remains of that sitting window? CH: We'll get through the bills that I was just talking about. We'll strengthen the border. We'll bring in a middle class tax cut and we'll get that through completion. We'll get interprovincial trade barriers down, among many other things. 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CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
‘A very ambitious agenda': Alberta MP to support minister of energy and natural resources' efforts
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CH: I think first and foremost, we all know that we need to rebuild relationships. It's been a bit of a rocky time between Alberta and Canada, as far as governments go, and this is great. We've turned a page. We've got more constructive conversations and constructive relationships. Constructive conversations is the foundation on which we're going to build our future ambitions, whether they be energy corridors, increasing production, or whatever the case may be. So the prime minister and the premier are setting foundations for lots of great work to come. MH: How prepared are you for hurdles in navigating the road forward with the Smith government? CH: It's always good in theory and then the rubber hits the road, and I think what we need to make sure is that we're able to get through those hurdles. It's a goodwill relationship, and so it's part of why it's so important that they've gotten off on the right foot, the prime minister and the premier. So my job will be trying to make sure that we stay on the right foot as we walk down that road. MH: There was a degree of reaction in this province, even disappointment, over the fact you were not named to Mark Carney's cabinet. How do you engage those who say that because you're one of only two liberal MPs elected in Alberta, you should have a portfolio. CH: The reality is, there's 164 Liberal MPs that could be in cabinet, we all want to be in cabinet, we don't all get to be in cabinet, but because I am the sole Liberal in Calgary, I assure you there's still a very strong voice in this very strong place at the table for me to bring forward those issues and those concerns. I think that's in part reflected with this appointment that just happened. MH: It's only been a few weeks in Ottawa now, but what have you tackled post election? What has been the priority? CH: There's a lot of parliamentary nuts and bolts that need to happen whenever you've got a new government. We had the throne speech, the king was here. That throne speech sets out a very ambitious agenda which includes eliminating interprovincial trade barriers, includes building the strongest economy in the G7 through bringing a tax cut to 22 million Canadians, and also removing GST on new home builds, among many other things. Getting that through the House of Commons is job number one, and from there, we're also looking to strengthen our borders, and we are also looking to strengthen competitiveness more broadly. So bills have been introduced or will be introduced on all of those things. MH: To what degree are you working with those across the aisle, engaging with Conservative MPs from across Alberta? CH: Politics has a certain level of theatre. You see us yelling at each other in the House of Commons but the reality is, in the chamber is one thing, but in the lobbies behind it and in the halls of that, there's lots of constructive conversations. I've had lots of constructive conversations with my fellow Calgary MPs such as Greg McLean. We like to say that we share custody of the Bow River, and we're continuing to find common ground on a number of things. You saw that as recently as yesterday, where the Conservatives were happy to support the tax cut that was brought forward by this government. MH: How much is dialogue over the prospect of a referendum on separation weighing on your responsibilities in representing this province in the House of Commons? CH: It's a big part of why I ran. I wanted to make sure that I was able to be a strong pro-Canada voice, and I thought that we needed a strong pro-Canada voice. So that's a bit of my why. It weighs on everything, in a sense, but I also don't want to overstate it. We've seen polls that have support for separation anywhere from 20 to 35 per cent in terms of more mainstream polls, and that's roughly where it's been for a long time. That's obviously too high. We don't want Albertans to feel that they can only meet their ambitions outside of this country, but it is definitely a very minority opinion, and so you're always trying to strike a balance between addressing those concerns and not giving too much oxygen to those concerns but it weighs heavily. It comes up regularly. It's something that we talk about. It's certainly something everybody in the house is aware of, Liberal or Conservative, and it's something we know needs to be addressed. MH: Two weeks left in this short sitting of Parliament, though the PM indicating during a news conference today that may be extended. What should Albertans expect your government to accomplish in what remains of that sitting window? CH: We'll get through the bills that I was just talking about. We'll strengthen the border. We'll bring in a middle class tax cut and we'll get that through completion. We'll get interprovincial trade barriers down, among many other things. You can also expect us to get down to work on what we would call the portfolio work. People like Tim Hodgson, the minister of energy and natural resources, has already been out to Calgary, talked to stakeholders a couple of times. In fact, you can expect a lot of that work is going to continue. A lot of governing happens in the house, but a lot of governing happens outside of the house, and you're going to see that continue pretty aggressively through the summer. MH: Do you play a role in the upcoming G7 Summit? CH: Only in the sense that I'm a local MP but no, I'm not. I'm not speaking or anything, but I will certainly be supporting with some of the conversations that are occurring in the background.
Toronto Sun
2 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Tories support Liberal defence spending hike, but still want a budget
"All of this will require a budget," Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told reporters Conversative Leader Pierre Poilievre addresses reporters on Donald Trump's tariffs in the foyer of West Block in Ottawa, Ont. on Tuesday, March 4 2025. Photo by Bryan Passifiume / TORONTO SUN OTTAWA — While the Tories support the PM's plans to greatly bolster Canada's defence spending, they still want figures in black and white. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Speaking to reporters ahead of Question Period on Monday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre renewed his calls for the Mark Carney Liberals to release a budget sooner rather than later. 'All of this will require a budget,' Poilievre said. 'A budget that not only puts this money forward, clearly identifies where it comes from, but cuts waste and bureaucracy, consultants, foreign aid, corporate welfare and other areas so that the necessary increase in the military does not come as an inflationary burden on the backs of Canadian taxpayers.' Intense backlash to the government's decision to forego a budget this year prompted the PM to walk back his previous assertions, promising one in the fall. The Conservatives have said they prefer to see one tabled before the House of Commons rises for the summer next week — tabling a motion in the House of Commons on Monday calling for exactly that. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'This prime minister says that he wants to be held to account based on what Canadians are paying for their groceries,' Tory MP Michael Barrett said during Monday's Question Period. 'But instead of putting forward a budget, or bringing down grocery prices, he's introduced a half-trillion dollars in what we can only assume is more inflationary spending.' Quietly released last month during the visit of King Charles, the federal government's main estimates outlined a spending plan worth $487 billion. Read More Poilievre said he stands ready to work with other parties to meet the goal of putting Canada first and defend our sovereignty. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Conservatives support rebuilding our military,' Poilievre said during Monday's news conference. 'After another lost decade of Liberals cuts and mismanagement and back-office bureaucracy, of boondoggles and wasted money on bungled projects, our military has never been weaker.' Poilievre reaffirmed his party's calls for a strong Canadian military with a tangible presence in the north — including at least one permanent base, new fighter jets and surveillance aircraft, and new ships including icebreakers. Filling CAF's massive recruitment gaps is also a priority, he said. bpassifiume@ X: @bryanpassifiume RECOMMENDED VIDEO Olympics Columnists Celebrity Olympics Canada
