Yasir Naqvi claims victory in Ottawa Centre
Liberal Yasir Naqvi claimed victory in Ottawa Centre as preliminary results came in Monday night.
Article content
Article content
With 73 per cent of polls reporting, Naqvi was winning 62 per cent of the vote. NDP candidate Joel Harden trailed in a distant second with 19 per cent and Conservative candidate Paul D'Orsonnens was in third with 16 per cent of the vote. Green candidate Amanda Rosenstock had 1 per cent.
Article content
Article content
Cheers erupted at Naqvi's election-night party at Beyond the Pale brewery in Centretown as Naqvi took his early lead. Time to Win by Canadian alt-pop band Down With Webster briefly played and the mood at the brewery turned jubilant as positive Liberal results keep rolling in.
Speaking to a room of his supporters, Naqvi thanked volunteers for their work on his campaign, as well as his family. He then thanked Harden for his public service.
'We know he cares about our community, he's worked hard, and it was a fair and thoughtful debate and conversation in this election,' Naqvi said. 'I wish him the best.'
Naqvi said the work of 'fighting for our country' begins now.
'You've got my word that I will always stand up for Canada,' he said. 'I will always make sure we will never be the 51st state. We will always be Canada. True north, strong and free.'
Naqvi's family emigrated from Pakistan when he was young, and he called himself an adopted son of Canada.
'I take that responsibility very seriously, and I will always fight for my country,' he said.
While this federal election was largely dominated by U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of annexing Canada, Naqvi said he will also focus on local concerns, including affordability and the housing crisis.
Many of his campaign staffers and volunteers donned jersey-like t-shirts with 'Never 51' splashed across the back, a reference to Trump's threats to make Canada an American state.
Meanwhile, at Harden's watch party, a large crowd of supporters gathered at Eggspectation, a downtown diner that usually closes at 3 p.m. Orange, blue, and pink balloons bobbed gently above the booths, and caught the soft glow of the overhead lights of the rustic dinner.
'The NDP is a family. We are with you. It doesn't matter what happened with the polls tonight, we're gonna be the official opposition in the city,' Harden told cheering supporters.
'Anybody getting an elected job in this city better know that they have to listen to organized democrats all around the city.'
Article content
Article content
The race has been a rematch of the 2018 provincial election, which saw Naqvi ousted by Harden in a heated campaign.
Article content
Article content
Historically, Ottawa Centre has long been a Liberal-NDP battleground, but in recent months, poll aggregator 338.com consistently predicted a Liberal win, calling the riding as 'safe' for the Grits in the run-up to Monday night.
Article content
Before Naqvi was elected to the federal seat in 2021, he had represented the riding in the provincial legislature from 2007 until 2018, and was an international trade lawyer before that.
Article content
Harden left his seat in the provincial legislature to try oust Naqvi a second time. The NDP's Catherine McKenney was won the seat in the recent provincial election.
Article content
Ed Broadbent and Paul Dewar, two NDP heavyweights, held the riding back-to-back for more than a decade before Justin Trudeau's red wave swept the country in 2015. The Liberals have held the seat federally since then.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vancouver Sun
3 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Opinion: Most Canadians don't support taxpayer subsidies for LNG
Proponents often claim that Canada's LNG will reduce global warming by displacing coal in other countries. However, we have run out of time for a 'transition fuel' if we're to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. In this context, new LNG infrastructure isn't a climate solution, but rather a substitute for investment in clean energy. Luckily, the price of renewables has dropped dramatically, making this transition both feasible and affordable. LNG is also a bad economic bet. The International Energy Agency has projected that LNG capacity will exceed demand by the next decade, making new capital investments especially risky. This is presumably why private investors are wavering and looking to Canadian governments to subsidize their projects with public dollars. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. A recent poll found that 56 per cent of respondents, both in B.C. and nationally, oppose multibillion-dollar public subsidies for foreign-owned LNG projects. Only 18 per cent of Canadians, and 22 per cent of British Columbians, are supportive while the rest are unsure. In B.C., where most LNG projects are proposed and LNG Canada will soon come online, people have other priorities for their tax dollars. In fact, supporting oil-and-gas is at the bottom of a list led by health care, housing, education, renewable energy and transit. The lack of public support for subsidizing fossil fuels has been consistent for years. In 2018, two-thirds of Canadians opposed subsidizing oil-and-gas, 41 per cent strongly. More than half remained unsupportive, even after being told oil-and-gas subsidies would create jobs and economic growth. In 2021, 62 per cent of Canadians wanted the federal government to stop fossil fuel subsidies and there was mounting frustration that the government hadn't acted on a 2015 campaign promise to do so. In 2023, the majority of Canadians felt that oil companies, not taxpayers, should foot the bill for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Only 30 per cent of British Columbians supported subsidies for LNG. A 2023 poll found 96 per cent of Canadians felt the federal government should disclose subsidies for fossil fuels. That year, the government of Canada signed a joint ministerial statement at the UN climate talks that committed them to do just that by the end of 2024. There is still no inventory of fossil fuel subsidies in mid-2025, undermining Canadians' ability to understand where their tax dollars are going. Canada claims to be a global leader on climate change, yet we continuously fail to meet our climate targets. The main reason is that emissions growth from oil-and-gas production has offset progress in other areas. According to the UN Environment Programme , governments around the world, including Canada, are planning for continued fossil fuel production that will result in more than double the global emissions scientists advise are consistent with limiting warming to 1.5 C. Canada, unfortunately, is one the biggest funders of the fossil fuel industry globally. That includes billions of taxpayer dollars that the federal and B.C. governments have already committed to LNG in the form of direct subsidies, lower tax and electricity rates, and public loans. Canadian taxpayers have been footing the bill for fossil fuel developments that threaten our own climate, health and economy. In this critical moment, Canada's leaders should instead use public funds to support projects that advance Canada's economy and safety, not only today but for decades to come. Kathryn Harrison is professor of political science at the University of B.C. Cara Pike is co-founder and senior adviser to at Carleton University in Ottawa.
Global News
3 hours ago
- Global News
B.C. government takes heat over marked growth in public payroll
B.C.'s NDP government is defending itself in the wake of new reports detailing the dramatic increase in public sector employees and the cost of payroll. The province is in the midst of a staffing shortage across key public sectors – currently short more than 1,000 teachers and six times as many nurses. But while critical positions go unfilled, the size of the public sector continues to grow, with British Columbia leading the country in the growth of taxpayer-funded jobs. 'It's gone from $5 billion worth of people (earning) over $75,000 to now $11.5 billion, so it's more than doubled,' BC Conservative finance critic Peter Milobar said. 'This government has a real problem when it comes to hiring, reining in costs and bringing things under control, and that leads to our structural deficit of over $12 billion.' Story continues below advertisement 1:57 B.C. database shows public sector salaries Critics say the size of government has increased across the board under the NDP's watch. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In 2017, there were just over 29,000 public servants. That number has increased to nearly 39,000, jumping 32 per cent over eight years. While the public sector is growing, private sector job growth is half of its historical average. The B.C. General Employees Union acknowledges the unionized workforce has grown, but says the real issue is the growth of non-union positions, and that management has increased at a pace nearly double that of union members. It's a claim that is echoed in health care, where the B.C. Nurses' Union says health authorities are top-heavy. 'Anecdotally, that's how it appears,' BCNU president Adrianne Gear said. 'From my members' perspective, it does seem like there is a lot of senior management leadership. Story continues below advertisement 'At any given time, we are almost 6,000 nurses short, that's how many vacancies we have, and when we move to full implementation of nurse-patient ratios … we are going to need many, many more nurses.' 1:20 How much could a new B.C. public sector contract cost taxpayers? The B.C. government has committed to hiring more front-line workers in health care, education and other critical occupations. But competition worldwide is intense. B.C. Premier David Eby said much of the growth is related to tackling that competition. 'They are doctors, they are nurses, they are teachers, they are people who provide vital services in our province. It is why we are leading Canada in recruiting family doctors and why we are on track to ensuring every British Columbian gets access to a family doctor. Ensuring we are competitive in wages for those doctors, ensuring we are competitive in wages for nurses, that we are the best place for a nurse to work in Canada,' Eby said. Story continues below advertisement 'It is how we are getting a handle on the big challenges we've faced in terms of closures at hospitals or shortages of nurses that are raising concerns among the profession here.' However, he admitted he was 'very concerned' about the growth in health care administration costs. He said the province is currently doing an 'extensive review' of B.C. health authorities to minimize those administrative costs. A renewed focus on B.C. resource economy, meanwhile, could bring an increase in private sector job creation. The business community is optimistic that the government is sending the right signals, but says it is waiting for the needed follow-through.
Canada Standard
3 hours ago
- Canada Standard
Canada to meet NATO's defence spending target this fiscal year
Xinhua 10 Jun 2025, 00:15 GMT+10 OTTAWA, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday his government would increase spending on the country's defence and security and achieve NATO's defence spending target this fiscal year. Carney said in a news release that the defence spending for 2025-26 will be over nine billion Canadian dollars (6.6 billion U.S. dollars), or two percent of GDP, meeting the NATO defence commitment half a decade ahead of schedule. According to the news release, measures in the defence spending increase plan include better pay for Canadian Armed Forces; new aircraft, armed vehicles, and ammunition; bolstering Canada's defence industrial capacity, as well as expanding the reach of the Canadian Coast Guard and integrating it into the NATO defence capabilities. "Canada requires these capabilities to uphold and assert its sovereignty and ensure our defence never becomes dependent on others again. As we strengthen the Canadian Armed Forces, we will also build up Canadian industry, driving innovation and creating good careers," said Carney. Carney promised to further accelerate the investments in years to follow. According to NATO's annual report, Canada's defence spending was around 1.45 percent of GDP last year.
