‘Pierre's riding to lose': Alberta byelection candidates take part in debate
The Camrose and District Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidates' forum featuring 10 of the people who are vying to represent Battle River-Crowfoot in the Aug. 18 byelection.
'My mission here is to give national leadership to the issues that are of local importance,' Poilievre told the sold-out crowd.
The Conservative leader is widely expected to win the sprawling eastern Alberta riding, which is considered one of the safest Tory seats in the country.
View image in full screen
Damien Kurek won the riding of Battle River-Crowfoot for the federal Conservatives in the last election, but he resigned to allow Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who lost in his Ottawa-area riding, to run in a byelection. Global News
Damien Kurek won more than 82 per cent of the vote in the April election.
Story continues below advertisement
He resigned to allow Poilievre, who lost his own seat in the Ottawa riding of Carleton, the chance to return to the House of Commons in the fall.
A crowd of Poilievre's supporters was outside the venue before things got underway, many carrying signs with his name, but inside, the signs had to be put away.
View image in full screen
Conservative Party of Canada candidate Pierre Poilievre speaks during the Battle RiverÐCrowfoot byelection candidate forum in Camrose, Alta. on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
The moderator kept a tight schedule, cutting off the microphones of anyone who ran over their allotted time as the candidates answered a range of questions submitted by the public about the economy, health care privatization, electoral reform and immigration.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
The candidates seated at a long table on a stage occasionally took aim at Poilievre, particularly for the fact that he does not live in the riding and is running to progress his political career.
Story continues below advertisement
Liberal candidate Darcy Spady introduced himself by saying, 'I'm from Three Hills, and I don't want to be prime minister' — a line that elicited chuckles from the crowd and from Poilievre when he repeated it.
Spady said he wanted to bring local issues to the government caucus and give an electorate that has historically voted Conservative the option of voting in a centrist.
'I'd like to grow the culture so the next generation can say, 'Oh, we can choose a Liberal, a Conservative, a moderate, a NDP,' he said in an interview after the debate.
'The stigma of only voting to the right here, in my home, all my life… I don't like that.'
Poilievre argued that electing the leader of a political party is a trade-off — leaders are on the road much of the time, he said. 'The other side, though, is that leader can bring a very powerful megaphone to the local issues of the community,' he added.
View image in full screen
Independent candidate Bonnie Critchley campaigns in the riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, where Pierre Poilievre is attempting to earn a seat in Camrose, Alta., on Tuesday July 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken
Independent candidate Bonnie Critchley pointed out in her closing statement that several candidates, including Poilievre, won't be able to vote in the byelection because they don't live in the riding.
Story continues below advertisement
'I firmly believe that Mr. Poilievre is too busy with his personal ambitions to give a rat's backside about us,' Critchley said in her closing statement.
She got loud cheers from the crowd earlier in the evening as she argued for local representation.
'If you want to run for an area, you need to live here. This longest ballot crap, that's got to stop,' she said.
More than 200 candidates were signed up to run in the byelection as of Tuesday, most of whom were sponsored by the Longest Ballot Committee protest group.
The group says it's trying to get attention for electoral reform, arguing that Canada needs to end the first-past-the-post system.
As a result of the protest, Elections Canada has decided that voters will write in the name of their selected candidate on a modified ballot in the byelection, rather than selecting from a list of 200.
The longest ballot group signed up 85 people to run in Carleton during the April election, and ran dozens of candidates in byelections last summer.
Poilievre called the Longest Ballot Committee 'a total scam that must be stopped,' and pledged that if he's elected, he will put forward legislative changes to ensure it doesn't happen again.
Story continues below advertisement
View image in full screen
An example of a ballot in the riding of Carleton, where Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre lost his seat in the 2025 federal election. Many of those on the ballot were members of a protest group called the Longest Ballot Committee. Justin Tang/ The Canadian Press
In opening and closing statements, a number of candidates said Ottawa takes advantage of Alberta and pledged to try to end equalization. One candidate expressed sympathy for Alberta's separatist movement.
There was broad agreement from candidates that, while immigration has historically been important, Canada needs to pull back on the number of people it is letting in.
'We must have more people leaving than coming over the next several years as we bring down our population,' Poilievre said.
Green Party candidate Ashley MacDonald and the NDP's Katherine Swampy called immigration one of the country's strengths.
Critchley and fellow Independent candidate Sarah Spanier made pitches to voters that they would hold a powerful position as Independent MPs in a minority government, and would leverage that to help the riding.
Story continues below advertisement
The forum also featured candidates from the People's Party of Canada, the Libertarian Party, the Christian Heritage Party and the United Party of Canada.
'I think we all know this is Pierre's riding to lose here; he's definitely going to win,' MacDonald said in his closing statement. 'So please, take a chance.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
40 minutes ago
- Global News
LeBlanc says tariff talks with U.S. ‘constructive' but deal out of reach
Canada's minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade says conversations with American officials over steep tariffs remain 'constructive,' but a resolution is still out of reach. Appearing on Face the Nation Sunday, Dominic LeBlanc said Ottawa is hoping for progress in discussions on the 50 per cent tariff the U.S. has placed on Canadian aluminum; a move he said is backfiring on both economies. 'We hope so,' LeBlanc said when asked if the U.S. is open to negotiating. 'But we're not yet where we need to be to get a deal that's in the best interests of the two economies.' LeBlanc said the tariffs are driving up costs in deeply integrated sectors like auto manufacturing. 'Canadian aluminum companies massively supply the American market… You've increased the price of a whole series of goods,' he said. 'We're the biggest customer of U.S.-made automobiles… 50 per cent of the cars that we finish in Canada and sell to the United States are made up of American parts.' Story continues below advertisement While recognizing President Trump's national security rationale, LeBlanc emphasized that Canada shares the same goal. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy When asked whether Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to speak directly with President Trump, LeBlanc said a conversation will likely take place 'over the next number of days.' U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on the same program that the new tariffs will remain in place unless a deal is reached. 'Our view is the president is trying to fix the terms of trade with Canada,' he said, 'and if there's a way to a deal, we'll find it, and if it's not, we'll have the tariff levels that we have.' LeBlanc noted how Canada has passed its own One Canadian Economy Act, which he said could unlock up to $500 billion in investment for projects like pipelines, ports and mines, areas that 'offer huge opportunities to American businesses as well.' LeBlanc also addressed the U.S. decision to impose a 35 per cent tariff while talks were ongoing. 'We were obviously disappointed by that decision,' he said. 'We believe there's a great deal of common ground between the United States and Canada in terms of building two strong economies that work well together.' While the U.S. continues to respect the terms of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), LeBlanc said the integrated nature of the relationship means both sides benefit from cooperation. Story continues below advertisement 'We don't sell things to each other as much as we make things together,' he said. When asked about past Canadian retaliation and whether pulling back might help move things forward, LeBlanc added that Carney's relationship with Trump is 'obviously very important to Canada and … to the United States.' LeBlanc said Canada's steel sector is crucial to its national security and its economy, just as it is in the U.S, and hopes to sustain those industries. 'We're looking at advancing ideas where we can do work with the United States at the same time, ensure that our economy continues to have sectors vital to the economic future of Canada,' he said.
Global News
8 hours ago
- Global News
Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu eyes new markets, smaller trade delegations
Ottawa's new trade minister says he's looking to sign deals in South America, Southeast Asia, Africa and beyond — and to convince businesses to actually use the trade agreements Canada has already signed. 'My primary role as Canada's top salesman is to be out there hustling, opening doors for businesses and accessing new markets,' Maninder Sidhu told The Canadian Press. 'My phone has been ringing with opportunities because people want to deal with reliable, stable trading partners.' Prime Minister Mark Carney has tasked Dominic LeBlanc as minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade. Sidhu's job focuses on countries other than the U.S. Export Development Canada says Ottawa has 15 free trade agreements covering 51 countries, offering Canadian exporters preferential access to over 1.5 billion consumers. But Sidhu said Canadian businesses could be doing a lot more to look beyond the U.S., particularly as Washington threatens and imposes a range of tariffs. Story continues below advertisement Sidhu served four years as a parliamentary secretary in roles reflecting all three branches of Global Affairs Canada: aid, trade and diplomacy. The job saw him represent Canada in trade promotion events in Southeast Asia and security forums in the Caribbean. Sidhu worked as a customs broker before politics — a job that focuses on navigating red tape and tariffs to secure the best rate for trading goods. Sidhu said he plans to visit Brazil soon as the South American country seeks to revive trade talks that kicked off in 2018 between the Mercosur trade bloc and Canada. 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 His predecessor Mary Ng put an emphasis on large trade missions which took months to plan. The minister would sometimes fill a plane with corporate and business leaders, spending a substantial chunk of time in one or two countries. Sidhu said he is hoping to bring smaller delegations of companies with him on his trips abroad, with a focus on specific sectors, 'whether it's South America, Indo-Pacific to Europe, to Africa.' 'Businesses feel like they're heard, but they're also getting higher-level meetings on the opposite side in the countries that we take them into,' he said. Ottawa is navigating its trade ties with China as the two countries work to revive the decades-old Joint Economic and Trade Commission, a forum to sort out trade irritants. Story continues below advertisement China has been roundly accused of engaging in coercive trade practices and of restricting certain commodities or services like tourism during political disagreements with Ottawa. Sidhu said the goal there is to offer 'stability' to industry, with an emphasis on 'how do we work through those challenges, and how do we make sure that those conversations are facilitated.' Sidhu also downplayed the chances of a bilateral trade deal with the United Kingdom. Trade talks collapsed last year over the U.K.'s desire to sell more cheese in Canada and after Britain blocked Canadian hormone-treated beef. Both countries are using a temporary deal put in place after Britain left the European Union, and the U.K. will soon enter a trade bloc that focuses on the Pacific Rim, Sidhu noted. He said Canada would still be open to a full deal. 'If U.K. and Canadian businesses already have access on 99 per cent of the items that we trade, then if we're looking at trade agreements, we need to make sure that we're getting the best value for our negotiations,' Sidhu said. He also said Canada could consider 'sector-specific agreements' with other countries, instead of comprehensive deals that span most industries. 'We are getting very creative in how we can open up more doors,' he said. Story continues below advertisement Sidhu did not name specific countries where Canada might pursue sector-specific agreements. Canada had been looking at a trade agreement with India that would be limited to certain sectors — before Ottawa suspended talks in 2023 following an assassination the RCMP has linked to New Delhi. Ottawa launched security talks with India this spring and agreed to re-establish high commissioners. Sidhu was circumspect when asked when Canada might re-establish trade talks with India. 'This is a step-by-step approach,' he said, adding that the eventual return of top envoys will help 'to carry out those very important conversations.' Sidhu said Global Affairs Canada is still sorting out how Carney's decision to cut spending in all departments will affect the trade branch. 'It's really going to be a focused approach, of where we can make the best impact,' Sidhu said. The Business Council of Canada has urged Ottawa to expand the number of trade commissioners, who provide the contacts on the ground for Canadian companies looking for export opportunities. While Sidhu did not say whether Ottawa's cuts will mean fewer trade commissioners, he said he's heard a clear message from chambers of commerce that these positions are extremely valuable. 'It comes down to return on investments, what programs are working (and) where can we get the best bang for our buck for Canadian industry and Canadian workers,' he said. Story continues below advertisement 'A lot of the business community doesn't even know that (the Trade Commissioner Service) is there to help. And so my job is to help amplify that.'
Edmonton Journal
8 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Gunter: Trudeau cost Canada a chance to get into global LNG game — Trump and U.S. are reaping the benefit
Article content Last Sunday, at President Donald Trump's golf resort in Scotland (a.k.a. King Donald's summer palace), Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Union pledged European countries would buy US$750 billion (over $1 trillion Canadian) of U.S. energy – largely LNG – over the next three years in return for Trump promising to impose only 15% tariffs on the union's member states. Article content Article content Boy, those American and European trade negotiators must be dunces. Don't they know that three years ago, then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a special trip to Canada to ask our government to sell tens of billions in LNG to his country? Our economic genius of a prime minister, Justin Trudeau rejected Scholz's request because 'there is no business case' for selling LNG to Europe. Article content Article content Article content This past Thursday, the South Koreans made a similar deal with the U.S. — $100 billion (about $138 billion Canadian) in energy over four years, primarily LNG. Article content What's wrong with these countries? Can they not see that the greatest economic mind of the 21st Century, Justin Pierre James Trudeau, had decreed it was foolhardy to sign such agreements? Article content Article content The U.S. deals with the EU and Korea just for LNG are worth about $800 billion Canadian over the next four years. The rest of the sales are for oil and nuclear fuels. Article content Article content A good part of that market might have been Canada's had we not been ruled by a 'green' dreamweaver and eco-cultist who prevented this country from jumping into the world LNG market early in the game. Article content Now the Americans have sucked up a lot of the oxygen in the room, and it will be hard for Canada to get a foothold, even if current Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney gets off his duff and agrees to more pipelines and LNG ports. Article content Trudeau's thinking (which remains Carney's thinking until the current Liberal government does more than just talk a good game) cost Canada at least $400 billion in investment during the Trudeau decade, drove down our per capita income, dropped us out of the 25 richest countries in the world, distorted our housing market and drove up prices and unemployment.
