Latest news with #CBCP.E.I.
CBC
28-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
How and where to vote on P.E.I. and how to watch the 2025 federal election results
Social Sharing It's election day across Canada, and polls on Prince Edward Island will be open as of 8:30 a.m. AT. According to Elections Canada, there are 127,105 eligible voters on P.E.I., and 122,731 of them were on the registered voters list as of last week. A total of 40,015 Islanders cast ballots in the four days that advance polling stations were open over the Easter weekend — a 41.27 per cent increase from 28,324 valid advance votes cast in 2021. That leaves tens of thousands of Islanders to head to the polls today for their last chance to cast a ballot. How and where to vote Polling stations on P.E.I. will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. AT To find out where they should vote according to their street address, Islanders can check the Voter Information Card they received in the mail or head to Elections Canada's website. A Voter Information Card might make the process easier once you get to the polling station, but it's not required. As long as you have something proving your identity and a current address, such as a government-issued ID, you can cast a ballot. Here are the ways you can prove your identity and address. Online results CBC News will have comprehensive coverage with real-time results, big election night news and analysis about how the vote is unfolding. You can track federal election results and find out who's winning in your riding on the live results page right here on the CBC P.E.I. website. Our reporters will keep you updated throughout the evening as polls close and results roll in. You'll also be able to stream the CBC News election special. TV The Canada Votes: 2025 Election Special starts at 7:30 p.m. AT, hosted by Rosemary Barton, Adrienne Arsenault, Ian Hanomansing, David Cochrane, and Catherine Cullen. The program will provide up-to-the-minute coverage and analysis as the votes are tallied, featuring reporters across the country. You can watch on CBC TV, CBC News Network, CBC Gem, CBC News App on iOS and Android, and across CBC News streaming platforms. Local FAST channel On election night, you can get P.E.I.-specific results on CBC P.E.I.'s FAST channel — our 24/7 local streaming channel. You can stream the channel on CBC Gem (scroll down to the CBC News P.E.I. free streaming news channel), the CBC News App and online. Social media Beginning at 9 p.m. AT, Jayme Poisson will host a companion livestream on CBC News' YouTube and TikTok. She and special guests will answer viewer questions in real-time, check in on how election night is unfolding on social media, talk politics and pop culture, and weigh in on the moments Canadians are talking about. Radio CBC Radio will host its own election night special, hosted by the World at Six 's Susan Bonner and Sunday Magazine 's Piya Chattopadhyay.
CBC
25-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Meet the 6 people running federally in P.E.I.'s Cardigan riding
With just days to go until Canadians head to the polls to vote in the federal election, candidates across P.E.I. are hitting the campaign trail in an effort to become — or remain — a member of Parliament. To make sense of who's running for which party and where, CBC P.E.I. spoke to the candidates running in each of the province's four ridings. Our final trip is to Cardigan, where there will definitely be a new MP after voting day on Monday. P.E.I.'s easternmost riding — which is also its largest in area and has the most voters, according to Elections Canada — means a lot of ground to cover for the six candidates. Three of them are running for the first time, while the other three have been on the ballot before. This is also the only Island riding without an incumbent. Liberal MP Lawrence MacAulay did not reoffer in this election after a 36-year career representing Cardigan in Ottawa. Take a look at the federal candidates in the eastern P.E.I. riding of Cardigan 5 hours ago Duration 6:54 P.E.I.'s easternmost riding — which is also its largest in area and has the most voters, according to Elections Canada — is the only one in the province guaranteed to have a new member of Parliament after the April 28 election. CBC's Cody MacKay swings through the riding of Cardigan to talk to the candidates who are running for the Conservatives, Greens, Liberals, New Democrats and the People's Party of Canada, plus one Independent candidate. Maria Rodriguez, Green Party Maria Rodriguez is running for the first time, for the federal Green Party. Originally from Venezuela, she knows the power the oil and gas industry has there and wants to see that curtailed in Canada. She fears the climate crisis "is falling a little bit by the wayside" in this campaign. "Climate change, it's very close to my heart, and the influence of oil and gas on policy and economic decisions is even closer to my heart." Rodriguez said she's hearing the same issues at the doors as other Island candidates: expensive groceries, U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and health care. All those things eventually circle back to climate change, she said. "We have a crisis of affordability, we have the tariffs, we have economic risks everywhere, we have the issues with health," she said. "All these issues are not independent of the climate crisis. They are fuelled by it in my ways." She's also been hearing about another big issue for eastern P.E.I. — the reliability of ferry service across the Northumberland Strait. "We need more oversight," she said. "We need the two-ferry service…. We just think that they absolutely have to guarantee it." The Green Party is in favour of reducing or eliminating the tolls to use the ferry and to cross the Confederation Bridge, Rodriguez said. If elected, she wants Canada to be a leader for all of its people, ensuring no one falls through the cracks. "We need to be able to trade within Canada with fewer barriers and we should not be so complacent in having everything we do so easily dependent on this economic giant in the United States." Adam Harding, People's Party of Canada The People's Party Canada has picked Adam Harding as its candidate in Cardigan. The father of four said he's driven by one massive topic he's encountering on the campaign trail: the high cost of living. "Poeple can't afford anything anymore, and it's… heartbreaking, angering," said Harding, who is a nine-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. "I'd like to try my hand at it. I don't know if I could mess it up any worse." Harding said the federal government needs to cut spending dramatically in order to pay down the national deficit. "The government's failing… the citizens. It doesn't get any more clear," he said. "People are having to find ways to get food to make ends meet." Led by former federal cabinet minister Maxime Bernier, the People's Party has proposed a way to eliminate the roughly $50-billion budget deficit by slashing $60 billion in spending on federal programs. Harding said it was bold ideas like these that led him to seek the nomination for the party in his home riding. "They have some hard stances on certain things, but it's kind of needed at this point," he said. "The idea is to shut down all federal spending for the first year, and then after that… to hammer down that deficit." Whatever the outcome is after the April 28 election, Harding said he'll work to make a difference in Cardigan and try to improve conditions for its residents. "It would be awesome to see everyone in the neighbourhood just happy," he said. "Life can get better…. I don't know if it's going to get better if we keep going back and forth between the same two parties." Kent MacDonald, Liberal Party Liberal candidate Kent MacDonald has some pretty big boots to fill. MP Lawrence MacAulay is moving on from federal politics after holding Cardigan for more than 35 years and 11 straight election wins. MacDonald, who operates a longtime family dairy farm in Little Pond, said Trump's trade war inspired him to step up. "The biggest issue for me coming from a dairy background and… the number one issue with businesses, people, is tariffs," he said. "Some of the reason I offered for politics is because of the shots that the American president was taking at the dairy industry in Canada." He's also heard about many problems affecting seniors and students. If the Liberals form another government, he wants to advocate for cutting student loan debt. "It's something that I'm going to push if I'm elected — if not a total elimination, then at least a large reduction," MacDonald said. "A lot of the young people can't afford to pay for a home and student loans both." He too has been hearing concerns about the Northumberland Strait ferry service, calling it "vital" to businesses and tourism operators in the region. MacDonald said he'll push for an equal reduction in ferry fees and bridge tolls. "I want it treated fairly at the Wood Islands ferry service and the bridge," he said. "I'd like a total elimination, but I suspect it'll be a reduction." MacDonald said he decided to step up for a chance to succeed MacAulay because he wants to give back to his community. "I'm outcome-driven. I like to see things happen," he said. "If you want something to change, then you have to push, and that's what motivates me." James Aylward, Conservative Party of Canada The only candidate in Cardigan with experience as an elected politician is James Aylward. He's a former leader of the provincial Progressive Conservatives, and was in former premier Dennis King's cabinet. "Serving in the provincial legislature for 11 years, I like to think that I made a positive difference for my constituents and I want to continue to do that, but on a federal level," Aylward said. A Conservative government would make life more affordable by cutting taxes and helping young people build homes, he said. "Over the last nine to 10 years, life has gotten so expensive for people," he said. "We want to look at every program that's there and enhance things so that people can keep more of their money and make life more affordable." Aylward said every story he hears on Cardigan doorsteps strengthens his resolve to make life more affordable. The federal government needs to get back to a common-sense approach, he said, and work on shrinking the deficit. "At some point in time, we're all going to have to pay for that. It might not be me, it might not be my son; it could be my grandchildren," Aylward said. "[There's] a reckoning time coming and we need to get our… house in order." He said the Conservatives will work to support agriculture and fishing, two important sectors for Cardigan and P.E.I. as a whole. "I'm taking the information I'm hearing at the doors, the businesses, the farms, the wharves," he said. "I'm listening here on the ground, they're listening to me in Ottawa, and from that we're going to develop even more policy to help people here in Cardigan." Wayne Phelan, Independent Wayne Phelan ran for the Conservatives in the last federal election, but the party rejected his nomination papers just before the deadline this time. So he decided to run as an independent. "I looked at the other candidates and saw what was going on and just didn't feel that there was anyone there that I could support, so I decided to put my name in again," Phelan said. "I truly, truly believe that most people right now are not happy with the two big leaders. They dislike one, and don't trust the other." He said Cardigan's level of poverty shocks him, and things haven't improved since the last time he ran. "You knock on the doors and you see a senior who worked their whole life freezing in their home. It makes no sense in a country as rich as Canada," he said. "A better Canada for me would be where our seniors are able to live in their own homes, have more food and have a little bit better access to internet, cable." The father of four believes most voters aren't pleased with the leaders of Canada's two main parties, but feel they're forced to elect one or the other or waste their vote. "Islanders vote Liberal federally and it never helps us here. It makes no sense. People complain but don't do anything about it." Phelan also said eliminating or reducing bridge and ferry tolls would be a bad thing for businesses in the area. "That would kill some industry down in the Wood Islands area," he said. "We don't need a yes man in Ottawa. We need someone who's going to stick up for us." Lynne Thiele, New Democratic Party Lynne Thiele is back on the ballot for the NDP in Cardigan. This is her third time running federally for the party. Affordability is the top issue she's hearing along the campaign trail, with her dog Sweet Pea in tow. Thiele said the NDP has a plan to tackle that: a basic income guarantee. "Some are worried about how they're going to maintain where they live. Will the rent be there? Will the pharmacy be there?" she said. "I am adamant. Everywhere I go, I say we need a basic income guarantee. It's ready for Prince Edward Island." What's resonated with her so far in this campaign is the fight to protect Canada, and things like the "elbows-up" movement, a slogan borrowed from hockey in response to the trade war and American threats to Canada's sovereignty. "If I can get the people of P.E.I. to rise up and make sure we have a basic income guarantee, to say we will protect the dental plan, the pharmacare, we won't give up our pension plans — if that's all I could achieve here, I would be so happy, so proud," she said. "It would be historic." When it comes to those universal programs, Thiele argues it was her party that helped the Liberal government get them through Parliament. That's why P.E.I. voters already know what they'd be getting with an NDP MP representing Cardigan in Ottawa, she said.. "We don't support any government unless they are willing to work with us — and the NDP are fighters. No government is going to be weaker because we have, say, a minority government and the NDP is fighting for Canada."
CBC
17-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Meet the 5 people running federally in P.E.I.'s Charlottetown riding
With less than a month until Canadians head to the polls to vote in the federal election, candidates across P.E.I. are hitting the campaign trail in an effort to become — or remain — a member of Parliament. To make sense of who's running for which party and where, CBC P.E.I. spoke to the candidates running in each of the province's four ridings. Up next is Charlottetown. The province's most urban riding — which contains the City of Charlottetown and some outlying areas toward Winsloe, Brackley and Miltonvale Park — has been held by the Liberals for more than 30 years. Liberal MP Sean Casey has represented the people of Charlottetown for the last four terms. Take a look at the federal candidates in the urban P.E.I. riding of Charlottetown 36 minutes ago Duration 5:33 Joe Byrne, New Democratic Party Joe Byrne is no stranger to campaigning. The former leader of the provincial NDP previously ran in the 2011, 2015 and 2019 federal elections, as well as the 2023 and 2019 provincial elections. Campaigning for the April 28 election, Byrne said he often tells voters: "If you want change, you have to vote for it. Voting for something that you don't want will not bring the change in that you want." "As New Democrats, we have the courage actually to challenge the system and say that when a system doesn't work for regular residents of Charlottetown — for everybody — then it just doesn't work. So let's not be afraid to change it," he said. An NDP government would make life more affordable for Islanders with two key policies, Byrne said. First, it would introduce a basic guaranteed income. "This has been vetted by some of the top economists in the country. It's possible, and it would bring in a piece of economic stability for a lot of people who are, right now, vulnerable," he said. Second, an NDP government would regulate grocery store prices, which Byrne said have been running rampant since the COVID-19 pandemic. "The major grocery chains are gouging us because they can," he said. Byrne said an NDP government would also invest in housing and health. "We need publicly owned, publicly controlled housing to ensure that everybody gets decent housing. This is not a privilege, it's a right," he said, adding that building more homes is a top priority. "We've relied on the private sector to provide safe, affordable, accessible housing for the last three decades. And the private sector has an important role to play, but it will not deliver that kind of housing." When it comes to health-care concerns, Byrne said it's a "big, big picture," adding that getting federal funding to the provinces is key. "We should trust provinces to be able to deliver health," he said, noting that performance indicators for health-care systems across the country should be specific to their location. Good health care, housing and affordability are crucial to living in dignity, Byrne said. "Never stay quiet, and never give up," he said. Daniel Cousins, Green Party In addition to campaigning and door-knocking, Daniel Cousins is wrapping up a Bachelor of Arts at UPEI. While balancing the federal election with studying is "chaotic," Cousins said they love a challenge. A young person, a student and a renter in Charlottetown, Cousins said they are tuned into some of the major issues in the riding. "It gives me a different perspective," they said. "I'm very well versed in how much tuition is right now and what student loans are like." Cousins said they hope to bring some of the issues affecting young people to the fore, and make sure people are aware of them. "We need affordable child care, we need health care, we need dental care, we need food security, we need affordable homes, we need to be able to live somewhere and, if we want to have kids, not face the threat of eviction," Cousins said. That said, tariffs are the main concern they've heard at the door. Islanders are stepping up at the grocery store and buying Canadian, Cousins said. "We're preparing for this and I think our economy will do better if we keep this momentum of buying Canadian and supporting local business," they said. Another concern Cousins said voters have expressed is that environmental issues are "getting shoved to the side." "I encourage people to think very hard about who they're electing, even if it's not me," Cousins said. "I understand there are people voting out of fear, and I don't want them to feel ashamed about that." Cousins said they put their name in the running because they didn't want the Green Party to lose momentum that it's been building. "This might not be my election, but my election might be in 2029… If it's a climate-change election, then who better than the person who's studying climate change?" they said. With election date approaching, Cousins said they're looking forward to hearing more about other candidates' plans to tackle some of the big issues. "I am hoping to see policies from the other federal parties because all I'm hearing so far are slogans. Slogans are great, but they're not actual policy. They're not actual plans." Robert Lucas, People's Party of Canada Robert Lucas is a first–time candidate for the People's Party of Canada. He describes himself as being "a young 82." "Instead of putting my feet up in retirement, [I have decided] to come out and to help the people not only in Charlottetown but right across the country… to restore Canada," he said. Here's how his entry on the PPC site describes him: "He is driven by a deep commitment to standing up for his community and defending the core values of freedom, personal responsibility, respect, and fairness." The experience of campaigning has been a pleasant one, Lucas said, saying residents of the Charlottetown riding have opened up to him and expressed a variety of concerns. Others have their minds made up on who they're voting for, and even though it may not be the PPC, they are friendly to him nonetheless, he said. "That's what I like about freedom of choice," he said. "I'm standing up… putting myself forward to be the candidate of the alternative." U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and annexation talk, American tariffs against Canada and other countries, immigration, health care and the federal government's growing deficit are among the issues Lucas said he's hearing about when he talks to voters on the streets and at the doors around the riding. "Major changes need to be made here in Canada," Lucas said, adding that the People's Party of Canada would do that by tackling one issue at a time. "We have to address the financial aspect sooner than later, and our leader Maxime Bernier is the only leader that is professing to — and showing how — the deficit can be positively addressed and eliminated," he said, noting that the People's Party of Canada is committed to delivering a balanced budget year after year if it forms the next federal government. The party is also focused on reducing the number of newcomers to Canada, Lucas said. "The primary aim of Canada's immigration policy should be to economically benefit Canadians and Canada as a whole, the party says on its website. "It should not be used to forcibly change the cultural character and social fabric of our country." Sean Casey, Liberal Party The April 28 election will be the fifth for incumbent Sean Casey. But this election has a different energy, he said. "Never before has the voter engagement been so high so early," he said. "People are completely dialled in and they have been for weeks." That engagement is tied to the Liberal Party's change in leadership this winter, Casey said. "The continued presence of Justin Trudeau was something that was a major preoccupation for people in Charlottetown. That's why I raised it," said Casey, one of the first Liberal MPs to urge the former prime minister to resign. As the tariff crisis continues, Mark Carney's leadership is being well-received by Charlottetown voters, Casey said. "Carney has the temperament, the depth and the experience to guide us through this, whereas someone who spent his entire professional life on Parliament Hill doesn't," he said. "The ballot question is clearly who can best manage the relationship with the United States. And I have a bunch of people that are saying to me, 'That person is Carney' — but I have just as many that are saying, 'That person is not Poilievre.'" While the Canada-U.S. relationship is an important issue, it's not the only one, Casey said: "The perennial issues are health care, affordability… housing." Casey said a Liberal government would continue working on those with its provincial counterpart, now led by Rob Lantz. "Our relationship with the provincial government under Dennis King [was] exemplary. Dennis King and the government of P.E.I. have been very good partners on all federal-provincial matters," he said. "Even though a change at the head of the Liberal Party of Canada has changed the water on the beans, I don't think it will with the change to the Progressive Conservative Party of P.E.I." After four terms in federal office, Casey said he remains driven. "It's the honour of my life to be able to serve my neighbours. "I see myself as the voice of Charlottetown in Ottawa, and not the opposite. And that's why I have from time to time taken positions against my party and criticized my own party. The people of Charlottetown deserve that." Natalie Jameson, Conservative Party Natalie Jameson made the jump from provincial to federal politics after six years as an MLA for Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park. She said the decision came after many sleepless nights and family discussions. "We never want to look back in life with regret," the former provincial education minister said. "I felt that there was a strong sentiment of change within the community and I felt — to be honest — a bit of a hypocrite if I didn't do it because I've been trying to encourage women over the last number of years to get involved in politics." Jameson said when the opportunity arose to run federally, many people encouraged her. "I know that I'm a person that cares deeply about our community and our province and our country, and I want to make a difference for the next generation." To do that, affordability is a key piece, Jameson said. "I want to make people's lives better, and as an MP there's ways… to actually improve the lives of Islanders and Canadians," she said. "We've just seen inflation rise so dramatically over these last number of years and I want to be part of getting it back under control and ensuring that people have what they need to meet their needs and meet their family's needs." One of the strengths Jameson said she would bring to the MP's role is a strong relationship with the provincial cabinet and caucus, having worked with them for the last six years. "I know what some of the challenges are, I know what some of the solutions are and I'm ready and willing to collaborate and partner with the provincial government on addressing those concerns," she said, noting her involvement in provincial health-care developments related to the school of medicine and the physician agreement covering how doctors are treated and compensated for their work. "I'll continue that work and that collaboration if elected, and ultimately we all have common goals and that's serving the needs of Islanders." A Conservative government would be focused on building homes, supporting tradespeople, axing GST on new homes and rolling out a blue seal program in collaboration with the provinces and territories, Jameson said.
CBC
11-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Meet the 5 people running federally in P.E.I.'s Malpeque riding
With less than a month until Canadians head to the polls to vote in the federal election, candidates across P.E.I. are hitting the campaign trail in an effort to become — or remain — a member of Parliament. To make sense of who's running for which party and where, CBC P.E.I. spoke to the candidates running in each of the province's four ridings. Up next is Malpeque. The central P.E.I. riding extends from the North Shore to the South Shore, to the outskirts of Summerside at its western end and to the far side of Charlottetown in the east. The riding has stayed Liberal for more than 30 years, with incumbent Heath MacDonald having held the seat since 2021. Take a look at the federal candidates in the central P.E.I. riding of Malpeque 18 minutes ago Duration 4:34 Jamie Fox, Conservative Party Jamie Fox has been knocking on constituents' doors since well before the April 28 election was called. The first declared candidate for the Conservative Party in Atlantic Canada, the former MLA said he's been canvassing for 16 months now. One of the big things he's noticed is how engaged voters aged between 20 and 40 are now. "They're very outspoken and want to talk to me," Fox said, adding that it's a different experience compared to his past provincial elections. He said many young voters have told him they're struggling with the cost of living. "Things need to be affordable for everybody, and we're not seeing that right now," Fox said, adding that Malpeque residents have told him their money isn't going far enough at the grocery store. "Three shopping bags, you know, 200 bucks — basically nothing in it. It's pocket-book stuff like that," he said. The Conservative Party has committed to removing tolls from the Confederation Bridge, which Fox said will help get freer trade moving across the country. He added that it's not just about moving products across provincial borders. "It's about people being able to visit family members," he said. A Conservative government would work to make life more affordable for Islanders, while also ensuring federal funds make it to front-line services in the province, Fox said. "We've got to make sure the services are there, cut down on the bureaucracy, cut down on the red tape and actually get permits out the door," he said. Fox said his belief is that politicians should spend as little time as possible in a suit, and the majority of time out talking to people. "We're all in this together, and we all have a stake in it." Cassie MacKay, New Democratic Party Improving health care on P.E.I. is why Cassie MacKay chose to run for the federal NDP. MacKay previously ran as a provincial candidate but is a first-time federal contender. She's doing most of her campaigning from home, speaking to as many Malpeque voters as possible. A lifelong NDP supporter, MacKay said she supports leader Jagmeet Singh's plans for improving health care. "Here in P.E.I., I see that our health-care system is in a very bad situation. Not only could an NDP government help health care in Canada as a whole, but… if we had an NDP government, the health care in Prince Edward Island would drastically improve." MacKay said health care is a major concern among residents of Malpeque, where there are not a lot of options for people needing medical attention. "As Islanders, as Canadians, we should have that good health-care system that we've always been proud of. And right now, the way it's functioning, it's not something to be as proud of as we once were," she said. MacKay worries that the tax cuts promised by both the Liberal and Conservative parties will pull money away from the health-care system. An NDP government would push to improve quality of life for Islanders while making life more affordable, MacKay said. That includes reducing or eliminating bridge tolls Islanders pay to cross the Confederation Bridge, she said. When it comes time to vote, MacKay said she hopes people cast their ballot for the person and party they see as the best choice. "I think it's time to leave strategic voting behind and vote for who you really want to see in power, and I believe the NDP is the right people to be in power." Anna Keenan, Green Party Anna Keenan ran for the Greens in the 2019 and 2021 elections, making this her third federal campaign. She said the issues haven't changed. "At the doors, the three issues I'm getting are exactly the same three issues as the last election. It's health care, housing and affordability," Keenan said. "The fact that those are the same three issues from the last election I think really says something." Keenan said the Green Party has long-term solutions for those issues based on evidence and best practices around the world. On health care, she said countries like France, Japan and the Netherlands have governance systems that could be models for Canada. When it comes to housing, specifically in Malpeque, Keenan said the need for more housing has to be balanced with the loss of farmland. "If we keep following the… development model that we've had, we're just going to see more and more suburban sprawl into the beautiful agricultural areas of Malpeque riding," the candidate said. Instead, she said federally funded housing investments should be aimed at high-density communities to limit sprawl over agricultural lands. "I think protecting… livable urban communities and protecting agriculture actually go hand in hand," she said, calling Kensington a beautiful example of that. Looking ahead to the future of Canada, Keenan said she wants to see a country that is peaceful, united and sustainable. "I want to see a lot less poverty than we have now, I want to see a lot more economic equality and I want us all to have a doctor. I want to know that when we dial 911, that an ambulance is going to show up, and that our kids can plan a great future in this country," she said. Hilda Baughan, People's Party of Canada As a first-time candidate for the People's Party of Canada, Hilda Baughan said she's glad to be introducing herself — and her party — to residents of the Malpeque riding. "A lot of people haven't heard of us," Baughan said, adding that her door-to-door campaigning has involved educating voters about what the People's Party of Canada is and what it stands for under federal leader Maxime Bernier, who founded it back in September 2018. "The four founding principles are freedom, respect, fairness and responsibility… Those will be my principles as well," she said. Baughan said she put her name in the running for the Malpeque riding leading up to the April 28 election because she felt she had to. "I believe in this party. I love this party. I love Maxime. I think he's a great leader. I like his policies. They align with mine to a T," she said. One of the policies Baughan is campaigning on is a pause on admitting more newcomers to Canada. "We need a moratorium on immigration so that the housing can catch up and the jobs can catch up," she said. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, Baughan said she's noticed a big change in Canada. "I think people are so stressed out," she said. "We just haven't gone back to normal… We have a different normal, but it's not a good normal." In the coming years, Baughan said she wants to see a Canada that's free, prosperous and happy. In terms of her priorities as a candidate in the Malpeque riding, Baughan said she's open to anything. "Each person has a different concern, and that's what I'm open to. I'm open to listening to what their concerns are," she said. Heath MacDonald, Liberal Party Heath MacDonald is Malpeque's incumbent MP, having won his seat in the 2021 election with 41.8 per cent of the votes cast. U.S. tariffs are a main concern for residents of Malpeque, and have been causing a lot of anxiety for seniors and small business owners in particular, said MacDonald, a former provincial finance minister who jumped to federal politics just before the last election. "For this time in history, I think we likely couldn't have chosen another leader that would be any better than Mark Carney," MacDonald said, adding that the former governor of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England has vast experience in geopolitics and economics. "In fact, I'm not sure I'd want anybody else to be in that position at this time in history." Health care is another issue that's top of mind, MacDonald said. "We have to change and we have to adapt, and everybody has to be willing to make changes in the health-care field. It's extremely important to people," he said. MacDonald said the major investments in health care — like recent pharmacare deals struck by the federal and provincial governments — are programs a future Liberal government would continue to pursue. "We've saved likely millions of dollars in prescriptions for many people across the province, so it seems to be working," he said, adding that he personally worked on developing the program. When it comes to cost of living, MacDonald said Liberal government programs like $10-a-day child care, school food programs and national dental care are easing pressure on Canadians' pocketbooks. To balance the needs of the Malpeque riding, MacDonald said it's important to work closely with municipalities to fulfil their needs as much as possible through infrastructure funding.
CBC
04-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Meet the 4 people running federally in P.E.I.'s Egmont riding
With less than a month until Canadians head to the polls to vote in the federal election, candidates across P.E.I. are hitting the campaign trail in an effort to become — or remain — a member of Parliament. To make sense of who's running for which party and where, CBC P.E.I. spoke to the candidates running in each of the province's four ridings. Up first is Egmont. P.E.I.'s westernmost riding stretches from Seacow Pond down to West Point, and from Lennox Island all the way through to the eastern edge of Summerside. It takes its name from Egmont Bay, along the south shore of the riding. Of the four ridings on P.E.I., this is the only one that has changed hands in recent years from the Liberals to the Conservatives and back to the Liberals once more. Bobby Morrissey, Liberal Party Robert (Bobby) Morrissey is Egmont's incumbent MP, holding the seat since 2015. Before that, he was a provincial MLA from 1982 to 2000. He's no stranger to campaigns, but this one feels different. "This election campaign has been unlike any one I've ran in the past, where people are being influenced by what's happening in the United States and that's what they're discussing with me at the door," Morrissey said. "I've never experienced this reaction from constituents, from voters — that their anxiety level is so high, and high because of one dominant issue." The world is in a very unsettled position right now, Morrissey said, with relations with the U.S. changing not just on a weekly basis but sometimes a daily one. "People are very conscious and they are focused on who, in their opinion, would be best positioned to deal with the Trump administration over the next number of years. Certainly, overwhelmingly people are indicating that their view is Mark Carney, with his extensive global experience," Morrissey said. The Liberal Party's change in leadership has altered the dynamic "dramatically," Morrissey said: "In this riding, people are looking for a mature, experienced leader. And that's what I'm hearing constantly at the door." While Canada-U.S. relations have taken centre stage in this campaign, Morrissey said he has an agenda that includes growing the aerospace industry in Summerside and East Prince, partnering with the City of Summerside on innovative energy solutions, and continuing relationships with provincial and municipal governments. In the last 10 years, the Liberal government has delivered hundreds of millions of dollars to infrastructure projects in the Egmont riding, including ones that have turned Summerside into a "dynamic city that's on the move," Morrissey said. "That's what I'm most proud of over the years — the infrastructure investments our government has made from tip to tip in every municipality." Logan McLellan, Conservative Party Logan McLellan first ran in Egmont in 2019, but lost to incumbent MP Morrissey by about 1,100 votes. In the six years since then, McLellan said his convictions haven't changed much. Back in 2019, McLellan told CBC News the high cost of living was one of the biggest issues among constituents of his riding. Six years later, he said affordability remains a top concern for people in Egmont. "Their paycheques aren't keeping up with how expensive everything is, and it's really tough," he said. "It's all demographics… It doesn't matter if I knock on the door of a 30-year-old or a 70-year-old — they're feeling the pinch in different ways." The goal for a Conservative government is to leave more money in people's pockets, McLellan said, pointing to the party's pledge to cut income taxes as an example of how it would do that. The second major concern McLellan said he's been hearing on the campaign trail is health care. He said he would work with other levels of government to fight for Islanders on issues like access to primary care and hospital services. "Even if it is a provincial issue, I'm going to be at the table advocating for them every single day because how the health care is here in Prince Edward Island is not acceptable and we need to do much better," he said. In the face of U.S. tariffs and other disputes with that country's administration, McLellan said it's important that the government put Canada first. "We've been heavily reliant on the U.S. for a long time, and it was a great relationship, but at this point it's very important that we put our country first," he said. A Conservative government would do that by dropping interprovincial trade barriers, removing tolls from the Confederation Bridge and cutting red tape for Canadian industries, he said. Carol Rybinski, New Democratic Party Local industries are top of mind for Carol Rybinski. Small businesses and communities in rural P.E.I. need some support, Rybinski said, adding that she loves how the New Democratic Party has always stood for the ideal of supporting people who need extra help. "Now, more than ever, people are starting to get worried about just making ends meet," she said, adding that she's been hearing concerns about job security and affordability, too. While tariffs might affect markets, Egmont fishers, growers and buyers are also worried about how the MSX crisis will affect their supply, she said. "Our oyster industry is facing a really big threat from MSX and it could see a kill-off of 90 per cent of the oysters," she said. "Tariffs added on top of that when they're trying to sell out of Canada is really adding a lot of stress to them, so they need some help… It could be really devastating to our economy here in Egmont." Rybinski said she's committed to doing everything she can to raise awareness, share information and make sure the government is there to support residents of Egmont. She said she hopes that amid the chaos of tariffs that bite into the American-Canadian relationship, the issue of health care doesn't get lost, since people are still very concerned about it. A New Democrat government would push to improve health-care accessibility and affordability, provide guaranteed basic income, and remove GST from the necessities of life, Rybinski said. "My concern is that people understand that there's choice," she said. "The NDP really offers that opportunity to make sure that… the people who have the least are being taken care of, and that we really have a strong social fabric — which we're going to need in the next few years of turmoil, with what's going on south of the border," she said. Ranald MacFarlane, Green Party Ranald MacFarlane was a late entry to the race, but he said he put his name in the running as a Green Party candidate because he wanted to make a difference. "I will not just stand idly by. Put up or shut up — so I'm putting up," he said. MacFarlane said his goal on the campaign trail is to get the Green Party's message out there — and his voice has the intensity to carry. "If I can get people to vote — vote, period — and get people engaged, I think the Greens will do very well," said MacFarlane, a dairy and pig farmer who with his wife operates Pleasant Pork in Fernwood. He previously ran provincially for the P.E.I. Green Party. "I'm hoping the people of Egmont will be good enough to want to send a little farmer with a big mouth up to Ottawa so I can bring up the real issues," he said. The two main issues MacFarlane is campaigning on are the environment and mental health. He said when he brings those issues up with constituents, they agree that they're important. "A lot of people are struggling with the world and how it's falling apart," he said. "I don't want people to be isolated and alone. I will work to bring people back." Post-tropical storm Fiona back in September of 2022 caused a lot of trauma that is still lingering, MacFarlane noted. "Things are changing and no one is bringing up the environment. Emissions this year in Canada are going to go up again," he pointed out. MacFarlane said he feels optimistic about the Green Party of Canada and its chances in Egmont. "People are standing back — especially young people — they're standing back and they're weighing the options," he said.
