By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
HALDIMAND—With MP Diane Finley’s retirement, the region will be without an MP until a vote can take place. Finley’s staff will continue working in her absence.
The resignation puts the Liberal party in the position to call for a by-election within the next six months, barring a Federal election taking place before then.
The Conversative Party candidate is Leslyn Lewis, a Toronto-based lawyer and rising Conservative figure who is guaranteed to be vying for the role of Haldimand Norfolk MP against Liberal candidate Karen Matthews. No other candidates have been announced as of press time.
Lewis placed third in the 2020 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election. She said she feels “humbled and honoured” to be following in Finley’s steps, adding, “Diane has served her constituents tirelessly in the House of Commons, with dignity and distinction for nearly 17 years.”
For Matthews, Finley’s retirement came as a surprise: “I did not have any prior knowledge of her resignation and I think it was a surprise for people in the riding that she would resign so soon…. I want to thank MP Finley for her more than 16 years of public service and wish her well in what’s next. It sounds like she is going to use this downtime to get creative. I’ve seen her creative abilities and hope that she’s going to enjoy her time getting back to the things she loves.”
Formalities aside, both candidates appear ready for the coming election.
On the campaign, Matthews said, “Since the day that I announced my interest to seek the nomination, our team has been growing in leaps and bounds. We are working hard to advocate for policies that keep Canadians safe and supported through this global crisis. My team and I have been really listening to residents in Haldimand Norfolk to discuss their needs and what it will take for them to feel supported as we move through the next stages of this crisis and recovery.”
Lewis is feeling equally prepared to step into the limelight: “My team and I are ready for an election when it comes. We have our campaign office secured, signs ordered, a growing volunteer base. We have already contacted over 10,000 residents and look forward to seeing many more at the doors in the weeks and months to come.”
Lewis’ platform stays close to the framework Finley used, focusing on the people of Haldimand Norfolk: “I believe that individuals are the secret to our nation’s prosperity, not big government bureaucracies or programs. As a lawyer and business owner I’ve seen firsthand how unsustainable government bureaucracy and over regulation has become and how it drives down entrepreneurship and small business development. As MP, I will work hard to cut red tape, reduce the size and cost of government, and get bureaucracy out of the way of the Canadians driving our prosperity forward.”
Matthews, a Port Dover native, has a history in tourism having served as Chair of the Tourism and Economic Development Advisory Board for Norfolk, as well as being a committee member for several years: “I have spent decades working to promote Haldimand Norfolk as an authentic Canadian tourism destination in various organizations. I plan to continue this work and elevate Haldimand Norfolk as a tourist destination in Canada.”
Both candidates know they will need to address the issue of the pandemic head-on, with a strong vision for how Haldimand and Norfolk can recover and move forward.
“If elected, I will also work closely with other MPs and the broader federal government to ensure our riding has a strong economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. I have seen the effects of the pandemic on our community and will work hard to ensure we recover swiftly,” said Matthews. “As we come out of the pandemic and on the road to recovery, there will be new projects launched that will help stimulate our economy.”
Lewis listed the following as top issues of the election: “Recovering the million jobs lost under the current government; return transparency and accountability to government; addressing the mental health crisis facing too many Canadians, which was severely exacerbated by severe and prolonged government lockdowns; and securing our economy and getting Canada’s fiscal house in order.”
Matthews agrees that the lockdowns have been challenging, but she believes they have been necessary as well: “The pandemic has certainly been a difficult time for many…. While these measures have been essential to keep everyone safe, the federal government has delivered on their promise to Canadians that vaccines are being delivered and we will be able to safely return to living normal lives.”
She continued, “I have developed policies for this very large region … working with both counties’ economic development and tourism departments. This provided me with excellent insight into how we move forward post-pandemic. There is no doubt that every level of government will need to work together to pull through this recovery.”
Finally, both candidates touched on why they are running, and what unique experience they will bring to the county, if elected.
“As a lawyer and small business owner, I understand the sacrifices made by so many small business owners. I will work hard to create policies that will enable businesses to create jobs and rebound our economy,” said Lewis. “Our farmers, industries like Imperial Oil, and others will have an advocate in me who has decades of legal experience, and who has successfully negotiated multimillion dollar international and local commodities contracts. I intend to use those skills to defend simple liberties like the freedom to work, assembly, speech, the liberty to operate a business free of excessive government interference, and the right for our community to enjoy the same amenities and services like the rest of Canada.”
Matthews said, “It takes a lot of soul-searching to decide to run for public office. When I used to hear politicians say they hadn’t decided whether or not they would run for office, I thought they were just playing politics. Now I understand the thought process, and you don’t make the decision to run if you’re not ready for the hard work and long hours that come with running for office.”
She concluded, “I’ve spent my entire career building for an opportunity to serve like this. I often joke that after four generations of my family living in Port Dover, I have Lake Erie water running through my veins. It’s the connection to my community that drives me. It drives me to make where we live a better place. Being an MP allows you the opportunity to be in the room when decisions about our future are being made. I am ready to take the Liberal Party of Canada’s message to the people of our community.”
