Tuesday, September 21, 2021

 UCP VP calls for Kenney to resign ahead of equalization referendum

Author of the article: Lisa Johnson, Ashley Joannou
Publishing date: Sep 21, 2021 • 
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is facing mounting pressure over his move to impose new COVID-19 restrictions and a vaccine passport last week. 
PHOTO BY CHRIS SCHWARZ/GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA

The vice-president of policy for the United Conservative Party is calling for Alberta Premier Jason Kenney to resign, saying he has become a threat to the party.

In a commentary published by the Western Standard Tuesday, Joel Mullan said the public has lost confidence in Kenney over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Until last week, I was one of Jason Kenney’s most vocal supporters. I campaigned for him in both leadership races and the Wildrose-PC unity vote. In light of the choices he has made last week I can no longer support him, and indeed believe he must resign,” he wrote, referring to the premier’s implementation of COVID-19 measures and a vaccine passport.

Mullan also wrote that Kenney remaining premier could have a negative effect on the equalization referendum in October because of his growing unpopularity.

In an interview with Postmedia Tuesday, Mullan said he did not make the decision to publicly call for the Kenney’s resignation, but felt he had a responsibility to put the party before the premier.

“I do admire Jason Kenney – I think he’s brilliant. I just don’t think this is the job for him anymore,” said Mullan.

Mullan criticized Kenney’s recent handling of COVID-19 policy as being “impossible to excuse,” including the government’s plan to rely on vaccinations and declare the province “open for summer” in July.

“Yes, you might make a mistake here and there and go a little too hard on something, but it’s been consistent — speaking in absolutes, and ending up painted into a corner, and the only way out is you turn yourself into a liar,” he said.

The premier’s office has not responded to requests for comment from Postmedia.

A UCP caucus meeting is scheduled for Wednesday. Kenney has been criticized by his own MLAs throughout the pandemic over his handling of the crisis, most recently since he announced sweeping new restrictions and a vaccine passport last Wednesday — two things the premier previously said he wouldn’t do.

On Friday, Mullan wrote an email to the UCP board calling for an early leadership review of Kenney’s performance as premier.

Last Wednesday, Richard Gotfried, UCP MLA for Calgary-Fish Creek, said he was “deeply apologetic” that he failed to convince the government to announce stronger public health restrictions sooner.

In May, MLAs Todd Loewen and Drew Barnes, a long-time critic of the government’s COVID-19 policy, were booted from UCP caucus after Loewen challenged Kenney’s leadership. Both now sit as Independent MLAs.

Currently, a leadership review for Kenney is scheduled to occur at the party’s annual general meeting in 2022.

However, if 22 ridings pass the same resolution calling for a leadership review before March 1, the party must hold a review.


Meanwhile, Mullan claimed Kenney played a role in the results of Monday’s federal election — in which the Conservative Party of Canada lost about 14 per cent of its popular support in Alberta.

“You really have to wonder, and certainly hearing from folks who were on the doorsteps it seems to bear out, that this is in part because of the provincial leadership we have right now,” he told Postmedia, adding that the federal election didn’t precipitate unrest in the party, but delayed Mullan’s public call until Tuesday.

“I didn’t want to be kicking up dirt that could cloud the issues in the federal election. Also, I didn’t want to get lost in the noise of the federal election,” he said.


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Canada has three new Indigenous MPs in NDP and Conservative ridings

|
Sep 21 2021

Lori Idlout and Adam Chambers


There are likely to be three new Indigenous members of Parliament in the House of Commons following a federal election that had a record number of First Nations, Metis and Inuit candidates.

Blake Desjarlais, who is Metis, was leading in Edmonton Griesbach, which has been held by Conservative MP Kerry Diotte since the riding was created in 2015. Mail-in ballots were still being tallied on Tuesday, however.

Adam Chambers, also Metis, took the seat of Simcoe-North in Ontario for the Conservatives.

Lori Idlout kept Nunavut orange and will replace NDP MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, who decided not to run again.

Eight of at least 77 candidates were incumbents and all successfully held on to their seats, so if Desjarlais wins, there will be 11 Indigenous MPs in the 338-seat Parliament – up by one
from the 2019 election.

A PhD candidate in political science said Monday’s results can be seen as a win for Indigenous people, but there is still a gap between the number of candidates running compared with how many get into office.

“I worry if there is continuing to be no (better) results, that (enthusiasm) will fizzle out,” said Philip Charbonneau of Western University in London, Ontario.

Charbonneau said he was surprised Saskatchewan didn’t elect a single Indigenous MP when about a dozen were running.

The northern riding of Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River has one of the highest numbers of First Nations electors, says the Assembly of First Nations.

There were three Indigenous candidates in the riding, including heavily favoured Buckley Belanger who left his position as an NDP member of the Saskatchewan legislature to run for the Liberals, but the seat ultimately stayed with Conservative incumbent Gary Vidal.

Charbonneau said voter apathy and historically low voter turnout on reserves could have played a role.

“Maybe because nobody really seemed to want (this election), that also played out in Indigenous communities and they also decided not to show up at the polls again.”

36-day federal election does little to change makeup of Parliament

A number of Indigenous MPs were elected
 in country’s 44th general election


A sign points voters to a returning office on Monday. Photo: APTN

APTN
Sep 21, 2021

Jaime Battiste was among the first Indigenous candidates elected in Monday’s federal vote – adding to a list of firsts he’s chalked up in his short political career so far.

The incumbent for Sydney-Victoria (LIB) in Nova Scotia made history in 2019 as the first Mi’kmaw MP ever to sit in the House of Commons.

Now, in another first, he faced a Mi’kmaw challenger in the 2021 campaign – Jeff Ward of the NDP – who finished third. It was the first time two Mi’kmaw candidates ran in the same riding.

A record number of Indigenous candidates put their names forward in an election many felt was unnecessary.

Prime Minister-elect Justin Trudeau took a gamble – and considerable heat – sending Canadians to the polls during the fourth wave of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.First Nations activist Michael Champagne of Winnipeg was a pundit on APTN’s election broadcast Monday. Photo: Facebook

In the end, he matched his party’s minority at 157 seats (the unofficial tally at the time this story was published) – 13 short of what he needed for a majority.

He did acknowledge Indigenous Peoples in his acceptance speech, saying Canadians voted to come together “for our shared journey on our path to reconciliation.”

Late Monday, Erin O’Toole’s Conservatives were leading or elected in 121 seats, the same as in 2019. Jagmeet Singh’s NDP were leading or elected in 29, a gain of five seats, while Yves-François Blanchet’s Bloc Québécois was down three at 29.

The Greens, which elected three MPs in 2019, were down to two.

“I’m glad we spent $600 million for such a drastically different outcome,” quipped Michael Champagne, a First Nations activist in Winnipeg who was part of APTN News’ election show
.
Inuk candidate Yvonne Jones won her Labrador riding for the fourth time. 
Photo: APTN file

Of 77 candidates who identified as First Nation, Inuit or Métis, it was a nail-biter to see if they would best the record of 10 Indigenous candidates elected in 2019.

Inuk Yvonne Jones (LIB) kicked things off with a win in Labrador, claiming her riding for the fourth time.

From east to west, Jones was followed by Battiste, then Liberal incumbents Marc Serré in Ontario and Dan Vandal (LIB) and Leah Gazan (NDP) in Manitoba.

Rookie candidate Lori Idlout, one of two Inuk women running, held on to Nunavut for the NDP.

“Congratulations to our new Member of Parliament Lori Idlout. I know you will make Nunavut proud,” said Nunavut MLA Adam Arreak Lightstone on Idlout’s Facebook page.

“I hope I will have an opportunity to work with you over the coming years.”

Jaime Battiste won his Cape Breton riding of Sydney-Victoria for the second time. Photo: APTN file

Early Tuesday, Vance Badaway (CON) hung on in Ontario to retain his seat. And newcomer Blake Desjarlais (NDP) defeated Tory incumbent Kerry Diotte in Alberta.

Michael McLeod (LIB) was relected in Northwest Territories. And so was other incumbent Marc Dalton in B.C. (CON).

That makes 10 Indigenous candidates elected. The same as in 2019.

Wayne Garnons-Williams, a First Nations lawyer and political pundit from Saskatchewan, said it was important for Indigenous voters to next keep an eye on the Liberal Throne Speech, budget and contents of ministerial mandate letters Trudeau bequeaths new cabinet members.

“Hopefully we’ll still see the same priorities that the previous Trudeau governments have had with Indigenous Peoples and priorities,” he told APTN’s election broadcast.

Meanwhile, mail-in ballots wouldn’t be counted in the 44th general election until Tuesday.

Elections Canada said 1,267,014 ballots were mailed out and 951,039 returned as of Sept. 20

Elections Canada also reported in-person voting increased significantly from 2019, with approximately 5,780,000 votes cast between Sept. 10 and 13.

Editor’s note: This story was updated Tuesday after all ridings with Indigenous candidates had final (yet unofficial) results.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES 
THE NEW NDP MP FOR EDMONTON GRIESBACH
BLAKE DEJARLAIS

Métis, non-status Indians call for action following historic Daniels ruling

2-day symposium to discuss impact of Daniels decision on Métis and non-status Indians

Waubgeshig Rice · CBC News · 

Métis and non-status Indigenous people from across Canada are in Ottawa this week for the Daniels Symposium, a two-day gathering to discuss last year's landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision that ruled the federal government has the same responsibility to them as it does to status Indians and Inuit.

Little has developed in nearly a year since that ruling, so those gathered in Ottawa hope to come to a consensus on an action plan to present to the federal government on how they'd like it to proceed.

We caught up with some of the symposium's attendees from across Canada to ask them what the ruling means to them as Métis, non-status, and off-reserve Indigenous people and what they want to see happen in its aftermath.

Scott Clark, Vancouver, B.C.

"I'm a status Indian — treaty status Indian from B.C. with three sons who are non-status off-reserve. It's extremely important that we get some action from the Supreme Court decision about the responsibility of the federal government to work with all Indigenous peoples. 

"We see the crisis situations for Indigenous peoples, particularly in the off-reserve context. We have child welfare issues, we have housing, homelessness, education, employment training — and this is something that Canada's been ignoring since its inception. And it's critically important that we start to address these issues so we get in front of it so that we can build healthy citizens and healthy nations."

Tianna Fisher, Dryden, Ont.

"Indigenous people are often pinned against each other. But with the Daniels decision, we are all Indians under the law. So there needed to be a discussion. Someone needs to stand up to say that we all need to be included. And that's really important to me. 

"Growing up in northwestern Ontario, I'm surrounded by thousands of lakes and lots of trees. I would like to see anyone like me who's an Aboriginal person who doesn't have treaty rights — I want to be able to see more people being allowed to go out and fish or hunt or support their families in a way that I guess isn't conventional in today's society. I want us to be able to include ourselves in national discussions and be represented."

Blake Desjarlais, Fishing Lake Métis Settlement, Alta.

"What I hope to do is really raise awareness that we're all — in a lot of ways — in this together. We're all trying to figure out and navigate ways in which we can achieve the best for our own peoples ... Achieve actual parity with other Canadians and other Indigenous groups. We have done remarkable work the last 80 to 100 years, the Métis settlements, and we're not done. We're not near parity. We're not near any of those places where we ought to be. Our health and our education are still below par, still below the standard of some of our Indigenous peers.

"It's a long and hard struggle, but it's one that I think with the Daniels decision - it moved us a little further and closer to achieving a betterment for the next generation."

Lisa Cooper, Native Council of Prince Edward Island

"For me it's about bringing the issues forward from my community, from the grassroots. Daniels has come out — it's been a year now. The government doesn't seem to have done much about it. And I think it's time for us and our communities to be heard and to give direction to the government on who we are, who we represent, and what needs to be done, and how do we close the gaps that exist between our communities."

Gerald Cunningham, Métis Settlements General Council, Alta.

"One thing we've always wanted to do was establish a relationship with the federal government as well. And the Daniels case basically opens the door for us to be able to look at tripartite agreements between the federal government, and the provincial government, and our Métis settlements government on a nation-to-nation, government-to-government basis.

"I'm hoping that everybody has a better understanding of what the Daniels case is really all about. We talked a lot today about people working together, organizations working together for the benefit of the people that we represent. Basically that we will have the relationship built with the federal government, and that we'll be able to access programs and services on a same level playing field as other Aboriginal groups — something that we've been deprived of for years."


Carrying the torch: A chat with NSU Firekeeper Blake Desjarlais

THE MARTLET
The University of Victoria's independent newspaper
Blake Desjarlais says “the greatest piece of mind I have is that there’s gonna be a group of students like the NSU who are involved . . . who always fight for [First Nations] to be heard.” Photo by Myles Sauer

“It gives me great pride and honour to be able to serve indigenous students, because they’re way more powerful than you’d imagine . . . They can stare down the barrel of a gun and still have hope.”

So says Blake Desjarlais, Native Students Union (NSU) Firekeeper and fifth-year Political Science and Indigenous Studies student. And it’s an honour he does not take lightly, as became evident while speaking with the Martlet.

Hailing from the Fishing Lake Métis Settlement in Alberta, located on Treaty 6 land, Desjarlais studied for two years at MacEwan University in Edmonton. But the lack of support for indigenous students made it “hard to survive as an indigenous person,” so he moved to Victoria in January 2014.

Desjarlais was initially drawn to UVic by the First Peoples House. “I heard about it, and I said ‘I want to go to UVic. It sounds like being an Indian’s okay.’” Upon arriving, he quickly became involved with the indigenous community, and was elected to the NSU’s administrative council in the fall of 2015. One year later, the NSU elected him as firekeeper.

As he describes it, Desjarlais’ role is not only to be someone that indigenous students look up to, but also to be “somebody that serves.”

“[Being firekeeper means] to be community-oriented, to be in that mindset that you’re a servant. And I like that,” he says.

The position is not without its challenges, though. “There’s a lot of hard parts,” Desjarlais says. “No matter where you go, there are people who have a really loud voice for the amount of information they don’t know.”

Desjarlais cites an oped by a UVic student published in the National Post, titled “I am too privileged to be liberal,” as an example. “I could never get into that or [get] something on their website or anywhere close,” Desjarlais says. “And it takes one person and his friends to get a message [that’s] so violent to so many people so easily in this country.”

While admitting there have been other challenges, including last semester’s Undergraduates of Political Science misunderstanding, Desjarlais says the NSU and UVSS have “also done a lot of good work together.”

The key to good work, he says, is making sure everyone comes to the table with honour. “Anytime we make an agreement with someone, [we] must come into them as honourable people . . . And it’s always a question of are we thinking the same thing? Are they on the same side as that?”

“I really do think there’s more good settlers than bad settlers,” Desjarlais says. “We’re never gonna say something unless [settlers] do something bad, and a lot of things they do are good for the community, whether it’s for themselves, their friends, or their family.” Desjarlais mentions folks asking for permission to host bake sales on campus as an example of people going too far in being considerate to indigenous students, though he laughs at the idea of him shutting a sale down.

“I think we can all agree bake sales are pretty awesome,” he says. “I would never say no.”

The NSU has also been in consultation with the university around the Indigenous Academic Plan. From that consultation, Desjarlais says, there’ve been two main requests: that indigenous students have an active role in governance, and that Elders be stakeholders in that governance.

“It’s trying to dismantle the administration’s desire to have VPs, directors, [and so on], and make it a table, a roundtable, where we’re all respected as stakeholders in this higher learning,” he says.

Desjarlais also wishes UVic could formalize its relationship with the NSU. “They seem to see us as this group that bubbles up when things go bad, and pops and goes back into the water. But we want a seat at the table.”

“We want [to] have [President] Jamie Cassels sit down with us, have some coffee, and talk about the issues pertaining to indigenous students,” Desjarlais says. “[The NSU] forming its own relationship with the university is integral in how to better support indigenous students learning.”

In the meantime, Desjarlais will continue to build relationships in the community that’ll last for years to come.

“I have a great reassurance that no matter who comes into the position of firekeeper,” he says, “[they] understand that to be a firekeeper, symbolically, is to keep the fire going, and that fire is shared with all of us.”
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Conservative support sags as Albertans add Liberal, NDP MPs

NDP’s Blake Desjarlais defeats incumbent Kerry Diotte in Edmonton Griesbach


Janet French · CBC News · Posted: Sep 20, 2021 5:00 AM 
Preliminary turnout figures suggest far fewer voters in Alberta were drawn to the polls compared to 2019. With 86 per cent of Alberta polls reporting, turnout was 49 per cent, compared to 69 per cent two years ago.
(Jamie McCannel/CBC)


Alberta voters have returned a cadre of Conservatives to Ottawa, along with two New Democrats and one Liberal — and one race still undecided as of early Tuesday.

The province again bucked the national trend, as Canadians elected a Liberal minority government for the second time since 2019.

But the Tories' commanding grip on Alberta eased in some parts of Edmonton and Calgary.

By early Tuesday, the NDP's Blake Desjarlais had wrestled victory from two-term Conservative MP Kerry Diotte in Edmonton Griesbach.

Neither candidate spoke publicly on election night.

And in Edmonton Centre, incumbent Conservative James Cumming, former Liberal MP Randy Boissonnault and NDP contender Heather MacKenzie were in a three-way tug of war.

"The pulse of this riding is abundantly clear," Boissonnault told reporters outside his Oliver campaign office. "It is a progressive heart of Edmonton, and let's see what happens in the coming days."

With a sliver of a lead and a handful of polls left to report, Boissonnault said it was too soon to claim victory.

Liberals claim lone seat in Calgary's sea of blue, CBC News projects

Here's who's won so far in every Alberta riding in the 2021 federal election

Almost 3,200 special ballots, including mail-in ballots, won't be tallied until Tuesday. At 12:45 a.m., Boissonnault had a 115-vote lead over Cumming.

Boissonnault represented the riding from 2015 until 2019, when Cumming defeated him.

Cumming has not yet commented on the results.

The NDP's Heather McPherson, previously Alberta's only non-Conservative MP, handily won re-election in Edmonton Strathcona — a departure from previously tight races in the riding.



Heather McPherson heading back to Ottawa
12 hours ago
NDP incumbent Heather McPherson is happy to represent Edmonton Strathcona again and calls Alberta’s health-care system in the fourth wave of COVID-19 a priority. 2:33

"I think I'm going to be going to Ottawa with some colleagues this time, which is really the best news," McPherson told reporters at her campaign office.

Both Boissonnault and McPherson said voters sent a resounding message that social supports, such as subsidized child care, affordable housing, a robust health-care system and protection for seniors and people with disabilities, be a priority.

Voters in Calgary Skyview chose Liberal George Chahal, an outgoing city councillor, over incumbent Conservative Jag Sahota.

Although CBC had the Conservatives winning 30 of the province's 34 seats, Conservative Party of Canada support dropped by 14 per cent compared to 2019, according to CBC data.

The NDP made the largest gains in the province compared to 2019, followed by the People's Party of Canada.

In Edmonton Mill Woods, incumbent Conservative Tim Uppal was re-elected by a narrower margin than in 2019, garnering 38 per cent of the vote with 197 of 200 polls reporting.


Liberal challenger and retiring city councillor Ben Henderson came second to Uppal with 34 per cent of the votes counted by early Tuesday morning.

But with more than 3,100 special ballots still to tally, Uppal was reluctant to declare himself the victor.

"We're still going to count every single ballot, because in democracy, that's what right," Uppal told cheering supporters gathered in a Mill Woods parking lot.

Most Conservatives elected in Alberta are incumbents, except Laila Goodridge, who was victorious in Fort McMurray-Cold Lake. Goodridge, a former United Conservative Party MLA, resigned her seat to run in the federal election.

More than 1.2 million Canadians requested special ballots, as many people opted to vote by mail during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Preliminary turnout figures suggest far fewer voters were drawn to the polls compared to 2019.

With 86 per cent of Alberta polls reporting, turnout was 49 per cent, compared to 69 per cent two years ago.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Janet French  is a provincial affairs reporter with CBC Edmonton. She has also worked at the Edmonton Journal and Saskatoon StarPhoenix. You can reach her at janet.french@cbc.ca
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Despite low number of election victories, advocates say Canada's LGBTQ2S+ candidates are becoming more diverse



FEDERAL ELECTION 2021 | News
Nicole BogartCTVNews.ca Writer
Published Tuesday, September 21, 2021 


EDMONTON -- Despite a low number of victories for LGBTQ2S+ candidates in Monday night’s election, advocates say it’s a positive development to see a more diverse and partisan mix of contenders engaging in federal politics.

Of the 41 candidates that identified as LGBTQ2S+ running for Canada’s major political parties, five were elected Monday. According to CTVNews.ca’s election tracker, two more are leading in the polls with the race too close to call.

“Seeing such a low number elected is certainly disappointing, even as we are encouraged by the fact that the number of LGBTQ2S+ candidates putting themselves forward increases every time Canadians head to the polls,” Curtis Atkins, deputy executive director of ProudPolitics, a non-partisan organization aimed at diversifying Canadian politics, told CTVNews.ca Tuesday.

“Despite the low number of victories, it is a positive development to see that the winning LGBTQ2S+ candidates are becoming more diverse, even if slowly. The partisan mix of Canada's out LGBTQ2S+ parliamentarians also continues to improve, as more Conservative queers come out of the closet politically.”

Those elected include NDP candidate Blake Desjarlais in Edmonton-Griesbach, Alta. – a Metis two-spirit activist who campaigned on fighting climate change and creating jobs in a sustainable economy.

Desjarlais, 27, beat the Conservative incumbent Kerry Diotte to become Alberta’s only Indigenous MP and Canada's first openly two-spirited MP.

Liberal incumbents Rob Oliphant, former parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs, won his Toronto-area Don Valley West riding, along with Seamus O'Regan, who represents Newfoundland and Labrador’s St. John's South-Mount Pearl riding. O'Regan has been a cabinet minister since 2017, most recently as natural resources minister.

Two Conservative LGBTQ2S+ candidates took their ridings, including Eric Duncan who was re-elected in the Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry riding in southeastern Ontario and Melissa Lantsman in Thornhill, Ont.

“The win for Blake Desjarlais, a Metis activist and community organizer, was one particularly worth celebrating last night,” said Atkins.

“But the queer contingent in the federal parliament continues to be too male and a too white to truly represent the diversity of our community.”

Overall, fewer open LGBTQ2S+ candidates ran in this election compared to 2019, yet the number of out MPs has been essentially flat for the last several election cycles, hovering around five to six candidates.

Helen Kennedy, executive director at Egale Canada, the country's leading organization for 2SLGBTQI people and issues​, says that lack of representation leads to a lack of accountability on issues impacting LGBTQ2S+ Canadians, like conversion therapy or blood bans.

"It is disappointing, but not surprising to us, to see how few openly 2SLGBTQI candidates were elected," Kennedy told CTVNews.ca by email Tuesday.

"When there is a lack of representation of our communities in government, it is certain to impact the progress we will see on key issues like conversion therapy, the blood ban, mental health, poverty, employment, and health care access."

Atkins adds that even though all the major federal political parties have increased their number of LGBTQ2S+ candidates, it is still far too often the case that the ridings these candidates run in are ones that their parties don’t expect to win.

“Not enough attention is given to developing LGBTQ2S+ political leadership that can translate to wins on election day,” Atkins explained.

“LGBTQ2S+ candidates face unique challenges that require unique tactics – coming out again as a public figure, the homophobic and transphobic whisper campaigns that go on behind the scenes to undermine support for queer candidates, and more.”​

RELATED IMAGES



NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and local candidate Blake Desjarlais listen to elder Tom Durocher during a campaign rally in Edmonton, on Thursday, August 19, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

LGBTQ2S+ candidates on the issues that matters most this federal election

Xtra surveyed dozens of queer and trans people running this year. Here’s what they said
By Mel Woods • September 15, 2021 2:34 pm EDT


Liberal candidate Trevor Kircznow, NDP candidate Blake Desjarlais and Green candidate Devyani Singh. Credit: Brian Wong/Xtra

Election day in Canada is less than a week away, and it’s shaping up to be a close race in many ridings across the country.

And while a rainbow of party signs dot lawns throughout the country, a few rainbows can be found on your ballots, too.

In the last federal election, Xtra identified 74 openly queer or trans candidates and asked 44 of them about the issues that mattered to them.

For 2021, we’re back to hear from LGBTQ2S+ federal candidates across Canada about the issues that matter to them—and LGBTQ2S+ voters—this election.

Think of this as you’re one-stop shop for everything you need to know about the queer and trans candidates in this year’s federal election. And with polls as tight as they are right now, every little bit of information can make a difference.

Xtra put out a call for LGBTQ2S+ candidates to identify themselves and fill out our survey. In total, we were able to identify 61 openly LGBTQ2S+ candidates across the four major parties. Of those, 27 completed our survey, representing a wide ridings from Victoria, British Columbia, to St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Here’s what we found out.
 
Queer and trans candidates by the numbers

According to Xtra’s data, there are eight openly LGBTQ2S+ candidates running for the Liberal Party, four for the Conservative Party, 40 for the New Democratic Party and nine for the Green Party.

Xtra also reached out to the Bloc Québécois, but did not hear back. We were unable to independently identify any LGBTQ2S+ candidates within the party. We did not include notably transphobic far-right party the Peoples’ Party of Canada (PPC) in our survey; however, they are apparently running a trans candidate in Quebec who has made headlines for spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.


In an Xtra survey completed by 27 candidates, seven candidates said they are gay, six said they are bi or pansexual, four said they are lesbian and a slew of others used queer or multiple identifiers.


Five candidates self-identified as non-binary and/or genderfluid: Teneshia Samuel (Mississauga Centre), Nicole Robicheau (University-Rosedale) and Rowan Woodmass (Laval-les-Îles) for the NDP, and Karla Villagomez Fajardo (Waterloo) and Nicki Ward (York South-Western) for the Greens.

Four candidates self-identified as trans, with one representing each major party: Hannah Hodson (Victoria) for the Conservatives , Trevor Kirczenow (Provencher) for the Liberals, Ward for the Greens and Woodmass for the NDP .

The six trans and/or non-binary candidates represent an increase from the five openly trans or non-binary candidates Xtra identified in the 2019 federal election, and is hopefully a sign of good things to come. So is the presence of openly Two-Spirit Edmonton-Griesbach NDP candidate Blake Desjarlais.

What’s the queerest riding in Canada? Both Edmonton Centre and Toronto Centre are running two openly LGBTQ2S+ candidates, which we absolutely love to see

An overall decline

However, overall we identified significantly fewer openly LGBTQ2S+ candidates compared to 2019. Only the NDP matched the their total of 40 candidates from 2019. While fluctuations in data like this are to be expected, there are likely a few contributing factors.

The snap nature of this election, as well as the short writ period, could mean there wasn’t enough time for parties to recruit or support marginalized candidates like LGBTQ2S+ folks.

Many of the LGBTQ2S+ candidates identified in 2019 ran in ridings where they were unlikely to win. It makes sense that many of them chose not to run again—the vast majority of the candidates identified by Xtra are newcomers to the federal campaign trail.

The disparity between the last election and this year’s shows the parties still have a lot of work to do in not only recruiting LGBTQ2S+ candidates, but supporting them and putting the party brass behind their campaigns.

In addition to gathering demographic data on this year’s crop of LGBTQ2S+ candidates, Xtra also asked them why they’re putting their hats in the ring and what they hope to accomplish if elected. Here’s what we learned. (Answers have been edited for length and clarity.)

What issues are LGBTQ2S+ Canadians facing right now?

The candidates surveyed by Xtra identified a variety of key issues for LGBTQ2S+ folks.

“Homelessness impacts queer people at alarming rates, access to affirmative health care for trans people is highly lacking in rural communities, mental health services which queer people desperately need are tied to so many financial barriers, and the blood ban continues. To name one issue, then, I have no choice but to say the blatant systemic disregard for our communities,” said Konstantine Malakos, NDP candidate for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell.

“Violence and hate crimes [are an issue]. The recent attack [against a gay man] on Toronto Island is a stark reminder that the safety of LGBTQ2S+ Canadians are still not guaranteed, and safety is the most basic human right,” said Ran Zhu, Green candidate for Wellington-Halton Hills. “We need better sex education in school to teach empathy toward different sexual orientations.”

Several candidates also specifically called out the People’s Party and its leader Maxime Bernier by name for their transphobic policies.

“I think we should all be worried about the rise of the extreme right in Canada. The people who are protesting against COVID-19 vaccinations and against wearing masks are also using inflammatory language to discuss the LGBTQ2S+ community, specifically transgender people,” Trevor Kirczenow, Liberal candidate for Provencher said. “PPC leader Maxime Bernier is actively campaigning to remove our hard-won hate speech legislation. We all need to stand up together against this extremism.”

Vancouver Quadra Green Party candidate Devyani Singh agrees. “The biggest issue facing LGBTQ2S+ people in Canada right now as I see it is the general acceptance of discrimination against us, especially that of trans people and the rise of anti-LGBTQ2S+ hate,” she said. “This hatred is being amplified by the PPC and some Conservatives, as well as the anti-mask anti-lockdown protesters. And this discrimination and hatred is compounded by intersectionality for the racialized, disabled and those living in poverty.”

What will they push for if elected?

Many LGBTQ2S+ candidates mentioned ongoing issues around banning conversion therapy in Canada and rescinding the discriminatory blood ban as key things they’d address if elected.

“I will push to end the blood ban. There is no reason why this should still be in place. I remember advocating for this to change 20-plus years ago. I will also push for a federal ban on conversion therapy,” said Yukon NDP candidate Lisa Vollans-Leduc.

“Once and for all ban conversion therapy, it’s long overdue,” Waterloo Green candidate Karla Villagomez Fajardo said. “There is no room in our society for such an outdated and harmful practice.”

Others touched on issues of trans health care access and LGBTQ2S+ education within government.

“As someone who has benefitted from gender-confirming surgery, I’m deeply committed to ensuring that access to gender-affirming health care is accessible across the country, no matter where you live, or how you identify,” said University-Rosedale NDP candidate Nicole Robicheau.

“Make [it] mandatory that every federal employee and elected official receive education on the LGBTQ2S+ community and the issues they face and this education be done by the LGBTQ2S+ community,” St. John-Rothesay NDP candidate Don Paulin said.

What does it mean to be an LGBTQ2S+ candidate?

All candidates surveyed spoke candidly about what running as an openly LGBTQ2S+ person means to them.

“In my riding of Mississauga Centre, I am the first Black, openly queer and non-binary candidate to run. I am running to inspire my community—especially the Black and trans community. With the LGBTQ2S+ community having lost a generation of many elders and mentors to the AIDS crisis, I take the responsibility of representation and advocacy seriously,” said Mississauga Centre NDP candidate Teneshia Samuel.

“I believe that our government needs to look like the society it represents and I am proud to be a part of that,” Victoria Conservative candidate Hannah Hodson said.

“Being Two-Spirit is an honour and it’s important to ensure other 2S folks see representation in Canada,” Edmonton-Griesbach NDP candidate Blake Desjarlais said.

“Being an openly gay candidate may show anyone questioning his/her sexuality or being shy about his/her sexual orientation that it is possible to be a public figure and a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community,” said Trois-Rivières Liberal candidate Martin Francoeur. “Maybe it could also inspire some younger LGBTQ2S+ members to take part in politics.”

To read all the responses from candidates who participated in our survey, click here.

Canadians head to the polls on Monday Sep. 20. If you haven’t already voted in advance polls or by mail, make sure to get out and make your voice heard. The only way we see more LGBTQ2S+ folks in Parliament is if we elect them there!



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Mel Woods, Xtra's news writer, is a Vancouver-based writer and audio producer and a former associate editor with HuffPost Canada. A proud prairie queer and ranch dressing expert, their work has also appeared in Vice, Slate, the Tyee, the CBC, the Globe and Mail and the Walrus.

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IN MY RIDING THE NDP CANDIDATE WON
NDP candidate Blake Desjarlais ousts Conservative incumbent Kerry Diotte in Edmonton-Griesbach

Edmonton Griesbach
Population
112,287
Candidates
*Blake DESJARLAIS - NDP (leading) - 40%
*Kerry DIOTTE - Conservative (incumbent) - 37.1%
*Habiba MOHAMUD - Liberal - 13.8%
*Thomas MATTY - PPC - 6.6%
*Heather LAU - Green - 1.4%
*Morgan WATSON - Libertarian - 0.6%
*Alex BOYKOWICH - Communist - 0.3%
*Mary JOYCE - Marxist-Leninist - 0.2%

By Kirby Bourne 630CHED
Posted September 21, 2021 9:52 am
Updated September 21, 2021 10:51 am
Local candidate Blake Desjarlais, right, takes a souvenir photo of NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and supporters during a campaign rally in Edmonton, on Thursday, August 19, 2021. 
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson


The riding of Edmonton-Griesbach has flipped from Conservative to NDP in the 2021 federal election, as incumbent Kerry Diotte lost his seat to newcomer Blake Desjarlais.


The riding was too close to call on election night and Global News projected Desjarlais would win shortly before 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

As of 9:50 a.m., Desjarlais had 39.9 per cent of the vote.

According to his profile on the NDP website, Desjarlais is a Metis/Cree Two Spirit man who was born in Edmonton and was raised in the Fishing Lake Metis Settlement. He is the first openly Two Spirit MP in Canada’s parliament. He is also Alberta’s only Indigenous MP.

Diotte won the riding in 2019 with 51.4 per cent of the vote. During his time as an MP, Diotte served as a member of the parliamentary standing committee on human resources, skills and social development and the status of persons with disabilities prior to the 2021 election.

Before becoming an MP, Diotte was a member of Edmonton city council for one term beginning in 2010. Before that, he held a number of roles, including reporter and columnist with the Edmonton Sun and other news organizations.

NDP's Desjarlais holds lead over Conservative Diotte in Edmonton-Griesbach battle


CTV News Edmonton
Staff
Updated Sept. 21, 2021 10:54 a.m. MDT
Published Sept. 20, 2021 11:43 p.m. MDT

New Democrat candidate Blake Desjarlais holds a narrow lead over incumbent Kerry Diotte in Edmonton-Griesbach after the initial count Monday night, but the race remains too close to call according to CTV News projections.

With 231 out of 232 polls reporting early Tuesday morning, Desjarlais led by just over 1,000 votes.

The Canadian Press called the race for Desjarlais earlier Monday night.

Federal election 2021: Results for all 34 Alberta ridings, 2 races too close to call
3 Edmonton ridings to watch on election night

Liberal candidate Habiba Mohamud will finish third, followed by the People Party of Canada’s Thomas Matty.

The final vote tally will be determined later Tuesday as Elections Canada counts 1,746 remaining mail-in ballots.

Diotte won the riding when it was first contested in 2015 and then again in 2019 when he received more than 51 per cent of the vote.

The former Edmonton city councillor and newspaper columnist had served as the Tories' deputy critic for national revenue and public procurement.


Desjarlais, 27, was seeking to reverse a trend that saw voting support for the NDP fall over the last two elections: from 34 per cent of votes in 2015, down to 25 per cent in 2019.

If elected he would become Alberta’s only Indigenous MP and is also believed to be Canada's first openly two-spirited MP .

A Desjarlais win would be the result of a focused effort from the party, says Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt.

"Greisbach has never been in play before," he said. " It was a combination of recruiting a star NDP candidate with the full cooperation of both the federal NDP and the provincial NDP and they don’t often get along."

Federal party leader Jagmeet Singh visited the riding twice during the campaign and a number of provincial NDP representatives, including Opposition leader and former premier Rachel Notely, campaigned there as well.



KARMA 

FOR THE TORY WHO REPRESENTED THIS RIDING FOR YEARS, PETER GOLRING, WHEN IT WAS EDMONTON EAST 
(IT IS NOW A COMBINED RIDING) 

IN PARLIMENT HE PUBLICLY CALLED METIS LEADER LOUIS RIEL A TRAITOR WHO DESERVED TO HANG

IN THE LARGEST URBAN INDIGINEOUS RIDING IN EDMONTON OR ALBERTA

IRONICALLY AS EDMONTON EAST THIS WAS THE FIRST FEDERAL RIDING IN EDMONTON TO GO TO THE NDP

Ross Harvey (born 25 April 1952 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Canadian politician who was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 1993. He sat as an NDP MP from 1988 to 1993, representing Edmonton-East

He was elected in the 1988 federal election at the Edmonton East electoral district for the New Democratic Party. He served in the 34th Canadian Parliament but lost to Judy Bethel of the Liberal Party in the 1993 federal election. Among the issues he championed in the House of Commons were renewable energy and justice for the Lubicon Lake Cree nation. Until Linda Duncan's victory in the 2008 federal election, Harvey was the only Alberta member of the NDP or its predecessor party elected to the House of Commons.

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ALBERTA WILDFIRE CRISIS 2019 

FIRST MONTH OF THE KENNEY 

UCP REGIME IN GOVERNMENT

THEY CUT THE PROVINCIAL 

CARBON TAX

AS THE PROVINCE BURNED

REMIND YOU OF ANYTHING..... 

A PANDEMIC CRISIS PERHAPS

Wildfires Force 10,000 to Flee 

as Alberta Repeals Carbon Tax

 Olivia Rosane 
May. 31, 2019 07:53AM ESTCLIMATE

Thousands of Albertans have evacuated their homes due to out-of-control wildfires. CBC News / YouTube screenshot

More than 10,000 people have been forced to evacuate as wildfires spread in northern Alberta, Canada's CBC News reported Thursday. Smoke from the fires has choked skies across the province, raising the Air Quality Health Index in its capital city of Edmonton to a 10+ Thursday, the Edmonton Journal reported.

In an ironic turn, the fires prompted Alberta Premier Jason Kenney to cancel a celebration of the repeal of the province's carbon tax, Canada's National Observer reported.

*This event has been cancelled so the premier can receive an internal, real-time briefing on the status of Alberta's wildfires," the government said in a statement reported by Canada's National Observer.

Kenney had promised to repeal the carbon tax and roll back other climate change policies in the April 16 general election. A bill to repeal the tax was the first his government introduced after gaining power. While the bill has not yet passed, fuel sellers were expected to stop collecting the tax at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, the Edmonton Journal reported.

"Just hours later, the skies of Edmonton darkened with smoke from wildfires in the north of the province," the paper wrote.

Canada's Environment Minister Catherine McKenna criticized the repeal and said she was working on a national tax.

"We know we're feeling the impacts of climate change. In Alberta, you have forest fires this year that have started earlier than before, major concerns about the impacts of these fires this year," McKenna said, as the Edmonton Journal reported. "We're going to work as quickly as possible to make sure it's no longer free to pollute."

The tax had charged Albertans an additional 6.73 cents per liter for gasoline and $1.51 per gigajoule of natural gas.

The current fires had forced around 5,000 to evacuate more than a week ago, according to Canada's National Observer. They continued to spread this week, as smoke forced even more people to flee their homes Thursday.

"We began the day yesterday with approximately 5,500 evacuees and we currently have over 10,000," Agriculture and Forestry Minister Devin Dreeshen said, as CBC News reported Thursday.

Officials said the Chuckegg Creek fire was spreading especially quickly.

"It traveled about 30 kilometers (approximately 18.6 miles) south yesterday between noon and four o'clock this morning, which means it was traveling at a rate of about 23 meters (approximately 25 yards) a minute," Christie Tucker from Alberta Wildfire said.

The Maria Lake and MacMillan Complex fires were also spreading and growing closer together. Dry, windy conditions made firefighting more difficult.

Fires destroyed 11 homes in the Paddle Prairie Métis Settlement, the Edmonton Journal reported further.

"The roads are melted," Blake Desjarlais, director of public and national affairs for the Métis Settlements General Council, told the Edmonton Journal.

Desjarlais was frustrated by the lack of support his community was receiving from the Alberta government, Global News reported. He said they were not fighting the fire on the western side, which would most protect the evacuated community, and also that they were not doing enough to help evacuees.

Desjarlais also said the fire could have a long-term economic impact on the community.

"We've lost trap lines, they're a strong economic driver for us," he said, as Global News reported. "Most of the regional farmers have had to cut animals loose."

The impact of the fires hasn't been limited to Alberta. Smoke from the fires has contributed to cloudy skies in western Ontario, southwestern B.C. and the U.S. Midwest, Global News reported Thursday.

On Thursday, smoke covered Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit and Kansas City and reached as far south as Denver, Global News reported.

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