Meet the 5 people running federally in P.E.I.'s Malpeque riding
CBC News spoke with the candidates asking for votes in the central P.E.I. 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.
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.
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With files from Cody MacKay