'Windsor-Essex is ready for change', says Conservatives' Harb Gill, running for Windsor West

The resounding message from Conservative candidate Harb Gill at his Monday night campaign launch was "Windsor-Essex is ready for change."

"Every place I go to, the issues they're bringing up is affordability and that we need change. And I don't come up with the slogan on my own, it's time for a change. This is what people are telling me," he said.

Gill is the Conservative candidate for Windsor West, a seat held by NDP's Brian Masse since 2002. Gill said he can do a better job than the incumbent. He is a retired police officer that has served the community for over 30 years.

At the doorsteps, Gill said he is hearing concerns and "anxiety" about tariffs but believes that the community is "extremely resilient."

"We've always been that way. No matter how hard you kick us, we always get up, dust off and go back to work," he said.

Amidst all the tariff threats, Gill said the region's true resource potential is still "untapped."

"Our entire region is an economic powerhouse that has been ignored for too long. Why? Because we have an incumbent who cannot get a seat at the table and cannot accomplish what we need accomplished."

Consequently, Gill said a Conservative government would be the best option for the region.

"I'm the best because our government is going to be the best. The Conservative government is going to be the best. We are going to go out there and find markets where we can sell our product," he said.

"We can do better. We should do better. We must do better."

Gill was accompanied with Conservative Dave Epp representing Chatham-Kent—Leamington, Conservative Chris Lewis in Essex and the Conservative candidate for Windsor—Tecumseh—Lakeshore Mark McKenzie. McKenzie is no longer running for the party over past comments the party says are "unacceptable."

When questioned on how exactly he will do things better, Gill said their party platform lays it out. Calling himself, "an eternal optimist," Gill said he will run "confident" against Masse. Addressing his supporters, Gill also spoke about scraping off carbon tax and ensuring community safety. 

Julie Simmons, a professor of political science at the University of Guelph, previously told CBC that Masse is well-positioned as a longtime MP to keep his seat for the NDP, but also said it's shaping up to be a two-person race at the national level. 

"The more that at the national level this becomes a two-person race between Mr. Poilievre and Mr. Carney, then the more people who might be willing to consider voting Green or for the Bloc Québécois… or in some cases the NDP, the more they might consider throwing their votes behind one of those two leading political parties so that they have a role to play in determining the outcome."

This riding — home to the Ambassador Bridge, the soon-to-be-open Gordie Howe International Bridge and the proposed Ojibway National Urban Park — has the following candidates who have so far announced they will run in Windsor West.

• Louay Ahmad — Green Party of Canada.

• Jacob Bezaire — People's Party of Canada.

• Joey Markham —  Communist Party of Canada.

• Richard Pollock — Liberal Party of Canada