THUNDER BAY - In the last three years, Minister Patty Hajdu said significant work has been done to help all Canadians move forward, but the work isn’t finished yet and she hopes to continue that work after the 2019 federal election.
“I don’t feel like I’m done,” Hajdu said. “I want to do more. I want to make sure that we have a strong government that can actually deliver for Canadians and make sure everyone has a fair chance for success.”
During a rally on Saturday, Hajdu was officially nominated as the Liberal Party candidate in the Thunder Bay-Superior North riding for the 2019 federal election.
The Liberal Party’s nomination policy requires that a candidate and their riding association meet specific targets, including participating in at least two 2018 Day of Action engagements, with the help of volunteers knock on at least 3,000 doors or make 5,000 phone calls in the community, obtain 150 signatures from registered Liberals in the community, and raise 50 per cent of the funds required for the 2019 campaign.
Hajdu said she achieved those targets and was happy to accept the nomination in front of dozens of Liberal supporters in Thunder Bay.
First elected in 2015, Hajdu has held two cabinet positions, including Minister of Status of Women and Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Labour.
Anne Zuliani, chair of the Thunder Bay-Superior North Federal Liberal Association, said many people involved in the association have campaigned with Hajdu since 2014.
“We know her, we trust her, we love what she’s done to date and we know she has a lot more work to do,” she said. “We are here for her 100 per cent.”
Hajdu said the federal government has done a lot of important work in the last year, such as restoring relationships with Indigenous people, investing heavily in infrastructure, and instituting an affordable housing strategy and committing $40 billion over 10 years.
“And all the work we have been able to do in Thunder Bay-Superior North through increases to FedNor, funding for the port and seaway, infrastructure investments that will mitigate damage from floods, the transit investments,” Hajdu said. “All of those things are very important.”
But there is still a lot of work to be done, Hajdu said, both federally and at the local level.
According to Hajdu, Canada has one of the strongest economies among G7 nations, but not all Canadians are seeing the benefits of that growth.
“If you think about Thunder Bay-Superior North, we’ve made investments in things like the college and university and economic development corporations, I think there is still more to do to make sure we get the best out of the region and support the citizens of Northwestern Ontario to succeed as well,” she said.
The federal election will be held on Oct. 21, 2019. During the 2015 election, the Liberal Party won 184 seats to earn a majority government.
Hajdu believes Canadian voters still have confidence in the Liberal Party, which will carry over into 2019.
“Rhetoric and fear inspired messages only go so far,” she said. “The next question is what will you do differently and I think that is what we will demonstrate in this next election.”
“We feel confident, but you always have to assume you are one vote behind,” Zuliani added. “You have to work hard and we plan to work hard. Now the real work starts.”