Liberals, NDP, Greens set to battle for Vancouver Island ridings
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau were in B.C.’s Lower Mainland on Wednesday morning.
Hamish Telford, a political science professor at the University of the Fraser Valley says the Liberals, NDP and Conservatives are expected to battle hard for the 42 seats up for grabs in B.C.
“When you look at the opinion polls, we see almost a three-way tie amongst those three big parties,” said Telford.
But the support for each of the major three parties is quite regionalized within B.C., and it’s not expected to be so close between the parties on Vancouver Island.
The island went mainly NDP last election, with two Green seats.
Victoria NDP MP Laurel Collins says she’s hopeful voters give her the chance to continue what she started two years ago.
“[We] relentlessly pushed this government to take bold action on the climate crisis, on housing, and I hope that the community will send me back to keep fighting for them,” said Collins from her campaign office Tuesday.
Collins’s seat is one of the few on Vancouver Island that Telford says could change hands.
“If the Liberals have any chances on the island, it would be in the Victoria area, and only really if we see a strong national campaign,” he said.
Nikki Macdonald came third in the riding in 2019 and is running again to beat Collins. She’s tapping into one of the election's top issues – climate change – and emphasizing her background in marine climate policy.
“The number one issue I'm hearing when I’m knocking doors is climate change,” said Macdonald Tuesday, noting she had already knocked on about 2,000 doors.
Meanwhile, the NDP will be hoping to add to their stronghold on the island, and aiming to flip Green MP Paul Manly’s seat in Nanaimo-Ladysmith, especially since former Green Party leader Elizabeth May is likely a good bet for re-election in her riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands.
“They own most of Vancouver Island and I think they would very much like to get one of the Green seats back, the one in Nanaimo, and I think that is possible,” said Telford.
But Manly, who won a by-election in 2019 and then the general election later that year, says he plans to fight hard and points to Sunday’s endorsement from environmentalist David Suzuki.
“Anyone who thinks that were not going to be up for a good strong fight to retain this seat in Nanaimo-Ladysmith is going to be surprised,” said Manly.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.