Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared in Nanaimo Monday to campaign for the candidate seeking a byelection win in former NDP MP Sheila Malcolmson's riding.
The two took a walk along Nanaimo's waterfront while posing for photos with potential voters.
According to an online profile, Corfield is chair of the Ucluelet First Nation's legislative council and operates a consulting firm that provides support for Indigenous-run organizations.
She'll face challengers including John Hirst of the Conservatives and Paul Manly of the Green Party. The NDP has not yet announced its candidate, with both Lauren Semple and Bob Chamberlin seeking the nomination.
Malcolmson vacated the MP seat to make a successful bid for the provincial New Democrats in Nanaimo. Malcolmson is just one of several high-profile NDP MPs who have resigned from the party in recent months, including Victoria MP Murray Rankin.
Trudeau did not take any questions from media during the appearance, but hours earlier at an event in Maple Ridge, he was peppered with questions about the SNC-Lavalin controversy.
When asked repeatedly, Trudeau said he had a "cordial" conversation with former Liberal minister Jody Wilson-Raybould last week.
Wilson-Raybould has alleged that when she was attorney general, she faced a prolonged effort from top officials, including in the Prime Minister's Office, to interfere with criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.
Trudeau has repeatedly denied allegations that he or anyone in his office did anything improper.
Protesters were also present at the event, which took place at an under-construction townhouse complex in Maple Ridge, as Trudeau touted benefits of last week's budget for first-time homebuyers.
The campaign event also came the night after Trudeau appeared in Vancouver to formally announce Tamara Taggart, a former CTV News anchor, as the Liberal candidate for Vancouver-Kingsway.
The next federal election will take place on or before Oct. 21, 2019.
