Conservative, Liberal candidates outline priorities in first week of campaign

By Rob Paul

With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling an early election Sunday, Canadians have under five weeks until they'll be heading to the polls on September 20. 

In Dufferin-Caledon there are five confirmed MP candidates at this point with incumbent Kyle Seeback running for re-election for the Conservative Party, Lisa Post representing the Liberals, Jenni Le Forestier running for the Green Party, Brian Frazer for the People's Party of Canada, and Russ Emo is the Christian Heritage Party's candidate. The NDP have not yet named a candidate for the riding.

During the 2019 election, the Conservative's and Liberal's accounted for 51,497 votes—75 per cent—of the 68,616 valid votes casted.

In the 2019 federal election, Seeback was elected to represent Dufferin-Caledon for the first time after the Conservative's had David Tilson win the riding in five straight elections dating back to the creation of the riding in 2004.

Prior to running in the Dufferin-Caledon riding in 2019, Seeback had previously served as MP for Brampton West from 2011 to 2015. In the 2015 federal election, Seeback ran for MP in Brampton South receiving 35 per cent of the vote but falling short of winning the riding—MP Sonia Sidhu was elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019.

Some of Seeback's main focuses while representing Dufferin-Caledon have been rural infrastructure, protecting the environment, freedom of speech, advocating for affordable housing, and fighting for better broadband.

“The problem of affordable and reliable internet has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic for rural Canada, including, Dufferin-Caledon, as more families rely on this service to operate their businesses, communicate with loved ones, complete schoolwork, and to stay informed,” stated Seeback. “I aggressively pushed for action by the Liberal government and Internet Service Providers.”

In 2021, Seeback founded the Dufferin-Caledon Multicultural Award Committee to help show his commitment to the importance of inclusivity and diversity in community. 

Since the pandemic began, he has also prioritized economic recovery by meeting with local Legions, farmers, and small business owners.

“Legions all across Canada, including those in Dufferin-Caledon, were severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as they struggled to keep their doors open,” Seeback stated. “The Liberal government was slow to act. I raised this issue here in the riding and in Ottawa, which resulted in a phenomenal outpouring of support from our community. After many months of pressure, the government also finally provided support to the Orangeville and Alton Legions. Small businesses have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. I've listened to and also met with Dufferin-Caledon business owners during my Small Business Tour. I shared their concerns with the Liberal government, while also pressing the government to improve their COVID-19 response measures.”

Post was acclaimed as the Liberal candidate for Dufferin-Caledon in April and has been serving as an Orangeville Town Councillor since 2018. In her role as a councillor, she has advocated for the community as Chair of the Joint Accessibility Advisory Committee, the Cultural Plan Task Force, and the newly established Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and she also serves as the Vice Chair of the Library Board.

Her main commitments as a representative of the community include growing the middle class, supporting small business, protecting the environment, and building a more inclusive future.

Post is involved in community organizations as a volunteer and has dedicated herself to supporting diversity and inclusion in Dufferin-Caledon. She's a founding organizer for Dufferin County's first Pride Festival, Celebrate Your Awesome. 

With the impact the pandemic has had on the economy, Post hopes to be a voice in Ottawa for those in need and believes the federal government has to do everything possible to help the country rebound and put people first. 

For more information about Conservative candidate Kyle Seeback, visit www.kyleseeback.com, and for more information about Liberal candidate Lisa Post, visit lisapost.liberal.ca.