MP candidates in Flamborough—Glanbrook—Brant North take to the campaign trail

The cost of living and how tariffs will impact the pocketbook are top of mind for voters in the new riding of Flamborough—Glanbrook—Brant North. Candidates were on the campaign trail today, trying to win over voters in this short election campaign.

Conservative incumbent Dan Muys knocked on doors in a Waterdown suburb this afternoon — at houses that didn’t exist in the last federal election, when Muys first won his seat.

“People are squeezed with the cost of living, and that’s very much top of mind for people. And you know our plan is to reduce taxes, to cut the carbon tax for real and for good, because grocery price inflation in Canada is 37 per cent higher than in the U.S., and the cost of housing in Canada has doubled over the course of the last 10 years,” says Muys.

There’s plenty of new constituents for candidates in the Flamborough–Glanbrook–Brant North riding to reach this time around. Besides the growth in population, the boundaries have changed on the riding, and it now includes Paris, St. George and more parts of Brant Country.

“I am very concerned about what’s happening in the trade war, and I really wanted an opportunity to do something about it,” says Liberal candidate Chuck Phillips.

It’s in that new part of the riding that Phillips was speaking with voters today. He says constituents tell him their number-one issue is voting in a leader that will stand up to Donald Trump.

“They understand that the most important thing now is leadership, to choose the right leader to be able to deal with and create plans to deal with the trade war that we’re experiencing. People have a lot of confidence in the experience Mark Carney brings, and I’m very proud to be on the Mark Carney team,” adds Phillips.

The American president and his tariffs are also top of mind for NDP candidate and international trade lawyer Peter Werhun.

“We’re in a more dangerous world than we’ve ever been in, and there’s one party that has been talking about these kinds of issues like trade for 30 years consistently, and that’s been the NDP. I’m glad the Liberals and the Conservatives are starting to catch up to us on a lot of these issues, but I’m worried that they won’t be able to do the things that they’re saying,” says Werhun.

Green candidate Anita Payne will also be on the ballot in Flamborough–Glanbrook–Brant North — though the party says she is not actively campaigning.

The federal election is set for April 28, with advance voting starting April 18.