Monsef confirmed as Liberal candidate
Election rematch with Mike Skinner
Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef will be running in the next federal election in Peterborough-Kawartha, the Liberal riding association announced on Tuesday.
It will be the second general election in a row where Monsef will run for the Liberals against Mike Skinner, the Conservative candidate.
Skinner, the president and CEO of the Innovation Cluster, was acclaimed as the Conservative candidate for the Peterborough-Kawartha riding in March.
The Liberals did not have to have a nomination meeting before selecting Monsef as the candidate for Peterborough-Kawartha.
Under Liberal rules — which the party explains on the party’s website — current Liberal MPs are automatically nominated again as 2019 candidates provided the MP and the local Liberal Association meet certain “new targets for community engagement.”
Those “targets” include canvassing in the community in person or by phone, for example, as well as obtaining the signatures of 150 Liberals in the community and getting an early start on fundraising.
Meanwhile the Peterborough-Kawartha federal NDP candidate hasn’t been selected yet.
“Our federal candidate search is well underway and the nomination meeting will be held this winter,” said Natalie Stephenson, federal vice-president of the Peterborough-Kawartha NDP, via Facebook message on Tuesday. Sean Conway, who ran for the NDP in the provincial election in June, told The Examiner on Tuesday he doesn’t plan to run in the federal election.
Dave Nickle ran for the NDP in the 2015 federal election.
Officials with the Green party for Peterborough-Kawartha couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday. Doug Mason ran locally for the Greens in the 2015 federal election.
Monsef wasn‘t available for comment Tuesday evening after her nomination was announced by the riding association.
But in a written statement emailed to The Examiner, Monsef said she finds working as the MP for Peterborough-Kawartha to be “incredibly meaningful and rewarding” — and also that she’s grateful to have been nominated again.
“Together, we will continue to grow Canada’s middle class and support those working hard to join it,” she stated. “Thanks to my great local team who helped make this happen. Here’s to you and all the hard work along the road to the 2019 election.”
Skinner wrote in a text message to The Examiner that he’s looking forward to the campaign.
“The next federal election could not come fast enough for me,” Skinner wrote. “My team and I have been talking to local residents since August and I am looking forward to a positive and truthful 2019 campaign that will highlight our strong, familyfocused conservative values.”
The next federal election is on Oct. 21, 2019.
NOTES: Incumbent Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP
Jamie Schmale said earlier this year he has also been confirmed as the Conservative candidate for that riding .... Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau was in Cobourg earlier this month to celebrate Northumberland-Peterborough South MP Kim Rudd returning as the Liberal candidate in the riding.