Paquette in riding viewed as possible “marginal NDP gains”

RIDING: EDMONTON-MANNING

Aaron Paquette is carrying the New Democratic Party banner in a riding that a CBC poll analyst says could crack the Conservative armour in Alberta.

That’s not a surprise to Paquette, who’s been knocking on doors and talking to “thousands and thousands” of people in the riding of Edmonton-Manning.

“They’re tired of Stephen Harper.  They’re tired of his politics of division, especially when it comes to racial issues or cultural issues, and they want a change. And they don’t feel that the Liberals are that change. That’s the number one thing I’ve been hearing,” said Paquette.

According to CBC polls analyst and ThreeHundredEight.com
founder Eric Grenier, the Edmonton-Manning riding is one of three in the city that has made “marginal NDP gains.” Grenier defines marginal gains as “seats in which the party has an outside chance.” In Edmonton, that also includes Edmonton-Centre and Edmonton-Riverbend.

“Alberta has never had much of a role in deciding a federal election's outcome, apart from running up the numbers for the Conservatives. But with the potential for a close result on election night significant, three or four seats (let alone a dozen) could prove decisive. For the first time in ages, Alberta is a province to watch on election night,” said Grenier.

The floundering oil industry, a mess created by the provincial Progressive Conservatives and now being clean up by the NDP, says
Paquette, is also figuring prominently on the minds of constituents.

“Strengthening the oil field,” he said, “because a lot of people are impacted by the downturn of oil and they want a government that actually plans ahead.”

Indigenous issues are also a priority for Paquette, who says
NDP leader Thomas Mulcair has been vocal on the cause. Paquette points to the NDP’s call for a national inquiry into murdered and missing Aboriginal women and how it was the NDP, who forced the debate in the House of Commons; the desire to build a nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations and put an end to costly lawsuits; and the restoration of and increase to funding for First
Nations education.

Paquette says both the Conservatives and the Liberals have had decades to do something for Aboriginal peoples and neither party has delivered.

“That’s probably one of the big draws right there, is that Indigenous issues are as important to the NDP as every other issue,” said Paquette. “The NDP have always been a friend to Indigenous people.”

Paquette says voters are also worried that Canada is “turning into something that they don’t recognize…. Parents are concerned that their kids are growing up in a country in which the government isn’t looking out for their best interest and they want the change.”

Paquette says he can be part of that change.

“I want to represent the community because I’m part of it,” he said. “Vote for me because our policies are good, reasonable, they’re smart. Look at the NDP platform. Everything that we’re doing is exactly what Canadians want.”

After decades of Conservative and Liberal governments, Paquette holds that the NDP is the change that is needed.

“I think that after all this time, we can do better,” said Paquette.

He notes that as the NDP are already the Official Opposition, they are “obviously the strongest party to beat Stephen Harper.”

There are six candidates in the Edmonton-Manning riding. Taking on Paquette are Ziad Aboultaif (Conservative), Sukdev ‘Dave’ Aujla (Liberal), Chris Vallee (Green), Andre Vachon (Marxist-Leninist), and Mebeate Deres (independent).

Voters go to the polls Oct. 19.