Monday July 15, 2024 | SAANICH, BC [Updated July 16, 2024]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Since his nomination as the federal NDP candidate for Saanich-Gulf Islands (SGI) back on April 27 in Sidney, Colin Plant has been fundraising, signing up new members, developing the volunteer base, expanding the riding association executive and doing some election training.
His focus is to build a team and develop a plan.
“Not a day goes by when someone offers to help me get elected and it is truly flattering and humbling,” Plant told Island Social Trends last week.
Shifting from municipal:
Colin Plant is a District of Saanich councillor and Chair of the Capital Regional District (CRD) board.
He has told the board that he will not seek re-election as their chair for 2025.
“Before I sought the SGI NDP nomination I spoke with staff, Board Vice-Chair and several Directors about being Board Chair and a candidate for the next federal election. No concerns were raised,” Plant said last week.
Plant maintains two separate social media accounts on X: @ColinPlantNDP for his campaign, and his long-standing @ColinPlant2022.
Election timing:
The federal election is presently set for October 20, 2025.
“I do not believe the Liberal government will call an election early given their current polling amongst the Canadian public,” says Plant, adding that he is prepared for whenever it comes.
Up against the Greens:
Whenever the federal election comes, Plant will be up against the formidable force of Elizabeth May, MP who has held Saanich-Gulf Islands for the Greens since 2011.
May is a veritable legend in her own time in that she is equated with significantly impacting the environmental movement in Canada. She is a celebrated parliamentarian. She is keeping the Green Party afloat across Canada (including her intention to campaign to support Greens in three provincial elections this year: BC – scheduled for October 19; New Brunswick – scheduled for October 21; and Saskatchewan – scheduled for October 28.
Why NDP can do better:
“I respect the diversity of Canada and that every political party has supporters in our country and in our riding. But I do believe the NDP can be more effective than the Greens in the House of Commons,” says Plant.
“One of the biggest differences is that the NDP have official party status in the House of Commons (requires 12 seats),” he said. “This provides the NDP additional resources and allows them to be more effective as a party in the House of Commons and other aspects of government activity. The NDP also have enough MPs to provide Critic roles to review federal departments, ensuring there is capacity to hold the government accountable.”
A teacher by career profession, Plant says: “The NDP provides a reasoned, citizen-focussed and integrity-based alternative to the two other main parties. We will keep Canada moving forward and become more affordable for ordinary working-class people, not mega-corporations and billionaires,” says Plant.
At his nomination meeting in April, Plant was strongly backed by current long-time MPs Randall Garrison (Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke) and Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford). At that event, MacGregor gave a long-range political view of how Canada has come to be where it is today with a serious cost of living crisis. MacGregor said that Canadians now express angst, anger, confusion and desperation.
Biggest campaign challenge:
“I think the biggest challenge will be stopping a potential Conservative wave across Canada as a result of Canadians having had enough of Mr. Trudeau and his ethical lapses and lack of meaningful change to make the lives of Canadians better during a period where we have seen costs go up unreasonably for average Canadians,” says Plant.
===== RELATED:
- National & BC Greens undergoing political transition (July 9, 2024)
- Saanich-Gulf Islands NDP chooses Colin Plant as their candidate (April 27, 2024)
- Elizabeth May gunning for 5th term in Saanich-Gulf Islands (April 24, 2024)
- Colin Plant aiming for federal NDP heights (April 9, 2024)
- NEWS SECTIONS: POLITICS | FEDERAL ELECTION 2025 | VANCOUVER ISLAND