Thursday, July 19, 2019 ~ LANGFORD
~ West Shore Voice News
The federal election is coming up this fall, and Alistair MacGregor, MP (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford) will be running again.
MacGregor is spending the summer in his Cowichan-Malahat-Langford constituency. Anticipation of the fall federal election campaign is already brewing.
Back in 2015 when Alistair won in the riding that stretches from Duncan on the east side of the island, through Langford in the west shore, and includes parts of Juan de Fuca up to Port Renfrew, the campaign period was 78 days. Now, thanks to his input in the House of Commons and eventually the Liberal government’s Bill C-76, the number of days in a federal campaign is capped at 50. The concern was that larger, better-funded parties would have an unfair advantage in a longer campaign, when the resources of smaller parties tend to wither.
In the last few years MacGregor has seen Langford “just keep growing” with new neighbourhoods and more families moving here. He worries about housing cost pressures in Langford. He supports expansion of road infrastructure to support the west shore commute.
“I love to door-knock,” says MacGregor as the campaign gears up. “I get a clearer sense of issues in the city and listen to people’s concerns.” He expects reception at the door to be “a continuation of the impression they already have of me”.
While the 2015 campaign was about a clean sweep (“a referendum on Harper”), MacGregor feels the 2019 election will be more a measure of “dissatisfaction with Trudeau” and likely produce a minority Liberal government.
Public life takes a toll on family life. He is enjoying some time with his wife and three young daughters on their Duncan-area farm before the campaign is in full swing.
At the Langford office in the west shore — located at 3202B Happy Valley Road (at the corner of Sooke Road), Alistair’s office staff are in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 am to 3 pm (and other times by appointment). There is parking out front (shared with the bicycle shop next door). A wide range of services are provided to constituents at the constituency office.
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First version of this article was published on page 2 in the July 19, 2019 Weekend Edition of West Shore Voice News.
Constituents may of course at any time make an appointment to speak with their Member of Parliament. Alistair’s friendly office can be reached by phone at 1-866-609-9998 or email alistair.macgregor@parl.gc.ca