Saturday April 26, 2025 | LANGFORD, BC [Posted at 9:54 pm | Updated 10:25 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
With only two days left in the 2025 federal campaign, local Liberal candidate Blair Herbert (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford) brought Marc Miller to town.
Getting around to door knocking at almost 200 homes in the Kettle Creek area of Langford, Herbert and Miller had seasonably warm sunny weather for getting out the Liberal message.
Last week, Herbert delivered some introductory remarks at the national press conference podium when Liberal Leader Mark Carney was in town.
Herbert also attended and was in the centre right with Carney at the Liberal leader’s rally in Victoria on April 6.
Compared to his last two federal runs in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford (2019 and 2021), Herbert seems more intent to bring it home for the Liberals in a riding that spans a good chunk of the west shore and east side of the south island.
Miller is a prominent catch:
Miller is the former Federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and a long-time associate of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Immigration was a tough file in the waning days of the Trudeau government, but Miller is seen as a straight-shooter who bared the truth about how the immigration process could be handled better — in particular, allowing some time for housing, health-care capacity and school capacity to catch up.
Miller is seeking re-election in the riding of Ville-Marie–Le Sud-Ouest–Île-des-Soeurs in Quebec but ended up on Vancouver Island just two days ahead of the federal election. Politically speaking, that — together with Carney expected back in BC tomorrow on election eve (to meet with volunteers and supporters in Metro Vancouver at 8:30 pm and then in Victoria at 11 pm) — signals a strong Liberal team belief that the Liberals might just gain a seat or two on Vancouver Island on April 28.
~ See Election 2025 Campaign Itineraries ~
Here in Langford today, Miller was recognized by some people at the door step, says a Herbert campaign representative. Questions to Miller and Herbert were the usual hot topics of this election campaign including Trump, tariffs, affordability and housing.
Island orange since 2011:
Since 2011, the NDP has held six of the seven federal seats on Vancouver Island; the seventh has been Green since 2011.
The NDP ground game is well organized and robust, so it would not be surprising to see a strong return of most if not all incumbent NDPs on Monday night, as well as their new candidates holding ridings where the NDP MP decided to not seek re-election.
So it’s interesting to see the last-minute Liberal push on the island and in the lower mainland area. Besides winning seats themselves, the Liberals may be wanting to ensure that Conservatives don’t win in this region.
Other candidates in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford:
In Cowichan-Malahat-Langford the incumbent is Alistair MacGregor, NDP (who has held the seat since 2015, re-elected in 2019 and 2021).
Also running in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford are Conservative candidate Jeff Kibble and Green candidate Kathleen Code.
===== RELATED:
- Carney’s second visit to Victoria highlights south Vancouver Island Liberal candidates (April 23, 2025)
- Friday afternoon chat with Liberal candidate Blair Herbert (April 18, 2025)
- Liberals & Conservatives have let Canadians down on crime prevention, says NDP incumbent Alistair MacGregor (April 15, 2025)
- Cowichan-Malahat-Langford Conservative candidate Jeff Kibble meet & greet on April 11 (April 9, 2025)
- Canada needs strong NDP in 45th Parliament says NDP incumbent Alistair MacGregor (April 6, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: CANADIAN FEDERAL ELECTION 2025 | CANADA-NATIONAL | LIBERAL PARTY of CANADA | CONSERVATIVE PARTY of CANADA | FEDERAL NDP
- CAMPAIGN ITINERARIES: Who is where | How to Vote