Cariboo-Prince George Conservative candidate Todd Doherty hopes to get re-elected for a third term.
“It has really been the greatest honour to get to represent this region over the last six years,” he told Black Press Media Monday, Aug. 30.
“Being from this region, being from Williams Lake - both my wife and I - and be able to stand in parliament and fight for our hardworking friends and families, to be able to work collaboratively across the aisle with parliamentarians from all sides of the House on matters that really make a difference for people in our region is truly amazing.”
There is still more work to do and Doherty wants to be part of that work.
He said the region has an abundance of opportunities but also has its challenges.
“We want to make sure the person who is standing up for our region knows the region and knows what it is like to live in this beautiful region.”
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Doherty said he grew up standing and fighting together with his friends and defending them and now being able to continue the fight and ensure they have the best representation is important.
“I hope on Sept. 20 our residents have seen that they’ve got somebody who knows our way of life here and will fight tooth and nail to be able to protect it.”
The riding spans 84,000 square kilometres and over the last six years Doherty tried to keep his promise that people in the riding would see their member of parliament and know who he is.
“I think it is a strong record that we will stand on. We are at every event that we can be and logged thousands and thousands of kilometres over a course of a year. I just turned 4,000 kilometres since the beginning of this election, but that’s what we do.”
Major issues include affordability and homelessness, the opioid crisis, which he said is a national health crisis and rural crime.
“We need to find a way that we can overcome some of the social issues that we have as a region and as a county but also work together with our municipalities, regional and provincial leadership and face down the challenges and realize the opportunities.”
Doherty attended a ceremony at the former St. Josephs Mission Indian Residential School site on Monday, Aug. 30, and said reconciliation is also a key issue.
“It is a powerful, powerful day for us in this community. I think reconciliation has become a buzz word for politicians to stand up and dab their eye with a handkerchief and say that they really really care and then there’s no action back behind it. If you are truly committed to reconciliation, it’s time to walk together.”
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