1 week Ago By Brandon Sun
The Brandon Sun has a longstanding policy of not endorsing candidates for election at any level of government. Instead, we encourage citizens to do their research, speak to the candidates and decide for themselves which candidate is the best choice for themselves, their family and their community. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
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99 a X percent off the regular rate. The Brandon Sun has a longstanding policy of not endorsing candidates for election at any level of government. Instead, we encourage citizens to do their research, speak to the candidates and decide for themselves which candidate is the best choice for themselves, their family and their community.
Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Opinion The Brandon Sun has a longstanding policy of not endorsing candidates for election at any level of government. Instead, we encourage citizens to do their research, speak to the candidates and decide for themselves which candidate is the best choice for themselves, their family and their community. The current federal election may be one of the most important elections in our nation’s history, but it may also be one of the most confusing for voters.
On one hand, Canada may be facing an existential threat from the United States, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to crush our economy and force our nation to become its 51st state.
In apparent furtherance of that objective, he has already imposed tariffs on Canadian products, harming many Canadian businesses and causing thousands of Canadians to lose their jobs. Given that reality, the focus for many in this election is on the question of which political party and its leader is best equipped to stand up to Trump and defend Canadian jobs and interests. On the other hand, there is a wide range of serious issues that existed prior to Trump’s inauguration that can neither be ignored nor displaced.
That includes the affordability crisis many Canadians are struggling with, the housing shortage (affordable housing in particular), immigration levels, government spending and the national debt, the state and quality of our health-care system, the state of our military and alliances, crime and public safety, the addictions crisis and how to address it, taxation policy, homelessness, international and interprovincial trade issues, climate change, reproductive rights, economic development, natural resource development and exports, regional alienation, gun control, DEI policies, the state of infrastructure throughout the country and reconciliation with First Nations. Every voter will have a different perspective on which of those issues are of greater or lesser importance to them, and which candidate and political party would do the best job in addressing those issues, but the choice of which candidate to vote for should be an informed decision, based on research and evaluation. Here in the Brandon-Souris riding, there are three candidates to be our next member of Parliament: Liberal Ghazanfar Ali Tarar, Conservative Grant Jackson and New Democrat Quentin Robinson.
Tarar is something of a mystery for voters, as he was largely unknown in the riding prior to the election call, has kept a very low profile during the campaign and was unable to attend this week’s candidates’ debate due to a serious illness in his family. That said, a vote for Tarar would be a vote in support of Mark Carney’s Liberal Party, which claims that it is the best choice to defend Canada’s interests in response to the actions of the Trump administration. At this week’s debate, it was obvious that Jackson was well prepared and well versed on the wide range of challenges facing our riding and nation.
Though the former Spruce Woods Progressive Conservative MLA is clearly committed to the Conservative Party platform, he also exhibited a more thoughtful and compassionate perspective than we often see from Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre. Despite his relative youthfulness, there is ample reason to believe that he would be an effective and accessible representative for Brandon-Souris. The same is true for Robinson.
He came very close to winning the Brandon West seat in the 2023 provincial election, and the reason for his success as a relative unknown in that contest was readily apparent at Wednesday night’s debate. His answers were well informed and thoughtful, and he is clearly a man with a deep reservoir of compassion and decency. He exhibited the rare skill of being able to disagree with Jackson without being disagreeable.
He would also be a good MP for our riding. If you are not among the thousands of Brandon-Souris residents who voted in the advance poll last weekend, we encourage you to take a few moments to vote on Monday. With our nation at a crossroads on so many issues that have critical implications for the future, it is important that your voice be heard.
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