Edmonton Strathcona NDP MP Heather McPherson speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about her part in the upcoming federal NDP leadership race, as well as the return to parliament and where the NDP’s relationship with the minority Liberal government stands. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Michael Higgins: You’re now listed as a registered NDP leadership candidate with Elections Canada. So is it official – are you seeking leadership of the NDP? Heather McPherson: There is a process to this, of course. There will be an announcement on Sunday, the 28th of September. Until then we’ll have to wait and see what that special announcement will be. MH: We’ve spoken to you before about some of your constituents and supporters urging you to make a run. What’s pushing you towards this decision? HM: I will wait for the announcement to talk about what our next steps are for me and for our team and for my family. I will say that I’m excited about the opportunity for the New Democratic Party to re-envision what our party needs, get back to what it means to be a New Democrat, and find ways to welcome more people into our party. I think we need to build a bigger table. We need to make sure that Canadians across the country who perhaps lent their vote to other parties in this last election feel welcomed back into our party. Also there are folks from coast to coast that recognize that our new democratic values have. We need to set a bigger table for more people to join our party. So the leadership race is a really exciting moment for that. MH: Does that mean the leadership race will reshape the party? How different an NDP do you expect to emerge in March – regardless of whether or not you’re in the running? HM: The the vision that I have for the New Democratic Party is that we really do need to connect with everyday Canadians, and we need to connect with Canadians where they are. In the last election, people were struggling with affordability issues, with housing, not being able to pay for rent. Think about how difficult it is for young people across this country right now to get a job. That has to be the focus of our of our efforts to rebuild our party. We have to be talking to workers now more than ever. We see a very right leaning Liberal Party right now. One would almost describe them as very conservative in the way that they’re going about this - very little support for workers, very little support for people that are really struggling across this country right now. For me, I think that’s part of the proposition we put to Canadians. We are the party for those folks that can’t afford to buy their groceries right now, that are watching the wealthy get wealthier and wealthier while they can’t get a job. While their kids can’t get a job, while housing becomes completely unaffordable. Those are the things I think that we need to reconnect with Canadians on. MH: How comfortable are you with the rules of the leadership race? There’s one triggering discussion, potential candidates need 50 per cent of the required 500 signatures to be from members who do not identify as a cisgendered man. How does that sit with you? HM: These are the rules the Federal Council came up with. We can meet those obligations, my team and I are happy to do that if we decide to throw our name in the hat. So I won’t comment on what the Federal Council has decided on. MH: Let’s shift focus to parliament sitting again. How are you approaching the new Liberal government’s agenda? HM: This is not what Canadians voted for. The bills that we have seen come forward already – Bill C-5, Bill C-2, these are not things that the Canadians voted for. This is not what Mark Carney put forward as his proposition. The austerity budget that we are hearing about with massive cuts to public services -austerity means cuts. It means cuts to the things that Canadians need. It means cuts to the things that that Canadians depend upon. We already see the impact of this. Canadians can’t get through to Canada Revenue Agency. Our offices is completely inundated with calls from constituents asking for support with CRA, to get hold of the immigration offices. All of these things are the services Canadians depend upon and this is not what Mark Carney promised Canadians. I’m deeply worried about what this budget may look like. MH: What then will dictate the degree of support your party will give the November 4 budget? HM: If the budget supports Canadians, if there are things in the budget that are supporting Canadians, Canadians that cannot afford their groceries and cannot afford rent. If there is support for workers, making sure that workers can continue to work, but also making sure that our EI system is sufficient for the for the shock our economic system is going to take. Because Donald Trump is threatening our sovereignty, threatening our economy, and the impact will be felt on the ground by workers across this country. If there are things in the budget that can support that then perhaps. What we are hearing right now is 15 per cent cuts to the services that Canadians depend upon - at a time when Canadians can’t find a doctor, they can’t see a specialist, they can’t get hip and knee replacement surgeries. At a time when the federal government is talking about investing 5 per cent in defense, which was another thing this prime minister did not run on in April. That’s three times the amount of dollars that we sent to the provinces for health care. I think for most Canadians, we need to fix the health-care system. We need to fix the affordability crisis. We need to be protecting workers to make sure that that if a recession happens, if the hits keep coming, because Donald Trump continues to attack Canada’s economy, those workers are protected.
