New Conservative MP Laila Goodridge hopes to be a strong voice for Alberta's energy sector
Laila Goodridge, the newly elected Conservative MP for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, says changing the narrative around Canada’s oil and gas sector is of utmost importance to her as she takes on her new role in Ottawa.
Goodridge has called Fort McMurray home her entire life. Her dad’s family moved there in the 1970s to make a better life for themselves. Both her grandfather and dad worked in the oil sands.
Goodridge, too, worked for mining giant Syncrude as a student through university and then for North American Construction Group in health and safety for nearly five years after graduation.
“I love the innovation and ingenuity of the oil sands. They have provided so much opportunity for my family and so many others over the years,” she told CTVNews.ca.
Goodridge says she’s always had a keen interest in politics and was a member of the Conservative Party since its inception.
In 2018, she was elected as a United Conservative MLA in the Fort McMurray-Conklin riding. A year later, she won her second election, this time in the newly formed Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche riding.
The Alberta government named the bilingual Goodridge as the parliamentary secretary for the Francophonie, aimed at ensuring the implementation of Alberta’s French policy.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney congratulated his former teammate on her appointment as the federal Conservative Fort McMurray-Cold Lake candidate, praising her dedication to her community.
“Laila is a true champion for her city and was a relentless advocate for her constituents as an MLA on issues like health care, child care and economic growth,” he wrote on Facebook on Aug. 15.
Goodridge says she’s hoping to showcase her home town to her new colleagues in Ottawa.
“As the newly elected member of Parliament, I’m excited to be able to show my home town, the community that I absolutely love, to politicians from all different political parties to clear up some of the misconceptions that sometimes exist around the oil sands,” she said.
“As someone who grew up here, I live 10 minutes away from the home that I grew up in, that my dad bought from my grandparents. There are people who have roots, it’s not just a boomtown, it’s a home town.”
Goodridge is one of 50 rookie MPs elected in the 2021 federal election. CTVNews.ca is profiling five—one from each party with a seat in the Commons— in the lead up to the first sitting day of the 44th Parliament.
Securing a win on election night – she won her riding with 67.8 per cent of the votes – wasn’t her only badge of honour during the campaign.
Goodridge also gave birth mid-way through the campaign, to a baby boy named Eoghan. It’s her and her husband Niall’s first child together.
Asked how she managed to juggle it all, Goodridge replied: “Because I’m a first-time mom, I don’t have a lot to compare it to, but you know what, it was spectacular. I must give credit where credit is due, I have an exceptionally supportive spouse, wonderful family and friends, and truly the best campaign team anyone could ever ask for.”
She also gave credit to Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole who made sure she was well-supported through the process.
“It was his belief that a pregnant mom could be a candidate, that was really exciting, and his support for working families,” she said, adding that access to child-care services was a major concern she heard about from voters while door knocking.
Goodridge says her perspective as a new mom has helped her prioritize what matters most in life and work.
“You have a finite amount of time as a person, and as a mom that time gets divided a little bit differently, and so it’s about making sure that everything that I’m doing is towards my purpose and my goal,” she said.
Fellow Alberta-based Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner says Goodridge will be a “game changer” for the party.
“I was ecstatic that she ran for us. There aren’t enough women in Alberta caucus on the Conservative side and now we’ve got a woman who first of all has legislative experience, is dynamic, is a new mom, is bilingual. She’s just going to bring a wealth of experience from an area of the country that really needs a strong voice,” the Calgary Nose Hill MP said.
In a statement to CTVNews.ca, O’Toole said he’s “very excited” for Goodridge to join the team.
“She will be a strong voice for the Conservative Party and the people of her riding. I look forward to seeing the amazing things she will accomplish as a member of Parliament,” he said.
O’Toole welcomed more than just Goodridge on her first official visit to Parliament Hill for the party’s October caucus meeting.
Rempel Garner says her being a new mom “sends a message to women that this is a path that’s available to them, and not only available to them, but vital we have those voices in senior halls of power in Canada.”
“She’s a huge pickup for our team.”
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Local Spotlight
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fergus, Ont. man feels nickel-and-dimed for $0.05 property tax bill
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
'I'm committed': Oilers fan won't cut hair until Stanley Cup comes to Edmonton
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
'It's not my father's body!' Wrong man sent home after death on family vacation in Cuba
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
'Once is too many times': Education assistants facing rising violence in classrooms
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
What is capital gains tax? How is it going to affect the economy and the younger generations?
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
UBC football star turning heads in lead up to NFL draft
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.