With just over a month left before the federal election in Canada, the mayor of Chatham-Kent is weighing in on what he wants and needs from candidates and eventually the new federal government.
CK Mayor Darrin Canniff told CK News Today that he'll be keeping an eye on the top issues that matter to him and the municipality, such as maintaining free trade with the U.S. and more affordable housing funding.
This federal election marks the first time that local voters will be casting a ballot for one MP in the new, re-drawn riding that includes all of Chatham-Kent, along with Moraviantown, Leamington, and Pelee Island. The new riding will only have one MP and not two like previous federal elections.
Mayor Canniff admitted that the municipality is not as tied to federal funding as it is to provincial funding, but he still needs the new federal government to step up with much-needed cash for infrastructure and social programs.
"I know they have a balancing act and a number of things to do, but bottom line, we need funding here for affordable housing, roads, bridges, and other different things. That's what we're looking for at a high level from a municipal perspective," said Mayor Canniff.
The mayor said it's "super important" to correctly deal with the tariff burden being imposed by the U.S.
"I'd like to put all of the tariffs behind us sooner rather than later and get back to a solid relationship and not have to worry about being the 51st state and how much will they charge us and all of these different things. It's really putting a chill in the economy," Canniff noted.
The Grain Farmers of Ontario also listed maintaining free trade between the U.S. and Canada as their top concerns this federal election, along with business risk management and taxation.
“Agriculture is consistently one of Canada’s top two industries and it's time for government to acknowledge that by supporting the future of farming with forward-looking policy that keeps Canada a top 10 food exporter for the world. Farmers are innovative, passionate, and resilient and we want a government that not only acknowledges that, we want one that goes to work for farmers and works with us to ensure our food system is secure for all generations to come,” said Grain Farmers of Ontario Chair Jeff Harrison.
Mayor Canniff thinks that the new federal riding will create some confusion among voters, adding that he liked having two MPs previously representing the municipality and is ready to work with whoever wins the local seat.
"We have one less voice, it's better to have more voices. That's the negative to those things (re-drawing boundaries). I had no problem keeping up with two MPs versus one," the mayor added.
Voters go to the polls on April 28, 2025, but there are advance polls from April 18-21, 2025.
The incumbent MP for the riding of Chatham-Kent-Leamington is Dave Epp, and so far he has no official challengers. Elections Canada noted the nomination process for candidates closes on Monday, April 7, 2025, and a complete list of confirmed candidates will be available on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
The federal election was called on Sunday.