Now roughly halfway through the campaign, Liberal candidate Yasir Naqvi took a break from door-knocking during Tuesday’s snowstorm to chat about how he plans to represent Ottawa Centre in the House of Commons if re-elected on April 28.
Prior to winning election in 2021, he represented the riding in Queen’s Park from 2007 to 2018, when he was defeated by NDP candidate Joel Harden.
This time around, Naqvi will be facing a familiar foe in Harden, who has made the jump to the federal arena, again representing the NDP.
Marci Surkes, managing director of Compass Rose and former executive director of policy and cabinet affairs in Justin Trudeau’s Prime Minister’s Office, said that while she expects Naqvi will be successful in holding on to his seat, the Liberals will have to “work hard to keep it.”
Polling aggregator 388 Canada currently projects Naqvi will safely hold the riding, but Surkes warns that Harden is still a popular figure, and despite the NDP’s drop-off in national polls, this is one seat “where a local candidate could potentially make a difference.”
During a phone interview with Ottawa Compass, Naqvi was rushing in from the snowstorm, and said he was grateful to be “thawing” from Ottawa’s “15th winter,” as he called it. He then laid out his ideas about some of the issues facing the city and the residents of Ottawa Centre, and how he plans to address them if re-elected.
The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Now that we’re right around the halfway mark in the campaign, how are you feeling about your campaign?
I’m feeling good. It’s been a very good campaign. We’re knocking on doors every single day, having really thoughtful conversations with my constituents, even on a cold, snowy day like today.
People are really concerned about Donald Trump, the threats to Canada, and the future of our economy. As much as the polls are showing that, it is real. That’s primarily the conversation that I’m engaged in, and they want a strong leader like Mark Carney under the Liberal Party, to really make sure that not only Canada remains an independent country, but we are able to rebuild our economy so that it’s less reliant on us creating good paying jobs for Canadians.
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On April 28, when residents of Ottawa Centre go to the polls, they’ll be choosing between you and Joel Harden — and not for the first time. Are you confident that you can maintain your footing against a candidate like Harden who is so well-known in the community?
Well, so am I. I’ve been out in the community for a long period of time as a MPP and now as a Member of Parliament. I’m getting a very positive response at the door and people are appreciative of the work that I have done as their local representative.
And people are really seized with the bigger issue. They want a Member of Parliament who is part of a government that can make these positive changes. People want to be sure that given my background as an international trade lawyer, that’s the expertise that I bring, and I’m able to use it on behalf of my constituents so that Canada is strong
I never take any elections for granted. So I knock on doors every single day, three times a day, and talk to as many people as possible.
There are quite a few challenges facing Ottawa right now. Last week, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe joined his Gatineau counterpart, Maude Marquis-Bisonette, in issuing a list of eight priorities for whoever forms the next government. Tell me about some of the main priorities for you as the representative for Ottawa Centre.
There are two big areas that I’ve been focused on and I want to continue working on. One is to build more housing in the community.
Ottawa Centre is quite unique, because we have a lot of federally owned land, and my focus over the last four years has been to attract millions in dollars to convert federal lands that could be used for housing.
So I’m talking about LeBreton Flats, Tunney’s Pasture and Confederation Heights. There are over 2,000 units being built in Ottawa Centre. But there’s more to be done. And it’s housing for everyone; housing for young people, for working families, for people who need affordable housing. So we need that right mix.
The second area is the revitalizing [downtown] after the pandemic, or during the pandemic, and then, especially after the convoy occupation. So, how do we bring people back to live, work and visit in the downtown core? That’s why I initiated a task force that came up with recommendations, working along with the city government, with Ottawa Tourism, Board of Trade, local small businesses and resident community association.
I was really happy to see that both the mayors highlighted the revitalization of the downtown core, both in Ottawa and Gatineau, as a priority, and it’s something that I look forward to working with them.
Something that people are concerned about is health care. They do not want their health care to be privatized, and they’re concerned that that’s exactly what Pierre Poilievre is going to do. How do we make sure that we have a publicly funded health care system available? That’s what I’m committed to, and what the Liberal Party is committed to.
I want to see the expansion of the Canadian dental care plan to include 18-64 year-olds, because it’s been a really good program for seniors and kids, and we want to make sure that it is expanded.
And, of course, housing for seniors, and a sort of a health hub in our community.
The mayors are also looking for fair payments in lieu of taxes (PILTS). Is that something that’s on your radar?
Yeah, it’s been something that I’ve actually, along with my [National Capital Region] caucus colleagues, been quite involved in active conversations with the city. You may know that there was a court case the city had taken to the federal government, and the City was unsuccessful. These things are negotiated, but I want to make sure that there’s a fair formula, a fair deal for the City of Ottawa, and I will always advocate for that when the next set of negotiations come to determine the formula to determine the tax rate.
The mayors are seeking support for the public service. Many might think the public service is a federal issue, but of course, here in Ottawa, it’s a very local one. The mayors are looking for support through retraining programs for workers who have been affected by federal layoffs. Where do you stand on this?
The public service is a very important part of my community. There’s a huge economic benefit that comes with public service. They support our local dry cleaners and car dealerships and restaurants. So that’s very much part and parcel of our economy.
The other thing I will say is that the public service was instrumental in helping Canadians live through the pandemic, to make sure that Canadians get the care and the support they need.
As we are looking at our trade war with the United States, public servants have a very important role to play. I will very steadfastly defend the work that our hardworking public service do, and ensure that they are very much part and parcel of the important work that needs to happen.
How about public transit, and the mayors’ demands for support with things like LRT Stage 3?
I’ve always been a big supporter of public transit and the build up of LRT. I was part of a provincial government that supported phase one of LRT, federal government that supported phase two of the LRT, and I will remain a supporter of phase three of the LRT. But we’re not just stopping there.
We announced long-term capital funding for the overall OC transport system so that it becomes more reliable, more accessible for people, as the City of Ottawa looks at augmenting the transit system.
Let’s talk about some other issues facing Ottawans. After the pandemic, and during this affordability crisis, food bank visits in Ottawa have increased. People have also reported that poverty and homelessness, public safety and affordability are their biggest concerns at this time.
Income security and the precarity that comes with it is a significant issue. I do a lot of work with organizations like the Parkdale Food Centre in our community to make sure that there are supports.
That’s why I think programs like $10 a day childcare, or a dental care program for people making less than $90,000, are so important because it really gives them not only a tremendous amount of savings, but allows them to live a better quality of life, and we make sure that their children, or they themselves, are getting the care that they need.
So I remain a steadfast supporter of those types of national programs, because it really helps everyone.
Part of it also is the work that I’m doing around the revitalization of our downtown core to make sure that we’re building housing for people who are homeless right in our community. I don’t believe that they should be moved to some other part of the city. We need to make sure that they are being properly housed and supported in our community.
Lastly, I was really disappointed when I saw the provincial government take away funding for people with substance misuse and disorder, and I worked really hard to get funding from the federal government for Centretown and Somerset West Community Health Centres, so that we can provide appropriate care for our neighbours who are maybe using drugs on street that not only saves lives, but also ensures that our community is safe as well.
So I’ve been very proactive at different levels to ensure that the federal government is playing a proactive role, even where the federal government probably did not have a role to play, jurisdictionally speaking.
But my concern is always the well-being of our community and ensuring the support is there so that we’re looking after our neighbours.
