Conservative Party candidates swept Alberta in the 2019 federal election with one exception: The NDP won a single seat in Edmonton Centre. Now, a Métis candidate in the Edmonton Manning riding wants to add to that total.
“I can’t stress more that we need more Métis and Indigenous representatives at all levels of government,” said Charmaine St. Germain. “We need to be represented by everybody in this community. So I see myself as a voice for my Métis community.”
Edmonton Manning is northeast of the city with a population of about 121,000. Seven per cent of the population identifies as Indigenous.
In 2019, ten Indigenous candidates became members of Parliament. St. Germain wants that number to grow, especially in Alberta. She lost to Conservative incumbent Ziad Aboultaif by a comfortable margin.
“The economy is the number one issue. People are worried about inflation. They worry about the cost of living is increasing,” Aboultaif said. “Of course, they are worried about housing prices. Although in Alberta, compared to the other parts of the country, we can still manage. People are very worried about the economy, about the future.”
Donna Lynn Smith is representing the Liberals in the riding. Watch APTN’s Chris Stewart’s full riding profile above.
