THUNDER BAY — Improving social services and focusing on northern highway safety are two priorities Judith Monteith-Farrell says she’s taking into the provincial election campaign.
Monteith-Farrell said she doesn’t agree with Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford’s decision to call a snap election — with election day being Feb. 27 — but is ready to run for office again.
“This is an unnecessary election, but a great opportunity to do the things that need to get done so that our province has decent healthcare, decent education and that people can afford to live in this province,” she said.
“I was ready to run for four more years the last time, and I am (again) ready to run for four more years.”
Monteith-Farrell held the Thunder Bay-Atikokan seat from 2018 to 2022 for the NDP, when she was defeated by the PC’s Kevin Holland.
While the Conservatives have said they’re seeking a new mandate in order to combat uncertainty around U.S. President Donald Trump and his threats of imposing new tariffs, Monteith-Farrell said the focus should be elsewhere.
“I think that the health care issue is huge,” she said. “We can talk about tariffs and the economy, but if you are not healthy, you can have all the money in the world if you're not healthy, and if you don't have a doctor when you're in need, and that is a problem.”
During her time in opposition, Monteith-Farrell served as her party’s critic on several portfolios, including natural resources and forestry, conservation and parks and mines. She said those issues remain very important.
“I'm really passionate about the environment and natural resources, and obviously we are driven by our natural resources,” she said. “I am really adamant also about the mining, that we need to do that sustainably and with respect for the environment and everyone who lives up here in the north.”
She said she also feels her previous term in office, which included the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and, what she called, “a very difficult time in our country,” taught her a lot in advance of another run; she added that she was especially proud of her work around healthcare advocacy.
“I was proud that I showed up for work every day and was that voice for the north,” she said. “What we need is to ensure that we have the ear of the politicians (everywhere) that we are unique in the sense that we have unique needs.”
In the riding, Progressive Conservative incumbent Kevin Holland will run again for the Conservatives, while former Michael Gravelle constituency assistant Stephen Margarit is the Liberal candidate. Eric Arner will run for the Green Party for the second election in a row.
