THUNDER BAY – Experience counts at Queen’s Park.
Unlike her competition in the race for Thunder Bay-Atikokan, Judith Monteith-Farrell can claim four years of experience in the legislature, sitting in opposition as a member of the NDP caucus.
“That’s what you’re bringing to Queen’s Park. Someone who doesn’t have experience might have that heart, but when you have experience you have a far better chance at influencing change,” said Monteith-Farrell, up against Liberal Rob Barrett, Conservative Kevin Holland, the Green Party’s Eric Arner, the Northern Ontario Party's Kenneth Jones and the New Blue’s David Tommasini.
However, more valuable than experience, she said, is remembering one’s morals and values, the qualities that got her elected in the first place in 2018, when she toppled long-time Liberal cabinet minister Bill Mauro by a hair, capturing the riding by a mere 81 votes. After four years in Toronto, Monteith-Farrell says she's still got plenty of work left to do.
One of the areas she most wants to effect change moving forward is health care.
It’s her No. 1 priority if she’s re-elected.
“I think coming out of COVID, and even before COVID, health care was the No. 1 thing at the doors. It’s the No. 1 thing that comes to our office, people not being able to access health care in Northern Ontario. They’re suffering needlessly and we need to improve that,” Monteith-Farrell said.
The second biggest issue, in her mind, is affordability.
It’s just getting too expensive to live and the government has to use the available tools to do what it takes to help keep the cost of living down.
“We need to ensure that people can raise their families and have the ability to pay for the things they need to pay for and have access to the things that they need, like housing, like electricity and regulating the cost of gasoline,” Monteith-Farrell said.
The past four years haven’t been easy for any politician, particularly since COVID struck in 2020.
Monteith-Farrell said she believes she’s proven to be an effective representative who fights for the people in her riding, regardless of their political stripe.
“I think I’ve proven that I listen to people, I’m respectful and I’ve worked almost every single day the past four years representing the people of Thunder Bay-Atikokan. I believe that I’m the best choice,” she said.
Monteith-Farrell said it’s time for Ontarians to elect a government that believes people matter, not one that looks out for itself and corporations first.
“Not one where a small, select group of elite people matter,” she said. “In Northern Ontario we need a voice that’s going to know and understand our issues and bring them forward.”
Election day is June 2.
