Portage–Lisgar MP Branden Leslie is preparing to head back to Ottawa as the fall parliamentary session begins, and he says his priorities remain squarely on the concerns he’s been hearing from constituents over the summer.
Leslie spent much of August connecting with his family and with residents. He says while many are trying to enjoy the last days of summer, the economic pressures facing farmers, manufacturers, and families continue to dominate conversations.
“It’s always a great opportunity. Summertime, especially post-election, a little less politics, a little bit more life,” Leslie says. “[...] A lot more conversations about life and certainly some challenges and frustrations that people are facing, particularly related to the agricultural tariffs coming from China on canola.”
Challenges facing producers
Leslie notes that the loss of China as a major export market has been devastating for local farmers.
“More or less, the loss of the entire market of China, previously with the tariffs on canola oil, as well as seafood products and pork products, was a huge challenge in market loss for our producers,” he says. “But now, with this so-called anti-dumping investigation towards the impact of seed, placing a massive tariff on the seed exports to what is our second largest market, has a huge impact on prices, on the sustainability of our farms, on, generally speaking, one of the most productive crops in this country; it’s a $40 billion industry.”
Along with agricultural trade concerns, Leslie says ongoing U.S. tariffs continue to weigh on manufacturers in the region.
Many local business owners and workers have told him they are uncertain about the future if those barriers are not addressed.
“A lot of people are asking me, are you going to be able to fix all of this? That’s the most common question I’ve been getting over the summer. Are you going to be able to fix this mess? And that’s a tough question to answer because it is a mess,” Leslie says.
Policy concerns at home
Looking ahead to the fall session, Leslie says he plans to continue pushing against federal policies he believes are hurting investment and affordability.
“To me, the repeal of Bill C-69, the No More Pipelines Act, is one of the major impediments to any investment in oil and costs, and frankly, any large development projects across this country,” he says, adding that, “Another thing I’ve been hearing a lot about is the EV sales mandate. We sent out mailers and received a lot of responses back, overwhelming opposition to the mandates, the idea that by 2035, all of us are going to be forced to buy electric vehicles. It is so far out of touch with an area like ours and frankly, most of Canada.”
He adds that many constituents have also voiced opposition to the plastics ban and expressed frustration with laws limiting how energy and resource companies can communicate about their industries.
“At the end of the day, I think this is about Canada succeeding,” Leslie says. “We’re happy to work with the Liberals and any other party that are willing to play ball. But we need to do what is right for our country to get back on track, be united and ready to build our country up once again.”
Party momentum after Poilievre’s return
Although local issues remain his focus, Leslie also points to recent developments at the national level.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre secured a seat in Parliament after a by-election win in Alberta, following his loss in Carleton during the federal election. Leslie says the victory has brought new momentum for the party heading into the fall.
“Very excited to have him back,” Leslie notes, “It’s re-energized our party. I know it’s re-energized him. He’s back travelling on the road across the country here already, listening to all sorts of stakeholders after spending a lot of time in Alberta. And I know he’s going to represent that region very well and bring a renewed, strong voice for Western Canada.”
Leslie says with the energy stemming from Poilievre being back at the helm in Ottawa, he’s ready to continue carrying the concerns of Portage–Lisgar residents into the House of Commons.