The New Democrats’ effort to win the Battlefords-Lloydminster by-election is now on in earnest as Matt Fedler’s campaign has opened their campaign office downtown on 100th Street.
They held their office open house Wednesday night in North Battleford. Fedler, who had been nominated the week before, was there to meet and speak with NDP supporters and get them enthusiastic about participating in the campaign that is now under way.
He also has an extensive sports background as an amateur wrestler and in mixed martial arts. He briefly fought MMA professionally, and made clear he intends to take the same winning attitudes that earned him success in athletics into the political arena.
“We’re the underdog but I relish the underdog role,” Fedler said to reporters. “I’ve been that in my fighting career before; I love proving people wrong.”
Fedler has roots in the North Battleford and Wilkie areas. An education grad from the University of Regina, he has worked with those suffering from mental illness as a program coordinator with Canadian Mental Health Association.
Fedler is also brand-new to politics, having only started getting actively involved in the NDP just this summer at their annual general meeting.
In speaking with reporters, Fedler explained he was inspired to get involved from what he saw from a certain US presidential candidate.
“The Bernie Sanders campaign was a big influence for me and many young people,” said Fedler.
“You can make a real difference and you don’t have to be corrupted by the big money and their influence. So that was a big push to get me involved locally and the welcoming atmosphere of the NDP here in the area.”
As for the main issues he will be promoting in his campaign, Fedler pointed to “basic human rights” as one issue he will be pushing. Fedler is Metis, and he made clear indigenous issues are a priority for him.
“We have a big Indigenous community here in our riding, and it’s unconscionable to me that some young people on reserves are faced with third-world living conditions.”
He also says “health care is a human right, and we need to shore the holes up there with pharmacare, Mental Health care, visual, dental as well.”
Education is also something he considers a basic human right. “We need to work towards tuition-free higher education as many other countries around the world have.”
Fedler also wants to see a different approach to the issue of dealing with crime.
“We have been investing a lot in prosecution and punishment, when we need to be looking at prevention.”
On taxes, Fedler says he is “no fan of the kind of taxes the Liberals are looking to impose on small businesses and family farms.” He does believe in taxing wealthy Canadians who have not been paying their fair share, pointing to the recent “Paradise Papers” revelations of wealthy Canadians who have been storing money offshore.
He also voiced support for a carbon tax as long as the money from it is “going back to small businesses and low-income farmers, and investing in renewable energy as well.“
The NDP are voicing optimism about their chances in Battlefords-Lloydminster. NDP supporters have particularly tried to play up the idea of infighting within the Conservative Party after nomination candidate Ken Finlayson decided to run as an independent.
Fedler believes there is an opportunity for the NDP to take advantage of vote-splitting among Conservative-leaning voters. He also believes he can appeal to indigenous voters as well as young voters.
“If we work hard over the next few weeks, with a little bit of luck I think we can pull it off.”
There is clearly no time left to waste for Fedler or the other nominated candidates, with only a few days left before advance polls are open from Dec. 1 to 4. By-election day is Dec. 11.
