The Liberal candidate for Battlefords-Lloydminster-Meadow Lake is Larry Ingram. He is running in the riding for the April 28 Federal Elections. He is sharing his perspectives on the Vista Radio questionnaire to help you in your choices at the polls.
Question 1: Tell us about yourself in relation to what is at stake for Canada at this time.
Our main focus this election is keeping Canada strong. I believe that Mark Carney and the Liberal Party is the best voice for Canada against Donald Trump and the United States tariffs.
I was born and raised close to Turtleford on a farm with seven siblings. After I graduated high school, I became a journeyman sheet metal worker and also came back to farming.
I have experience as a foreman, general foreman, and I was the union rep on industrial sites.
Our riding is unique in that we have such beautiful nature and pristine lakes.
I want to be a part of preserving our heritage and culture. We’ve made headway towards gay rights and reconciliation over the past few years.
My political involvement with the Liberal Party goes back 50 years, when I was the Liberal Youth Rep. Since then, I have been a Provincial and Federal Candidate.
I consider myself to be an approachable and caring person and am very good at problem-solving and thinking outside the box.
Question 2: What does your party propose to do about the trade wars with the USA and China?
- Strengthen our ties to our international partners in Europe and Asia
- Build one Canadian economy and not 13 by removing interprovincial trade barriers
- Create a $2 billion Strategic Response Fund to boost our auto sector’s competitiveness, protect manufacturing jobs, support workers to upskill their expertise in the industry, and build a fortified Canadian supply chain – from raw materials to finished vehicles
- Maximize Canada’s steel, aluminum, and critical minerals – from exploration to battery production – to seize this economic opportunity, create higher-paying jobs, and build the strongest economy in the G7
We are at a time in our country when our very own sovereignty is at stake, and Canadians have a choice to make in this election for who they think is best to stand up to Donald Trump.
We are at a time in our country when a very big decision must be made. Our long-time neighbour and trading partner has arbitrarily decided that they want to change our relationship. So, it is time for us to decide if we want to stay being a sovereign country or become the 51st state.
I say that we stay being a sovereign country.
Mark Carney is the right leader at the right time to secure international trading partners and strengthen our agreements with trusted allies.
Now is when we must be Canada Strong and move forward as a sovereign country.
Question 3: How would your party diversify export markets away from U.S. dependency?
- We will inject $5 billion into a new Trade Diversification Corridor Fund to build the infrastructure that will help diversify our trade partners, create good jobs, and drive economic growth. This fund will accelerate nation-building projects at ports, railroads, inland terminals, airports, and highways. This will build one Canadian economy and diversify our trade away from the United States
- Authorize Canadian ports to cooperate instead of competing, to maximize efficiencies by leveraging comparative advantages
- Strengthen the security of our ports to stop the flow of drugs such as fentanyl and its precursors, as well as illegal guns and stolen autos
Question 4: On immigration – What are your thoughts or those of your party on how to get greater involvement of immigrants in the national development of Canada?
We are a nation built on immigrants. Immigrants are an important part of our economy and our cultural mosaic. Immigrants from all over the world have built up our country, and by investing in One Canadian Economy, building up our infrastructure, and creating new national supply chains, we will create good-paying jobs for thousands of Canadians and newcomers alike.
Question 5: On Indigenous issues – How do you or your party propose to get buy-in from First Nations on projects of national interest?
We are working closely to provide more opportunities for Indigenous Peoples to engage in projects early and consistently, like increasing capacity funding for Indigenous communities and doubling the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program from $5 to $10 billion and expanding it to support more Indigenous-led infrastructure, transportation, and trade projects across the country.
Question 6: On pipelines – How do you or your party propose to get Quebec on board with national projects and building pipelines through Quebec?
It was a Liberal government that bought TMX and got it finished. This was a critical project to be able to send energy exports to our international partners and that investment is paying off significantly now that we are needing to diversify away from the US.
The Prime Minister is already engaging with premiers to remove internal trade barriers. You are seeing the rhetoric in Quebec change to be more positive to building energy corridors to the east. Canadians are coming together in a big way to strengthen our economy at home and diversify our energy exports.
You will see in the coming days announcements from the Prime Minister on building up our nation’s infrastructure like rail roads, ports, highways, so that we can export Canadian energy to international markets and move away from our dependency on the U.S.
Question 7: What are potential solutions to housing affordability and homelessness?
A Mark Carney-led Liberal government will double the pace of construction to almost 500,000 new homes a year, with a housing plan that will:
- Create Build Canada Homes (BCH) to get the federal government back into the business of home building by:
- Acting as a developer to build affordable housing at scale, including on public lands
- Catalyzing the housing industry by providing over $25 billion in financing to innovative prefabricated home builders in Canada, including those using Canadian technologies and resources like mass timber and softwood lumber, to build faster, smarter, more affordably, and more sustainably
- Providing $10 billion in low-cost financing and capital to affordable home builders
- Make the housing market work better by catalyzing private capital, cutting red tape, and lowering the cost of homebuilding:
- Cutting municipal development charges in half for multi-unit residential housing while working with provinces and territories to keep municipalities whole
- Reintroducing a tax incentive which, when originally introduced in the 1970s, spurred tens of thousands of rental housing units across the country
- Facilitating the conversion of existing structures into affordable housing units
- Building on the success of the Housing Accelerator Fund, further reducing housing bureaucracy, zoning restrictions, and other red tape to have builders navigate one housing market, instead of thirteen
These measures will build on the elimination of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for first-time homebuyers on homes at or under $1 million.
Question 8: What do you propose to do for the riding if elected?
I propose to be accessible to the constituents of the Battlefords-Lloydminster-Meadow Lake riding. Accessible and accountable to the people who are relying on me to be their voice in government. I will work to help implement programs that are in place to help the people of this riding.
Question 9: Are there any final thoughts on any topic that you would like to share?
We are in a country-wide crisis. It is time to be Canada Strong.
