OTTAWA — Bonnie Critchley is used to breaking the mould.
A trailblazer in uniform,
Critchley
was simply 17 years outdated when she turned the second girl ever to function an armoured crewman in her unit. She and pop Steve later made historical past as the primary father–daughter gunnery crew within the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps.
She’s now seeking to take out Conservative Chief Pierre Poilievre in one of many most secure Conservative ridings in Canada, working as an unbiased within the upcoming Battle River—Crowfoot byelection.
Critchley, who’s been traversing the agricultural Alberta driving for a few month, says she sees a path to an upset victory over Poilievre.
“Actually, outcome for us can be a win,”
Critchley instructed the Nationwide Publish on Wednesday.
She mentioned that Poilievre is beginning off on the fallacious foot after yanking in style incumbent MP Damien Kurek out of the seat and
invoice for taxpayers.
“I’ve been speaking to a number of ‘small-c’ conservatives round right here who aren’t thrilled that the ‘big-C’ Conservatives are spending an additional two million {dollars} on a mulligan for a man who failed in his obligation to his constituents and was fired,” mentioned Critchley.
Poilievre misplaced his Ottawa-area driving to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy by a five-point margin in April’s federal election, after holding the seat for 20 years.
Critchley additionally says that the Calgary-born Poilievre has postpone residents by donning western-style cowboy apparel in his visits to the driving.
“Whether or not it’s
on the Wainwright Stampede or sitting in a truck in Drumheller, it simply isn’t touchdown,” mentioned Critchley.
A 22-year military reservist who later rode her bike throughout Europe to lift cash for veterans and first responders, Critchley has a CV that might be enticing to any main political celebration.
She says she’s working as an unbiased as a result of she’s grown disillusioned with partisan politics.
“One of many issues that I feel we’re having points with is workforce politics. It’s my workforce versus your workforce, and it doesn’t matter what my workforce does or says, my workforce is best than your workforce,” mentioned Critchley.
She added that she’s finds it particularly regarding when celebration politics prevents constituents from being correctly represented, pointing to the Poilivre-Kurek switcheroo as a major instance of this downside.
Chritchley additionally says she doesn’t have should time for the budding Alberta separatist motion, having fought below the Canadian flag in Aghanistan.
She remembers that one among her hardest days in uniform got here when she took half in a press convention asserting the fight dying of an in depth pal in September 2007.
Critchley calls herself a centrist and says she objects to “performative insurance policies” on each the left and proper.
She was one among many who welcomed the termination of the Liberals’ shopper carbon tax, calling it extra symbolic than substantive.
“I’m not going to supply mushy, straightforward solutions to complicated questions,” mentioned Critchley.
She’s additionally mentioned that she’ll work to repeal Trudeau-era gun management legal guidelines if elected to Parliament.
Critchley, who’s overtly queer, says she additionally objects to right-wing factors of view on trans points.
She mentioned {that a}
current Alberta court docket injunction
stalling the province’s ban on transgender medication for minors was “excellent news.”
“The (earlier) helps for trans youth have been in place to forestall youth suicides,” mentioned Critchley.
Critchley mentioned that she’ll be spending the subsequent few weeks convening city halls to listen to from voters within the driving.
She’s pre-emptively placing out an invite to each Poilievre and Liberal candidate Darcy Spady to affix her at one among these city halls.
“I can be welcoming these two for certain,” mentioned Critchley.
Critchley has been much less welcoming to another potential candidates, although. She
launched an open letter to the Longest Poll Committee
— an activist group protesting former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s damaged 2015 election promise on electoral reform — asking the group to “not come right here and muddy the waters additional.”
The group, which
will get headlines by swamping the poll
with dozens of candidates, additionally focused Poilievre’s Ottawa-area driving of Carleton through the federal election in April.
Critchley mentioned the “tomfoolery” would solely make it more durable for a candidate like her to knock off Poilievre in the August byelection.
Nationwide Publish
Carney calls mid-August Alberta byelection, clearing Poilievre’s path to a brand new seat
Poilievre says he is in opposition to Alberta separatism, however the province has ‘reliable grievances’
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