The Citizen invited Ottawa candidates from the four major provincial parties to explain why you should vote for them on Feb. 27.
The Citizen invited Ottawa candidates from the four major provincial parties to explain why you should vote for them. Those who met our deadlines and protocols will be published this week and next. Today: Ottawa West-Nepean Liberal candidate Brett Szmul.
Ottawa West–Nepean is full of great communities with incredible people, but too many of you feel left behind. I’m running to be your MPP at Queen’s Park because you deserve leadership that listens and delivers real solutions.
When you or your loved ones need care, you shouldn’t be waiting 12 hours or more in an overcrowded emergency room — yet this is sadly common at Queensway Carleton Hospital. To reduce wait times, we need to focus on expanding hospital capacity while offering realistic alternatives so fewer people have to rely on ERs as a last resort. I will be relentless in the pursuit of more family doctors and nurse practitioners here in Ottawa; support further access to community-based urgent care clinics; and champion better mental health resources, particularly for young people. Like so many, I struggled in silence with mental health issues as a young adult, and I see the impact of this epidemic constantly as a grad student and teaching assistant at Carleton. We need more voices who can relate to the unique circumstances youth face today.
Transit should be reliable and efficient, but like most who ride OC Transpo every day, I know that the current service levels are unacceptable. I support uploading the LRT to the provincial government and allowing our local transit agency to focus on tackling its structural deficit and improving bus and O-Train reliability. If we want residents to choose public transit, it has to be a service they can count on.
The new HART Hub at Pinecrest-Queensway is a promising start, and more is needed. The homelessness crisis in this city is impossible to ignore and has become significantly worse in recent years. I’ll push for increased support for addiction recovery and housing-first strategies to assist our most vulnerable residents.
Parents shouldn’t have to worry about whether their kids will get to school safely. I’ll work to address driver shortages and ensure that communities in our riding have access to reliable school bus routes. I will also draw attention to those schools in our community that are in desperate need of repair and modernization, ensuring your children and grandchildren can learn in an environment conducive to their success.
Housing should be within reach for everyone. I’ll support initiatives to increase the supply of affordable homes, including leveraging provincial partnerships with the federal and municipal governments by putting suitable lands for redevelopment to good use. I will promote gentle density in neighbourhoods where it makes the most sense, particularly around major hubs like future O-Train stations.
I will also advocate for sustained provincial support for the Maison de la francophonie d’Ottawa, which plays an important role in connecting the vibrant francophone population in the west end.
This election is about building a stronger future for you. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work on the issues that truly matter in your daily life. On Feb. 27, I humbly ask for your support in this election.
Brett Szmul is the Liberal candidate for Ottawa West–Nepean.
