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 contribute op-eds on why you should vote for them. Those who met our deadlines and protocols will be published all this week and next. Today: Ottawa Centre NDP candidate Catherine McKenney.
We’re all feeling the strain — whether it’s struggling to pay our rent or mortgages, find a family doctor, or get groceries on the table. Life is getting harder, and too many of us are being left behind.
That’s why I’m running to be your MPP for Ottawa Centre: to fight for real change. To make life better for all of us.
At a crucial time in my life, I relied on public services such as community housing, childcare and affordable public transit. I was also able to return to university without being burdened by lifelong debt. These supports gave me the hope and the stability I needed to build a better future. Everyone deserves that same opportunity.
But right now, our public programs are underfunded and stretched thin. It takes months to get medical tests and procedures. Young people can’t afford an apartment, let alone a house. Schools have been cut back so much they can barely operate.
We need urgent action — not just talking points or empty slogans. I refuse to reduce these challenges to soundbites because behind every statistic is a person whose dignity is on the line.
When I was a city councillor, I met a woman in the foyer of city hall. She had no home. Every night, she rode the bus or train until 2:30 a.m., then walked the streets — rain or shine — until the library opened in the morning an she could go there. That was unacceptable. I picked up the phone, called everyone I could, and within weeks, we found her permanent housing.
In this case, I was the right person who pushed for housing at the right time. But one-off solutions aren’t enough. I’ve always fought for our community and if elected, I’ll fight to change the systems that allow people to fall through the cracks in the first place. As MPP I will fight to:
• Reinstate real rent control and build publicly funded, non-market housing units in Ottawa that you can afford;
• Ensure everyone has a family doctor or nurse practitioner, including the almost 165,000 people in Ottawa without a primary care provider;
• Hire more education workers and fund the necessary repairs for our kids’ schools in Ottawa;
• Restore provincial funding to pay half of OC Transpo’s operating costs to reverse LRT service cuts, hire more drivers, run more transit, freeze fares and build a transit system you can actually rely on.
We can build a future where no one is left without a home, health care or a path forward. In Ottawa Centre, I would be honoured to have your vote in this provincial election. Let’s fight for a stronger, fairer Ottawa — together.
Catherine McKenney is the NDP candidate in Ottawa Centre.
