Toet ready for battle to retain seat

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This article was published 10/08/2015 (3802 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After nearly five years in the House of Commons, Lawrence Toet is as excited as ever about serving his constituents in Elmwood-Transcona.

“That’s one thing I’ve really enjoyed about this,” Toet said. “Meeting people and doing what I can to support them. Whatever the case might be: an employment insurance issue, an immigration issue, a disability issue, whether they’re eligible for a tax credit they weren’t aware of. Letting them know you’re there with them.”

A lifelong resident of the Elmwood-Transcona area, Toet was elected to the House of Commons in 2011 in a tight race (defeating NDP candidate Jim Maloway by 300 votes). If he is re-elected to represent Elmwood-Transcona, Toet said he would continue to work with community groups to bring funding into the riding.

“There are so many great organizations in Elmwood-Transcona that are doing amazing work,” he said. “They’re not doing it for accolades. They’re doing it to do something good for their community.”

“I think we’ve done the groundwork for a lot of positive growth in the riding,” Toet added. “Whether it be for organizations or for infrastructure.”

Toet said while ‘big ticket’ projects, like the Plessis Underpass, get a lot of attention, he is equally proud of smaller projects in the community for which he has helped secure funding.

“The Plessis Underpass is a fantastic project, and it’s going to be great for the community,” he said. “But a lot of the other smaller projects have as much impact. Simple things like helping get a woodworking shop up and running, those are important. We sometimes miss that.”

In talking with community members, both at his campaign office (101-1605 Regent Ave. West) or as he and his team go door-to-door, Toet said he feels that the biggest issue for people in Elmwood-Transcona is personal finances.

“People want to have as much of their own money as possible in their pocket, and I agree with them,” he said. “People do a great job of using their money wisely, and if we can allow them to use their money wisely, the better off we are. The less government interference, the more the government is providing people with options and choices, that’s the position we should be fulfilling.”

Toet added that security is another issue he feels constituents are concerned about.

“People want to feel secure in their neighbourhood,” he said. “But they want to feel secure in their country, too.”

Over the course of his election campaign, Toet said constituents could expect to find him turning up at their doorstep at some point soon.

“You have that best opportunity for interchange there,” he said. “People need a sense of who you are and what you’re about. That’s an opportunity for me to learn, too. I hope people get something out of the interaction with me, because I know I get a lot out of my interaction with them.”

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