Longtime Liberal running in Winnipeg South Centre

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This article was published 08/09/2015 (3675 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Former Liberal MLA and CEO of the Business Council of Manitoba, Jim Carr is hoping to bring a breath of fresh air to Ottawa.

The 63-year-old from Crescentwood is running for Member of Parliament in Winnipeg South Centre for the Liberal Party of Canada.

Carr was a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Liberals in Fort Rouge from 1988 to 1990 and from 1990 to 1992 for Crescentwood. After stepping down from his position as founding president of the Business Council of Manitoba in January last year, he said the time was right to enter federal politics.

“Like many Canadians I think we need a change of government in Ottawa and we’d like to wish Mr. Harper a happy retirement,” Carr said.

“I wanted to be part of a team of Liberals from coast to coast to bring a new approach to governing and a breath of fresh air into Ottawa.”  

Winnipeg South Centre has been represented by Conservative incumbent Joyce Bateman since 2011, when she beat former Liberal MP Anita Neville by 722 votes. Other candidates include Matt Henderson (NDP) and Andrew Park (Green).

Carr says he is working hard for every vote in the riding — and not taking anything for granted in the race.

“It’s my job to persuade voters that a Liberal vote is a good vote that aligns with their values and their vision of Canada,” he said.

If elected to Parliament, Carr said he will work on enhancing Indigenous access to education and climate change. First steps in addressing climate change include setting greenhouse gas emission targets with premiers and taking those goals to the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris this December, Carr said.

“I’ve been involved in creating a Canadian energy strategy for many years with other non-profit organizations and think tanks across Canada, and I think we have a responsibility, both international and national, to pay attention to those threats that impact our long-term sustainability.”
Carr would also work on ensuring Aboriginal children have the same education opportunities as non-Aboriginal students, both on and off reserve.

“Education and healthy children are the key to our future as a province, and as a nation there is no better example of how we must meet that challenge than in Indigenous communities in Manitoba and across the country,” he said.

On the subject of the Kapyong Barracks, Carr said a Liberal government would not appeal the Federal Court of Appeal’s decision which confirmed First Nations’ rights to consultation.

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“We would accept the judgment and begin to consult with those four bands,” he said. “The court has been clear… that there are responsibilities and duties to consult — both legal and constitutional and we should start talking now.”

Carr said he personally maintains the Liberal Party’s positions on the legalization of marijuana, Bill C-51, and pro-choice abortion stance, but adds what he hears from his constituents will be relayed in the House of Commons.

“It’s my job, if I’m elected Member of Parliament, to reflect the views of my constituents and if many, many constituents are of a different view, it’s my responsibility to make sure those views are expressed, and I would do that,” he said.

The federal election is Oct. 19.

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