With good shoes and an umbrella in hand, Laurel Collins hits the streets daily in her bid to talk to residents about the role of government in their lives.
The NDP candidate for the Victoria riding in the coming federal election, Collins already serves in the position.
“I love this work, being able to talk to people in Victoria, hear their concerns and bring their voices to Ottawa and really make sure government is working for everyday people,” she told the Victoria News.
“We have such a politically engaged community. We have people who care so deeply and want to make the world a better place, and make life more affordable.”
First elected member of parliament in 2019, it’s far from her first time stumping on doorsteps, and her family stands behind her in this next bid to hold on to the “honour” of serving Victoria, Oak Bay and a portion of Saanich.
With a one-year-old and another child who’s nearly four (with a birthday the day after the April 28 election), campaigning is truly a family affair. It’s not unusual for grandparents to step in with the kids while she and husband James hit the streets together.
Spending hours on doorsteps these days, the interactions are as varied as the spring weather, with a handful of standout moments. One fellow barely let her finish her opening spiel before he leaned over and pinched her cheek.
“I was so taken aback,” she said with a laugh. “That was a first.”
While the physical gesture is a one-off, chatting about tackling corporate greed is a recurring theme.
People want to talk about the affordability crisis in general as people struggle with the cost of housing, groceries and more, “while corporations are making record profits.” It’s not just Victoria, Collins said, but across the nation.
“When grocery store chains are making record profits and people are having a hard time putting food on the table, the government should step in,” Collins said, noting other countries have done it.
Conversations of interest linger – good and bad.
“You have some really special moments on the doorstep,” she said.
One family invited her in to break their Ramadan fast, sharing figs and other fruit as they chatted about affordability.
Another household, a multi-family building, invited her in to talk concerns about their living arrangements as the landlord pursues a special process to raise their rents.
She’s predictably hearing a lot about the threat Trump and his cronies pose to the Canadian economy and sovereignty. And there’s the lingering common theme that arises every election. People want to see “bold action on the environment” alongside the other concerns.
“This election, people want to know that there are elected officials who are going to put their interests first,” she said. “With billionaires like Elon Musk threatening Canadian sovereignty, people in Victoria and across Canada want to know we’re going to put their interests first.”
