Does Carney know Nepean, the riding he’s running in?

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Liberal Party Leader Mark Carney was in Ottawa over the weekend, but the local news media had very little luck covering his campaign. Locations of his events were kept secret, access to local journalists was denied, and no questions answered from reporters.

This is not only a rebuff of the free press, but an insult to Nepean residents, who want to hear from the man whose name will be on the ballot in their riding.

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It all began on Saturday when local journalists — including myself — were told we could not cover Carney’s campaign launch in Nepean. No reason was given, though the party later called and apologized, saying it was a “misunderstanding.” But it seems no lessons were learned. On Sunday, Carney had two campaign stops in Canada’s capital, but the events were closed to all media, national or local. Where’s the transparency?

Journalists have a lot of questions. This is one of the most monumental elections in Canadian history. And Nepean residents want to meet the man who hopes to represent the riding and hold the county’s top job. Their trust is also, understandably, low.

Since 2015, Nepean has been served by Liberal Chandra Arya, who was told just days before the election call that he’d not be allowed to run under the Liberal party banner. In January, he was kicked out of the Liberal leadership race, but no official reasons were given. Subsequent media reports suggest it was to do with a trip Arya made to India in 2024.

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Whatever the reason, Canadians deserve to know it. But they aren’t crying about his dismissal. I can count on one hand the number of times I, as a community journalist, interviewed Arya, and I can count on the other how many times I saw the federal politician at local community events.

Just as noteworthy, Carney’s connection to Nepean is very slim. On multiple occasions, he’s referenced being friends with Peter Chiarelli, vice-president of the St. Louis Blues and a proud Nepeanite. The two met at Harvard, and Carney was best man at the wedding of the former general manager of the Edmonton Oilers. But that was decades ago.

Carney’s connection to Nepean is very slim

Nepean is a far way from home for Carney, who lives in Rockcliffe Park. The differences between the two districts are hard to miss.

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Nepean is a suburb, home to about 130,000 residents: most working-class folk who send their kids to public education, attend fitness classes at the Minto Recreation Centre, and meet for coffee at the local Timmy’s. The average income is $62,000.

Rockcliffe Park is for the wealthy: the average income there is about $256,000. The homes are lavish, the lifestyles different, and many kids attend private schools.

Perhaps the Liberals are taking a win for granted after Tyler Watt recently won over Nepean provincially for the first time since 1995. It was a huge and well-earned accomplishment for the registered nurse-turned-politician, but he’s lived there since it was farmers’ fields.

Does Mr. Carney know where the Walter Baker Centre is or who it’s named after? Or what about the history of the Nepean bell or the story behind Ken Ross Park? These are questions I would have asked, given the opportunity.

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Perhaps Carney needs to brush up on his local history. He mistakenly said Bells Corners was part of Nepean during his speech outside Rideau Hall on March 23. Surely any candidate should know a riding review has moved that neighbourhood into Kanata-Carleton.

The party also cannot underestimate the power of the Conservatives. Party Leader Pierre Poilievre used to represent the Nepean riding. This time around, Barbara Bal’s name is on the ballot. She lives there, served on the Fallowfield Village Community Association and has been knocking on doors for 18 months.

Carney will likely win; it’s hard to go up against a party leader. He’s a razor-sharp man with a deep understanding of the economy. He’s understandably the change the Liberal party needs, but is he the change Nepean needs? There, he should be trying harder.

Charlie Senack is managing editor of the Kitchissippi Times and Ottawa Lookout. Reach him at: senackcharlie@gmail.com.

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