Phillip taking second shot at Federal Office

The ballot in Central Okanagan Similkameen Nicola has two returnees from the 2019 vote, the incumbent Dan Albas, and the NDP’s Joan Phillip.

Phillip finished third on the ballot in 2019 with 10,904 votes (16.79%). The performance was a slight drop from the 2015 election where the NDP earned 19.30% of the vote.

The NDP candidate recently sat down with Q101 News to discuss her second campaign, and wanting to present a third option to voters.

“There is a couple of issues that have floated to the top and one is the climate crisis. (Voters) feel that it’s quite urgent that something dramatic and bold be done and they don’t have much faith in the other two parties to do that,” said Phillip. “The other (big issue) is affordability, they’re concerned about the rising costs of housing.”

“I think people are wanting to do different because the climate crisis has been ignored by previous governments. They’re concerned that with the rising costs, they have less confidence in the other two governments,” added Phillip.

Phillip met with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in Merritt just before the writ was dropped as the wildfires in BC filled the sky with orange haze.

“If we look around us it’s going to be climate change weighing heavy on everybody’s mind. We’re on fire and we need leadership that going to do something about it, not just pay lip service to it,” said Phillip. “This provides up an opportunity to raise these issues and have a discussion about it.”

Election day is September 20, 2021

Candidates on the ballot in COSN (listed in alphabetical order)

Dan Albas, Conservative (Incumbent)

Sarah Eves, Liberal

Kathyrn McDonald, People’s Party

Joan Phillip, NDP

Brennan Wauters, Green