Ed Fast has announced that he is seeking re-election as the Member of Parliament for the Abbotsford riding.
Fast, a Conservative, was first elected to the House of Commons in 2006, and was re-elected in 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2019.
He became Canada’s longest-serving Minister of International Trade in the previous Conservative government, and earlier served two terms as an Abbotsford school trustee and three terms as a member of Abbotsford city council.
Fast was critical of the decision to call a snap election on Sept. 20 – two years before the date fixed for election.
“Justin Trudeau is hell-bent on sending Canadians into an election that nobody wants,” he said. “While Canada is aflame in forest fires and is experiencing another spike in COVID cases as the fourth wave spreads, our prime minister is more focused on his own political interests than serving Canadians.”
He described the Liberals’ leadership over the last six years has “the most incompetent and unethical government our country has ever seen.
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“Erin O’Toole and our Conservative team will present a set of policies that will show that we are a trustworthy and competent alternative to the current regime in Ottawa,” Fast said.
He said the main issues in this election campaign are the skyrocketing cost of housing, the rising cost of living, and the “persistent unethical conduct” of Trudeau and members of his government.
Fast said Canadians are continuing to struggle to make ends meet, and they are not getting ahead.
“Meanwhile, despite twice being convicted of ethics violations, Justin Trudeau has continued to be embroiled in scandals, hoping that most Canadians don’t care. I expect Canadians will prove him wrong.”
Fast said he will meet with voters, and will also participate in an all-candidates meeting hosted by the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce (dates to be announced).
RELATED: Abbotsford MP Ed Fast takes over as finance critic
Fast holds the grand opening of his campaign office – located at #100 – 33559 Marshall Rd. (next to Restaurant 62) – on Saturday Aug. 21 from noon to 2 p.m.
Other candidates so far declared in the Abbotsford riding are Navreen Gill (Liberal), Stephen Fowler (Green Party) and Kevin Sinclair (People’s Party of Canada).
• The Abbotsford riding comprises most – but not all – of Abbotsford. South of Highway 1, it runs from Mt. Lehman Road in the west to the city’s border with Chilliwack in the east. North of Highway 1, it encompasses the bulk of urban Abbotsford. Its northern boundaries are Upper Maclure and Maclure roads between Mt. Lehman Road and Highway 11, and Bateman, Straiton and McKee roads east of Highway 11.
RELATED: Candidates declared so far in Abbotsford’s 3 federal ridings
