Retired Canadian Forces colonel Jamie Hammond has won the Liberal nomination in the riding of Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke, where he will challenge NDP incumbent MP Randall Garrison.
Hammond spent 28 years in the military, served as private secretary to two lieutenant governors and was the assistant deputy minister for International Strategy and Competitiveness with the provincial government.
Hammond questions Garrison’s connection to the causes that matter in the riding, and the ability to get funding and government programs in place.
“I think any MP still has to be strong and effective in doing the doable and not let partisan things get in the way,” he said.
“There’s a real chance and real momentum to make a difference here. I do think the (Liberal) government is going in the right direction.”
Hammond said his top three priorities are providing a stronger voice in Ottawa, ocean-related issues, and transportation infrastructure.
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Garrison was first elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2015.
He is the LGBT issues critic for the NDP and serves as the party’s critic for National Defence.
Garrison’s main issues have centered around the Northern Gateway pipeline and protecting the B.C. coast from oil spills.
In the 2015 federal election, the NDP won Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke by more than 5,200 votes.
RELATED: Merner set to run for federal Green Party
David Merner, a Liberal candidate in 2015, will run for the Green Party this time.
Merner, nominated last October, said he was disillusioned by how many promises the Liberals have broken. He said the purchase of the Kinder Morgan pipeline was the last straw.
“Integrity is crucial,” said Merner in a statement last fall. “The Trudeau Liberals have broken a very long list of core campaign commitments, so I decided to leave the Liberals after 34 years of volunteering. I am hugely impressed by Elizabeth May and the Green team, and I am looking forward to turning Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke Green.”
The federal election is Oct. 21.
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