Lia Versaevel may have fallen well short of the top contenders in the Cowichan-Malahat-Langford riding, but she’s not about to fade away and vows to take another shot at it while continuing with her involvement in numerous community affairs.
“I said I’m in it for life,” said the Green Party candidate. “You’ll see me again.”
Versaevel’s late entry into the campaign didn’t help but it also coincided with leadership questions surrounding party leader Annamie Paul and party in-fighting.
As a result, the results for Greens like her, Versaevel said, were “not entirely unexpected. We think the leadership situation has definitely put a damper on our chances.”
The short campaign after the snap election call by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau forced everyone to act fast.
“It’s been a blur,” said Versaevel. “That was the whole plan with a pandemic election.
“But it’s been wonderful to have seen how the people have rallied. This is a very Green area.”
Versaevel wasn’t necessarily critical of the election call like so many who felt it was not necessary in the pandemic and especially to wind up in the exact place the country started with a Liberal minority.
“I don’t think it’s ever a bad idea to have an election,” she said. “People need to learn so much more about how our system works.”
Versaevel called on Trudeau to meet emissions targets, a key component of climate change action.
“I hope this has been a wake-up call for him,” said Versaevel. “We have to meet those targets.”
In the meantime, “all we can do is take care of where we live,” she added.
“We are really an interesting force to be reckoned with. I think Canada is a place so many people look to in the world in terms of leadership and peacekeeping.”
Moving forward, Versaevel has plenty to keep her busy. She is a dedicated member of the Chemainus Residents Association and a former chairperson of the organization, serves as vice district governor of the Lions Club for District 19I and values her membership with the Royal Canadian Legion.
“The veterans have really been left out of this election campaign,” she noted.
