Edmonton could again be without a voice in federal cabinet with no Liberal candidates leading

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Edmonton may again be without a voice at the cabinet table as the Liberals trail across the city.

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No candidates representing the elected Liberal party in Monday’s federal election were leading in Edmonton as of press time. If nothing changes, this will be the second-straight race the governing party is shut out of Alberta’s capital. Edmonton hasn’t had a seat at the cabinet table since the 2019 election when the two Liberal seats in the city turned blue.

Ward 1 Edmonton Coun. Andrew Knack said a lack of representation in cabinet is concerning, but he said this makes electing a strong voice for mayor in the upcoming municipal election all the more important. Mayor Don Iveson has served as the chair of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Big City Mayors’ Caucus for the past few years, which Knack said was key in advocating for important issues in Edmonton, such as transit and affordable housing.

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“You think about the last few years while there hasn’t been a Liberal member of Parliament in Edmonton, we had a mayor who was the chair of the Big City Mayors’ Caucus and was able to really advocate for critical issues within the city of Edmonton and I think that will likely reinforce the importance of having people who are able to be vocal to the other orders of government to help bring the Edmonton issues to the forefront,” Knack said in an interview with Postmedia Monday evening.

“If we don’t have a voice in government, we as a council need to continue to be that voice for the people of Edmonton and quite frankly more broadly even across Alberta.”

Iveson didn’t comment on the election results as of press time but has been championing the Vote Housing campaign, asking federal parties to support ending homelessness and increasing the supply of affordable housing. The Edmonton mayor also endorsed Liberal candidate Ben Henderson in Edmonton Mill Woods, but said the endorsement was specifically for Henderson, who he has served on council with since 2007, and not for the party as a whole.

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In a statement Monday evening, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Jeffrey Sundquist said the chamber looks forward to working with the Liberal government on revitalizing the country’s economy through the COVID-19 pandemic and make advancements on issues such as climate change and trade barriers.

“Businesses demonstrated their resilience during some of the most challenging economic times in recent history,” Sundquist said in a statement. “Our priorities reflect a need to keep Canadians safe, stimulate our economy, and ensure investment in Alberta that allows us to use our strengths, resources and innovation to lead the way in achieving a more prosperous and sustainable future.”

There was still a close race in Edmonton Centre late Monday evening with the Liberal challenger Randy Boissonnault trailing just behind Conservative incumbent James Cumming with ballots still being counted. Conservative incumbent Tim Uppal was declared the winner in a tight race in Edmonton Mill Woods against Liberal candidate and four-term city councillor Ben Henderson.

duscook@postmedia.com

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