Voters concerned about affordability, health care and trade war, Edmonton candidates say

Three federal election candidates vying to represent a northeast Edmonton riding say that in doorstep conversations, residents are bringing up concerns about affordability, the cost of living, health care and the Canada-U.S. trade war.

NDP candidate Lesley Thompson, Liberal candidate Blair-Marie Coles and People's Party of Canada candidate Robert Bard all said affordability has been a common concern among voters in Edmonton Manning, a riding that has been held by Conservative  Ziad Aboultaif since 2015.

"Everyday families, especially here in Edmonton Manning, are just trying to figure out how to pay their bills and how to feed their families and when prices go up, that's making life unaffordable and hard to get by," said Thompson, who has worn out three pairs of shoes since she began knocking on doors in the summer.

CBC News asked all four candidates to participate in interviews about their conversations with riding residents. All made themselves available except Aboultaif, the incumbent. 

Aboultaif, who won 41 per cent of the votes in the 2021 election, has been posting on social media about speaking with riding residents.

He has said on social media that the community is "ready to put Canada first for a change" and "ready for hope and to recover what was wasted in the lost Liberal decade." 

The NDP came in second in the riding during the 2021 election, winning 31 per cent of votes, followed by the Liberals (21 per cent) and the PPC (seven per cent).

Candidates also told CBC News that their conversations about affordability and the cost of living touched on other issues, including housing, immigration and health care. 

Bard, who said his biggest goal is improving upon his party's performance in the riding during previous elections, said housing costs have come up during his discussions with voters about the cost of living. 

The PPC is proposing a moratorium on new permanent residents until the housing crisis has cooled down. 

"The PPC is not against immigration at all — we just need it so that it's controlled, so that when immigrants come in, we can provide the services they need," Bard said.

Thompson said the voters she's talking to are bringing up health care most often — specifically protecting Canada's public health-care system. 

By expanding pharmacare, she said, the NDP would make it easier for Canadians to afford medications and other essentials.

Liberal candidate Blair-Marie Coles, who works full-time and has been door-knocking four to six times a week since the start of the election campaign, said voters are bringing up many issues, from artificial intelligence to the trade war and state of the economy.