Liberal Convention 2026 - A Weekend to Remember

Three members of your EDA attended the Liberal conference in Montreal and reported that it was worth the trip across the Rockies! 

EDA Chair Hugh Stainsby, 2025 candidate and EDA member Jennifer Lash, and EDA member Michelle Craig joined over 4000 other Liberals to discuss policies, attend campaign training, and connect with like minded people from across the country. The energy was electric and the speeches were amazing. Jen even managed to get a selfie with the Prime Minister!

Mark Carney closed the conference with a rousing speech. He talked about how Canadians are unifying in the face of the “rupture” that is happening in the global world order and, more specifically, in our trade relationship with the US. He acknowledged that while Trump and the chaos that surrounds him is the impetus for us to avoid travel to the US and purchase Canadian wine and liquor, the real work is fostering unity in the country as we ride out the storm of economic uncertainty and global risk.

Carney’s message resonated with your NIPR representatives at the conference.  We know that Aaron Gunn uses anger to divide people - a tactic that might get him attention in the short term but which, in the long term, sets neighbour against neighbour, business against business, and community against community.  A Liberal MP would work to unify our communities around critical issues such as economic development, reconciliation, conserving nature, fighting climate change, building more homes, helping those that need it the most, and so on. 

The Prime Minister ended his speech by saying that:

 “When we are kind, kindness grows.

  When we seek unity, unity grows.

  When we are Canadian, Canada grows.”

We found it inspiring to hear the Prime Minister say what NIPR residents already know - that our communities are built not only by hard work and tenacity, but by the kindness that builds community and gets us through hard times and celebrates good times.  We are living in a time of  complex problems, be it a trade war, affordability, or climate change, that cannot be solved with slogans or by seeding division. Now is the time for come together and find the right solutions to meet 

The Liberal Convention was inspiring and now, more motivated than ever, we are ready to turn NIPR red in the next election.

You can listen to or read Mark Carney’s speech here