Hope and the Future: MP Vidal (submitted photo/ Office of Gary Vidal)

By Elliott Knopp

Vidal Future

Hope and the Future: MP Vidal

Dec 28, 2020 | 9:00 AM

The COVID-19 pandemic makes 2020 a year many may prefer to forget but there is hope for the future. We’ve decided to make that the focus of our series of end-of-year stories.

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine has provided some people with optimism they will soon be able to get back to doing things they love. For Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River MP Gary Vidal, part of that means returning to the community he calls home and picking up where he left off.

“One of the things I’m really looking forward to when we get back to some sense of normalcy is to get out and meet people in my constituency like we planned to do,” Vidal said.

Vidal stated he and his team had made plans to visit communities in his riding that he hadn’t been to so he could engage with them and find out what their needs were. Once public health guidelines were laid out, all of those events and appearances had to be cancelled.

He added losing the opportunity to make appearances in those areas was disappointing as they were something he was excited to be a part of.

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“You don’t get to go to grad or any of these community events,” he said. “That’s something that I was really looking forward to, and I’m hoping we can get to a place where I can continue on with some of those plans.”

On a federal level, Vidal plans on fighting against the carbon tax that was increased right before the House of Commons separated for the holiday season.

“I’m really disappointed that it happened when it did,” Vidal said. “I’m disappointed in the announcement period, but the fact that [the Liberals] did it when they did just adds to the frustration. There’s something like $10-billion of spending in that announcement, and we just had a fall economic update 10 days ahead of that and it didn’t include anything about it.”

Under the new plan, the carbon tax will increase by $15 each year starting in 2023 until 2030 when it reaches $170. Vidal claims the new carbon tax disproportionately affects communities like Meadow Lake.

“The cost of that announcement in a riding like ours and the communities we represent is going to be tremendous over the next 10 years. One of the things I would like to see changed and one of the things we are going to fight is that policy. It targets a riding like ours in ways that are just different than an urban area.”

As people progress through the holidays, Vidal said he hopes people can enjoy the occasion and come out of the break ready for the year ahead.

“I want to wish the people a Merry Christmas. I know it’s going to be different, and I know people are struggling with that, but in spite of all of that, I hope people are able to enjoy the season, refresh and get ready for what we’re hoping will be a much better 2021.

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Elliott.Knopp@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @ElliottKnopp