Who are they? What do they stand for? Why do they think they deserve your vote April 28
Janine Gibson,
Green Party
Janine Gibson isn’t daunted by the challenge of trying to get the Green Party message out there in a riding as traditionally Conservative as Portage-Lisgar.
“You have to remember the Green Party has conservative roots. What does that word conserve mean, right? We do want to conserve,” she noted. “I know there are a lot of people who share the same values.
“Green Party is about bridge building. It’s about knowing when we all work together, we’re stronger,” Gibson said. “Instead of polarizing and being divided, we need to be talking to each other.
“And I hate the rural-urban divide in provincial politics right now. I’m running federally to just spread the information and spread Green policies so that people take a closer look at it.”
Gibson brings a lifetime of service to environmental and social issues through her work with such organizations as HogWatch and as an organic standards inspector as well as leader of the Green Party of Manitoba.
She was the co-founder in 1984 of a solar-powered co-op farm south of Steinbach, and her roles with the International Organic Inspectors Association have involved developing and interpreting organic standards, transfers to practical policy development, and implementation.
She has been involved in building organic agriculture teams in Manitoba through her 30-year business Creative Health Consulting. In addition, she represents Manitoba on the Organic Federation of Canada and on the organic standards technical committee, and she is currently on the executive of Hogwatch Manitoba and Our Line in the Sand. She strives to hold business and government accountable.
“My whole life has been around agriculture, and I’ve done of lot of work supporting organic agriculture and more sustainable agriculture in Portage-Lisgar,” Gibson noted.
“I believe we should be the change we want to see, and, to me, democracy requires participation,” she continued. “And I am really tired of hearing crickets from Ottawa about supporting our farmers and our food producers. Food production is such an important part of life in Canada.
“Green policies support more sustainable agriculture, and they also support things like a basic income guarantee, which I think world statistics show really would reduce crime.”
She noted how the other main parties will often adopt Green Party ideas, adding the party also covers a lot of ground such as supporting things like affordable housing. So they are about more than just environmental issues, she stressed, although those are at the heart of what they are about.
“If we would address the disparities between the haves and the have nots, if we could have more equity in sharing our resources, then I think we would have less crime … it needs to be a multi-pronged approach.”
Robert Kreis,
Liberal Party
Robert Kreis comes to his candidacy for the Liberal party in Portage-Lisgar with a proven track record of community service.
He sees local families as needing a trusted voice in government who will champion for a stronger middle class and help build an economy that works for all Canadians.
He shares that he was motivated to let his name stand especially with what is happening these days with the United States and President Donald Trump.
“I felt I needed to not be a spectator or an armchair quarterback, but I actually needed to step up and counter some of the voices that were out there,” said Kreis. “I’m not one to be easily intimidated or frightened, and what is happening south of the border and the president’s intent in what he wanted to do with Canada really just got me very concerned about the future for my children and grandchildren.”
Calling Winnipeg home, Kreis has served as chairperson of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and as co-chair of Leadership Winnipeg. As chair as well of Forward House Ministries, he has seen firsthand the effects drugs and alcohol can have on a community.
By letting his name stand as the Liberal candidate in Portage-Lisgar, Kreis hopes to get people thinking about different viewpoints on issues that matter to all Canadians.
“I hope I can get people to stop and listen to a different perspective, which is really something that we’ve lost,” he said. “We’ve lost civility to the point where people don’t want to talk to you if they know that you’re with someone who isn’t part of their group.
“That I find is really unfortunate because this country has been a melting pot of different ideas,” he continued. “It’s what’s made this country great. Now we have people who have become so polarized in their opinions they’re not even willing to listen to another opinion.”
He simply hopes to just get people to talk and maybe it will spark enough thought to consider an alternative voice.
“I think what’s happening with this election is that Canadians are realizing that, regardless of what divides us, there are some central issues in Canada that we as a country and only together as a country can solve,” he suggested.
He believes Liberal Party leader Mark Carney is the best man to lead the country forward, citing his experience in dealing with economies and leveraging money.
“He can help get Canadian businesses and other people from outside of Canada to invest in Canada and to build industry here,” said Kreis, who also suggested Carney has done a good job of defending Canada and responding to the ongoing U.S. tariff threat.
“I see this as a moment for Canada where we as a country can take our pride in ourselves,” he said. “I look at the opportunities that we have now … as an opportunity to really do some nation building.”
Kevin Larson,
People’s Party
Kevin Larson offers a simple message for the residents of Portage-Lisgar: vote for the People’s Party of Canada to get something different.
The resident of Somerset sees the party as committed advocates for freedom, responsibility, and limited government.
“I think we’ve had years of things kind of going in one direction,” said Larson. “As much as people think the main parties are different, I think they have a lot of similarities in how the country will run and the direction it will go.
“I think the People’s Party offers an alternative that will turn things around and give power back to the people and less power to the federal government.”
Raised as the third of eight children in a small-town family led by his father, who was a local pastor, Larson says helearned the importance of service, community, and integrity from a young age.
He has always been deeply involved in his community, including serving as a Sunday school teacher, youth leader, camp counsellor, and a soccer and hockey coach. He is currently a volunteer firefighter for the Rural Municipality of Lorne.
He works as a shop supervisor servicing both general automotive and agricultural tires, and has also worked with children with disabilities in the foster care system.
Larson’s interest in Canadian politics was sparked early, inspired by his aunt, former Conservative MP Deborah Grey. Over time, his desire to move from voting to actively participating in politics grew stronger, and he says he now seeks to be a voice for Canadians who feel ignored by the political establishment.
“I volunteered with the Conservatives until 2018, and I just felt they kind of abandoned a lot of the issues that were meaningful to me, and I think a lot of people feel the same way,” he suggested. “When Max [Bernier] made the People’s Party, I joined back in 2019.
“I felt coming into this election no one had put themselves forward yet, and they hadn’t picked a candidate, so I decided that it was important to do it myself. I kind of figured one day I could get more involved.”
He noted the People’s Party has a number of key issues ranging from cutting immigration to banning abortion.
“It’s not on any of the main parties plates,” he said. “I do have a personal stance against it, and the party has a stance to start eliminating it.”
He sees himself as having a couple key traits or strengths that he would bring to the table.
“I think I’m good at listening and hearing what people want,” Larson suggested. “Especially in politics, I think too often people are told the solutions to their problems without even having their problems heard by the government.
“I always tell people I might not have the answer right away … but I will look into it and do my best to best represent you.”
Branden Leslie,
Conservative Party
Portage-Lisgar MP Branden Leslie has had a simple and straightforward approach when he has been out knocking on doors in this federal election campaign.
“Do you believe that we need change with our national government? And the answer overwhelmingly is yes,” said the incumbent Conservative MP.
“I talk about what we are offering as Conservatives, and we have been putting forward a very positive message to people as to what the future can be for Canada,” he suggested. “We’ve outlined many, many detailed policies so far in this campaign that are meant to lift people up.”
Leslie grew up in the heart of rural Manitoba just south of Portage la Prairie. Raised on a family farm, he says he learned the value of hard work from an early age, and his roots are deep in this land where his passion for rural Manitoba began.
His journey took him from the classrooms of Portage Collegiate Institute to the halls of Brandon University and ultimately to Carleton University. He is now living in Portage with his family.
He served as an advisor in Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, and he sees himself as having gained much from the experience in helping to tackle such issues as getting tough on crime, protecting the rights of firearm owners, and defending farmers.
Leslie’s next chapter brought him to the Grain Growers of Canada, where he helped lead the charge against the Liberals’ carbon tax—a policy which he saw as crippling farmers and others in Portage-Lisgar, where he was elected to serve as MP in 2023.
Leslie sees one of the most important issues in this election as being the cost of living and affordability. We live in what could be the wealthiest country in the world, he said, but people are still struggling to get by.
“They’re simply wondering why. It feels as though that Canada has lost the promise of Canada … the old mentality was you work hard, you play by the rules, you’re going to be rewarded … it seems like that has all gone by the wayside.
“We pay extremely high taxes and are not getting any better services,” Leslie added. “People are looking for change and see no need for a fourth term for this Liberal government that has failed them.”
Despite seeking election in a riding that has long been staunchly Conservative, Leslie said he doesn’t take anything for granted.
“I’m not just mailing it in,” he said. “I’m the candidate who’s working the hardest. We’ve knocked on about 10,000 doors so far in this election campaign in towns big and small across our riding.”
Lisa Tessier,
New Democratic Party
Lisa Tessier feels it is vital that residents of Portage-Lisgar be offered a choice this election.
“I understand there’s a mountain ahead of me,” said the NDP candidate, who calls Portage la Prairie home.
“For me, it’s not about winning. It’s about standing up and saying to the people of Portage-Lisgar there’s another option here. There’s more than just voting Conservative or voting Liberal … it’s really important that the ballot reflects that.
“I’ve just really felt in recent years that having choice and voice in our riding is important. It’s been a traditionally very Conservative riding for many, many years,” she said. “I’m active in my community, and a lot of people have come to me and said we would like to see more representation on the ballot … having options when it comes to elections is important.”
Raised in Thompson, Tessier has lived and worked in Portage since 2008.
As an educator, she has served on many committees at both the regional and provincial levels to implement and advance French Immersion education opportunities.
In addition to her work as an advocate for bilingual education in Manitoba, she has also served on the teacher advisory committee for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights to help design and implement educational programming for students.
As an educator of 15 years and an active member of her community, she has witnessed firsthand how government spending cuts have impacted the people in Portage-Lisgar.
Tessier noted her family was very active with the NDP, so she learned about the importance of supporting workers and other key NDP ideas at an early age.
“It’s always been a party that I’ve aligned myself to,” she said.
Tessier highlighted a number of key priorities such as affordable housing, cost of living, and affordability, and she cited the examples of the NDP proposing a tax cut targeted to help working class and middle class families as well as capping price on groceries as a couple of examples of what the party hopes to do for the nation.
“Canadians shouldn’t have to make decisions between paying bills and putting food on the table,” she said, pointing as well to the party’s plans to build three million homes by 2030 and offer low-interest loans for first-time home buyers.
“It’s really important that Canadians understand that our government fundamentally works very differently and that there are options for them,” she stressed. “The NDP is a party that has a long history of making Parliament work.
“The fact is Ottawa works better when more parties work in Parliament … the more diversified Parliament is, the stronger our Parliament is then to actually do the work that is necessary to make Canada Canada for everyday Canadians … having more parties in Parliament keeps pressure on whatever party is elected into government to make choices and legislation that works for all Canadians.”
— Profiles written by Lorne Stelmach
