Lisa Marie Barron, shown here campaigning with NDP leader Jagmeet Singh in Ladysmith, is the new MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith after mail-in ballots helped her hold a narrow election night lead. (Elect Lisa Marie Barron Facebook)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

RIDING FLIP

Mail-in ballots confirm NDP’s Lisa Marie Barron as new Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP

Sep 24, 2021 | 8:17 PM

NANAIMO — It took a few extra days, but Nanaimo-Ladysmith officially has a new Member of Parliament.

NDP candidate Lisa Marie Barron has won her first term in federal politics after holding off a close challenge from Conservative Tamara Kronis. Barron claimed 19,896 votes, beating Kronis’ 18,615.

The pair finished ahead of incumbent Green Paul Manly (17,640) and his bid to secure a third election win in just over two years. Liberal Michelle Corfield (9,340) finished fourth with the PPC’s Stephen Welton (3,385) in fifth.

“I know overall I’m just really looking forward to getting to work, I’m hoping we’ll be able to get started in Parliament in the next couple of weeks and getting to work on behalf of the people here in Nanaimo-Ladysmith,” Barron said Friday, Sept. 24 when she spoke to reporters and confirmed the victory.

Barron held a 1,001 vote lead over Kronis after election day and advance polls were counted from Monday, Sept. 20, with Manly roughly 2,700 votes back of Barron.

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The riding hinged on the mail-in ballots which were verified on Thursday, Sept. 23 and counted late on Friday. Nanaimo-Ladysmith was the last riding in the country to have a winner declared.

Voter turnout is listed as 66.38 per cent by Elections Canada, down from the 68.87 per cent in the 2019 federal election and 75 per cent from 2015.

Prior to the election, Barron was a School District 68 board trustee and former employee of Nanaimo-Ladysmith Public Schools.

No official word is available on whether or not SD68 will be required to call a by-election to fill Barron’s seat on the board, or if they are able to operate a representative short until the municipal election in fall 2022.

Barron said options are available to her and SD68 and she will have conversations with the district in the coming days.

The Town of Qualicum had a similar situation in late 2020 when councillor Adam Walker won the provincial riding of Parksville-Qualicum.

A by-election was held approximately six months later, however a municipal election which includes voting for school trustees is due in October 2022.

Barron added she is excited to see a lot of overlap between the people she represented as a board trustee and her new constituents at the federal level, saying she expects “a lot of the same people and the same conversations.”

“Affordability is a big thing that comes up over and over again. The pandemic has really amplified the effects of the lack of affordability in this community around affordable housing, having to choose between food on the table or the medications they need, a living wage…just a lot of pieces around affordability was what I heard over and over again.

In addition to her work with SD68, Barron worked in program development for those experiencing substance use and addictions issues.

She said she will leave that job behind in a bid to focus on her new role in Ottawa.

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