Liberal candidate Andrea Kaiser has thrown her hat into the ring for the title of MP of her riding and used her campaign launch open house last Sunday to speak out against “illegal” U.S. tariffs on Canada and express her trust in Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Kaiser’s campaign centres on countering U.S. trade threats by bolstering local economies and leveraging her business expertise to protect Niagara interests as the April 28 snap election approaches.
The race marks her third attempt to unseat the incumbent MP, Conservative Tony Baldinelli, who won by 4.4 percentage points in 2021 in the former Niagara Falls riding (now the Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake riding).
Kaiser, NOTL’s regional councillor, said she always planned to come back to run as the Liberal candidate for her riding under one circumstance.
“I said if Pierre Poilievre is the leader of the Conservatives, and Mark Carney is the leader of the Liberals … so this was the thing that called me back.”
During the campaign launch on March 30, Kaiser addressed U.S. President Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods being imported to America.
The widespread tariff, initially meant to be implemented for Canada and dozens of other countries on April 2, a day referred to by Trump as “Liberation Day,” did not come into effect for Canada.
However, Canada still faces 25 per cent tariffs on vehicle imports, which came into effect April 3, and Canada has responded with retaliatory tariffs against the U.S.
Kaiser called the U.S. tariffs “illegal, unjustified, an attack on our country, our economy and our way of life as Canadians.”
“We are facing an existential crisis, one that most of us could never have imagined,” said Kaiser.
She pledged to support retaliatory measures that put maximum pressure on the U.S. and minimize the impact on Canadians.
Kaiser believes her 25 years of experience as a business leader and owner of Drea’s Wine Co. qualifies her as the right person to help the riding’s economic growth compared to her opponent, Conservative incumbent MP Tony Baldinelli.
“I have always been a strong supporter of a ‘go local’ economy where we lift each other up,” she said.
She emphasized the importance of supporting affordable housing, healthcare and cost-of-living relief, particularly for young families and seniors.
“We will look out for each other as we always do and ensure that no Canadian family, that no Canadian falls through the cracks. We will strengthen dental care, childcare and healthcare,” said Kaiser.
Liberal MP Vance Badaway, representing Niagara South (formerly Niagara Centre), attended the open house and praised Kaiser’s readiness to address Niagara’s challenges.
“We need this lady. We’re going to get this lady to Ottawa,” said Badaway.
Kaiser positioned herself as a counterweight to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, whom she accused of echoing Trump’s divisive rhetoric.
“Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives are focused backwards,” she said.
“They want to fight about the issues of the past, but Mark Carney and I will be focused on the challenges — and more importantly — on the opportunities in front of us.”
According to Kaiser, she fell about 2000 votes short of winning in 2021, 500 of which came from Fort Erie.
The revised riding now excludes Fort Erie, which she believes will help her campaign by increasing focus on Niagara Falls and NOTL voters.
The snap election called on March 23 follows Trump’s trade threats against Canada. Voting closes on April 28.
