Adam Prudhomme
Editor
The Hastings-Lennox and Addington Federal Liberals Association has tabbed Mike Bossio as their candidate for the next election.
Bossio served as MP of the rising from 2015-19 and was runner up to then-Conservative Party candidate Derek Sloan in the last election.
Most recently Bossio has served as senior advisor for rural affairs with Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, a role he has since stepped away from following the nomination.
“I’m excited,” Bossio said of earning the nomination. “We’re building a great team that continues to expand and we’re raring and ready to go. I have to say I’m really grateful to minister Monsef and the prime minister for giving me the opportunity to serve as a senior advisor to rural affairs. For them to have the confidence in me to continue to make a difference for rural Canadians, it means a lot. It was rewarding work. It was work that I initiated as an MP with rural broadband connectivity and infrastructure and economic development. All those things that I love doing but the one thing I really missed the most is serving the constituents. Doing the local stuff. It’s great to be able to do the national stuff and help a lot of people and it’s very rewarding. But I really missed that ability to have an impact on an individual’s life or a family’s life.”
Bossio says he’s looking forward to having the opportunity to potentially serve the riding again.
“Anyone who knows me knows I’m a constituent based MP,” said Bossio. “To me what that really means is you work hard for people. I travelled every part of this riding, meeting constituents, organizations, and municipalities to discuss their issues, issues that are most important to them and to work with them to find solutions. You can’t represent your riding if you don’t get out and meet the people of the riding. Once you’ve got that solutions, then you’ve got to go to Ottawa to be their voice, to be their champion, to advocate but to work in a collaborative and diplomatic way with those in government to find a pathways to success.”
Currently there is no date set for the next election, though it will happen no later than Oct. 16, 2023. The Liberals currently hold a minority government however, which means an election could happen much sooner.
“This journey to better starts with people here locally and volunteers,” said Bossio. “It’s going to take an army of volunteers to win back this riding. But I’m grateful that there’s a lot of people who have come forward to sacrifice their time and energy to ensure that we are successful whenever that next election happens.”