Ben Carr seeking Liberal party nomination in late father’s riding

WINNIPEG –

The son of Liberal MP Jim Carr, who died last year, is seeking the party’s nomination to run for his father’s seat in an upcoming by-election.

Ben Carr announced his candidacy for the Liberal Party of Canada nomination to run in the Winnipeg South Center Riding.

The elder Carr died in December aged 71 after a battle with cancer and kidney failure.

The former Minister for Natural Resources and later for International Trade Diversification was first elected to Parliament in 2015 and re-elected in 2019.

The younger Carr is vice president of a consulting firm called the Indigenous Strategy Alliance and was a former teacher, coach and principal at a Winnipeg high school and a senior official in the Liberal federal government.

He says it was a difficult decision to run after his father’s death, but he decided to give his name after speaking to friends and family.

“When my father died in December, not only did he leave a huge hole in my life, but he also left a huge hole in our community,” Ben Carr said in a statement Thursday.

“I’ve always believed in public service. He was at the core of everything I did.”

Carr said his values ​​align with the Liberal Party and if selected, he hopes to remain committed to issues close to his heart, including fighting climate change, reconciling with indigenous peoples and supporting families and communities Senior citizens.

“My commitment to the people of Winnipeg South Center is that I will continue to serve this community as an honest and hardworking bridge builder, bringing people together to create change together.”

Carr has garnered support from several local and national leaders, including former federal cabinet ministers Maryam Monsef and Scott Brison, former Prime Minister Paul Martin and Manitoba Liberal leader Dougald Lamont.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has six months from the time his seat became vacant to hold a by-election.

Winnipeg Councilwoman Sherri Rollins has also expressed interest in a Liberal Party nomination.

There are four vacant seats in the House of Commons: Calgary Heritage in Alberta, Oxford in Ontario, Winnipeg South Center and Portage-Lisgar in Manitoba.

Former interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen recently announced that she would soon step down from Portage-Lisgar.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on February 2, 2023.