Moose Jaw resident Erin Hidlebaugh has announced she will be seeking the nomination to be the NDP candidate for Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan during the next federal election.
This is the first time Hidlebaugh has entered the ring of politics, and she said she decided to pursue the candidacy after being asked to run for the Moose Jaw municipal election last fall.
“I was approached to run federally, and I thought that would be a team of a party that I’ve long been a supporter of, who would be there to help guide me,” said Hidlebaugh. “And I have the time to really devote to the citizens and the constituents in Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan.”
Hidlebaugh, currently the communications liaison with Moose Jaw Pride, has experience working within the community at a number of non-profits.
She also has experience in journalism and serving on municipal boards, including the special needs advisory board for the City of Moose Jaw, is a mother of two children and grew up in a small town in Saskatchewan. She feels her connections with the community would allow her to be a voice for many different types of individuals within the constituency.
“I’m not a career politician. I’m a long-time community organizer, volunteer, board member, mom and advocate [and] I think my background of not being a politician but knowing political things makes me approachable and able to speak to the experience of people in rural communities,” said Hidlebaugh. “I’m more of a boots-on-the-ground candidate, rather than a policy person.”
If chosen for the candidacy, Hidlebaugh said her election campaign would focus on providing social supports for individuals that would ultimately boost the economy, such as universal basic income and paid sick leave.
She also said she would advocate for more inclusivity for marginalized voices and an increase in HIV testing, as Saskatchewan has one of the highest rates in the country, and closing tax loopholes for corporations.
“When our community is strong and healthy, they are spending money [and] putting money back into the local economy, and that’s what this country really needs,” said Hidlebaugh. “I also really think we need to be looking at making our communities safer and more inclusive [and] smaller and rural communities need to feel supported.”
Hidlebaugh is the second person to join the race for the NDP candidacy and will be competing with former NDP candidate Talon Regent for the nomination.
“Talon is a fantastic human being and has done a lot of really great things for our community,” said Hidlebaugh. “And I have a little bit more background in various organizations . . . I’m a mom and I’ve long been an advocate for autistic people’s rights and freedoms [and] I’m willing to work hard to make the world a little better.”
As a riding that has been held by retiring Conservative MP Tom Lukiwski, Hidlebaugh said she is feeling confident in the NDP’s chances to potentially flip Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan in the next election.
“There’s going to be change no matter what, [and] I think it's really an exciting time to be an NDP in this riding because people need change, they are craving change,” said Hidlebaugh.
The NDP nomination meeting is expected to take place in early August to chose a candidate for the next federal election, which has not yet been called but must occur on or before Oct. 16, 2023.
