Video Our riding: NDP candidate’s policies and platform for the federal election 2025

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Ahead of the 2025 Canadian federal election, regional MP candidates are answering questions posed by locals on topics spanning local, regional and national topics. 

Four of the five candidates for the Prince George, Peace River and Northern Rockies MP seat sat down with Energeticcity.ca to answer questions submitted by readers during a survey conducted in the first week of April.

All five of the candidates were invited to conduct the interview either in person or virtually, and only one declined to participate. 

This interview features Cory Longley, the candidate for the New Democratic Party (NDP). 

What are your thoughts on Northern Health and what is your party’s plan on addressing healthcare funding, specifically the nursing shortage?

While clarifying healthcare is a provincial jurisdiction, Longley stated he believes the riding should have an MP who can “cross those aisles” and influence changes for their constituents. 

“I believe that Northern Health is an organization that does a good job in certain areas,” Longley said. 

“Like everything, they’re stretched. Our region is so huge.

“For us to have the medical services and care that we desire, we’re going to have to maybe change things up a bit.”

Longley said he feels physicians are stuck behind paperwork and bureaucracy, and wants them to be able to “focus on their job, which is care and looking after” residents. 

He feels part of the role of an MP should be involvement in the community they serve, checking in regularly to make sure things are moving smoothly, and being involved in the riding that elected them. 

What is your opinion on LNG in the region and expanding our market to Asia? 

Longley called on his experience as a ticketed gas fitter and a plumber to express his “love” for LNG.

“I love LNG, I think LNG is a good product as far as I’m concerned, way better I think than wood burning,” Longley said. 

“Natural gas is abundant in the Peace country…I think it’s an excellent fuel for us to be using, especially in the north.

“I’m in favor of us using our resources because we have them, and we could be using those to increase our standards of living…increase the services that are part of our region and our riding here.” 

What is your response to tariffs and the future of our trade relations with the US?

“I believe firmly that America is one of Canada’s strongest friends and allies,” Longley said. 

However, Longley also emphasized the recent struggles faced between Canada and the U.S., and feelings of betrayal. 

Longley expressed his agreement with targeted counter tariffs, and expressed a desire for strategic projections for Canadian trade and the economy. 

“Canada is tough, we’re strong, [tariffs are] concerning, but it’s not my biggest issue or my biggest concern,” Longley said. 

Longley went on to explain that in talking to residents of the region about sovereignty, he believes that is a larger concern.

He stated he believes Canadians are tough and “fighters,” and should continue to pursue strategic countermeasures. 

What is your opinion on the carbon tax? 

Longley touched on the elimination of the carbon tax at the federal and provincial level in B.C., stating “there is no carbon tax anymore.”

“I don’t think the carbon tax should apply to you and I, because right now the only carbon [we] are generating is [by] breathing out CO2.

“Large, super polluters should pay their fair share.” 

What is your idea of the future of energy in our region?

Longley expressed his excitement for the topic, stating he believed the region was “rich” and could “do so many awesome things” with a variety of energy sources.

Specifically, the candidate expressed an interest in seeing wind and solar energy worked into urban planning alongside LNG. 

“Panels are coming down in price as we speak, these are great things, and we could be turning those things as part of our urban planning,” Longley said. 

“The only thing holding us back in the Peace country is imagination and a lack of it.”

How will you make housing more affordable for seniors?

“Housing should be affordable for everybody,” Longley answered. 

Longley explained the NDP believes in protecting seniors so they can live with “dignity and respect” in their home communities. 

“Seniors built this region, right? Seniors are the ones that put in the time…they’re entitled and they deserve everything that they have put [into] it.”

The party intends to facilitate this through a universal benefit seniors would receive to offset the cost of rent, groceries and living expenses. 

“The NDP believe that seniors in our communities are our treasures, they’re repositories of knowledge.

“These people know how things are done and how they have been done for years, and we should be treating [them] with dignity and respect.”

What is your opinion on the Firearms Act?

Longley touched on his experience with the Canadian Army, serving as a naval reservist, to express his “love” and support for firearms. 

“I think that firearms are very important, especially in a rural setting,” Longley said. 

“I think that everybody should have access to whatever tools they need to ensure their family’s safety, their property safety.

“Now, do you need an AR-15? Probably not.”

Why should people vote for you?

Longley spoke about his passion for the region and his residents in answering this question, and his commitment to setting his mind to a goal and achieving it. 

“I think that your MP is someone that should be highly visible in the ridings, should be out at all kinds of meetings, should be listening to the people that live in the riding without bias,” Longley said. 

“Every human being is inherently biased…but I would promise that I would never block a member of my riding from social media, from attending meetings.

“[You] should vote for me because you’re going to get an honest, hard-working guy who shares the same ideas as the majority of the people in this riding.” 

This is one in a series of four video interviews conducted with each candidate running for the Prince George, Peace River and Northern Rockies MP seat in the 2025 Canadian federal election. Each candidate was asked the same questions in the same order, with each one recorded in the Moose Media studio. 

Other interviews in this series feature Mary Forbes of the Green Party of Canada, David Watson of the People’s Party of Canada and incumbent MP Bob Zimmer of the Conservative Party of Canada. Peter Njenga of the Liberal Party declined to participate.