As a member of Team Trudeau, Katie Omstead understands what it takes to create good, well-paying jobs in the community, and wants to ensure that young people have the opportunity to remain in, and return to their communities to work, raise a family, and one day, retire.
She is committed to working with Justin Trudeau to further grow our middle class, ensure seniors are treated with dignity, veterans are respected, and community members have access to physical and mental health services.
Born and raised in Chatham-Kent, Omstead now resides in Leamington with her husband, Matthew, and their daughter. She has deep roots throughout the riding, as her family has been involved in fishing, farming and small business throughout the region for several generations.
Omstead earned degrees in Political Science and International Development, and completed her Bachelor of Education. As an educator and entrepreneur in the community, Omstead spends countless hours leading student clubs, coaching sports teams and mentoring children and youth. This combination of work and volunteer experience has provided her with a deep understanding of Chatham-Kent Leamington’s strengths and hopes.
Omstead has firsthand experience with the challenges that middle-class families face, and she understands the issues.
How can the public trust our party system when it appears there are decisions being made with questionable judgment by political leaders, with little to no repercussions?
The Liberal government has addressed this issue head on. Our government eliminated partisan appointments to the Senate, and established a new, merit-based Senate. This is returning the Senate to a true house of sober second thought focused on enhancing and reviewing legislation.
In addition, as the MP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington, I am committed to including regular office hours in every community in our riding, along with regular town halls and roundtables, to ensure that the decisions I make are directed by our community. It is time to make sure the voices of our community are heard in Ottawa.
I also pledge to work across party lines and with all levels of government to ensure our communities have a strong voice in Ottawa. For too long, our communities have been ignored due to personal and partisan interests. This is unacceptable.
Disincentives like the Carbon Tax are meant to help the environment by increasing the cost of fossil fuel consumption. But is such a tax fair for people who live in small-town Canada? Or is this just another tax on the middle class in general?
The Carbon Incentive was brought in due to Doug Ford scrapping Cap and Trade, and refusing to put another plan in place. It discourages high emitters, while encouraging Canadians to change their behaviours. Every cent paid goes back to families, community groups and schools.
Nearly all families will receive an annual rebate that exceeds their annual expenditure at the pumps, and most fuels used on farms are excluded. The taxpayer-funded stickers forced onto every pump by Doug Ford are missing these facts.
Andrew Scheer and Doug Ford don’t believe climate change is a serious issue. Here in Chatham-Kent-Leamington, we know that it is. We have experienced unprecedented devastation from coastline erosion and flooding, included road closures, damaged homes, and threatened farm and parkland. I am committed to fighting hard to ensure those affected by this flooding and erosion get long-term solutions.
Opioid addiction and its associated problems, such as increased crime, have reached a crisis level in Canada. What can be done to cause change at the federal level?
We must commit to both prevention and treatment. We have to stop the supply entering our country at the border, and prevent the tools and chemicals that are used to manufacture these products from getting into the hands of criminals.
Addiction treatments must be more accessible. Mental health needs to be treated just like physical health.
A re-elected Liberal government is committed to: making mental health services more accessible everywhere in Canada; creating more mental health services for youth aged 10-25; creating more combined addiction and mental health services; and shortening wait times for public mental health care. In addition, we are committed to ensuring each person in our community has access to a family doctor.
