Son of late MP Jim Carr to seek Liberal party nomination to run in Winnipeg riding
The son of Jim Carr, the Liberal member of Parliament who died last year, is seeking the party's nomination to run for his father's seat in an upcoming byelection.
Ben Carr announced his candidacy for the Liberal Party of Canada's nomination to run in the Winnipeg South Centre riding.
The elder Carr died in December at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer and kidney failure.
The former minister for natural resources and, later, international trade diversification, was first elected as a member of Parliament in 2015 and re-elected in 2019.
The younger Carr is the vice-president of a consulting firm called Indigenous Strategy Alliance, and used to be a teacher, coach and principal at a Winnipeg high school, as well as a senior federal Liberal government staffer.
He says choosing to run after his father's death was a difficult decision, but he decided to submit his name after speaking with friends and family.
"When my dad passed away in December, he left not only a huge hole in my life, but a huge hole in our community as well," Ben Carr said in a statement Thursday.
"I have always believed in public service. It's been at the core of everything I have done."
Carr said his values align with the Liberal party and, if selected, he hopes to continue advocating for issues important to him, including the fight against climate change, reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, and supporting families and seniors.
"My commitment to the people of Winnipeg South Centre is that I will continue serving this community as an honest and hardworking bridge-builder who brings people together to accomplish collaborative change."
Carr has received 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 when the seat was vacated to hold a byelection.
Winnipeg city councillor Sherri Rollins has also expressed interest in obtaining the Liberal party nomination.
There are four vacant seats in the House of Commons: Calgary Heritage in Alberta, Oxford in Ontario, Winnipeg South Centre and Portage-Lisgar in Manitoba.
Former interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen recently announced she will soon resign from the Portage-Lisgar seat.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Donald Trump picks former U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra as ambassador to Canada
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has nominated former diplomat and U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra to be the American ambassador to Canada.
Genetic evidence backs up COVID-19 origin theory that pandemic started in seafood market
A group of researchers say they have more evidence to suggest the COVID-19 pandemic started in a Chinese seafood market where it spread from infected animals to humans. The evidence is laid out in a recent study published in Cell, a scientific journal, nearly five years after the first known COVID-19 outbreak.
This is how much money you need to make to buy a house in Canada's largest cities
The average salary needed to buy a home keeps inching down in cities across Canada, according to the latest data.
'My two daughters were sleeping': London Ont. family in shock after their home riddled with gunfire
A London father and son they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
Smuggler arrested with 300 tarantulas strapped to his body
Police in Peru have arrested a man caught trying to leave the country with 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants strapped to his body.
Boissonnault out of cabinet to 'focus on clearing the allegations,' Trudeau announces
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced embattled minister Randy Boissonnault is out of cabinet.
Baby dies after being reported missing in midtown Toronto: police
A four-month-old baby is dead after what Toronto police are calling a “suspicious incident” at a Toronto Community Housing building in the city’s midtown area on Wednesday afternoon.
Sask. woman who refused to provide breath sample did not break the law, court finds
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.
Parole board reverses decision and will allow families of Paul Bernardo's victims to attend upcoming parole hearing in person
The families of the victims of Paul Bernardo will be allowed to attend the serial killer’s upcoming parole hearing in person, the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) says.