Originally published in print on March 3.

While sitting on campus and logging onto my Macbook, I felt both eager and wary of meeting federal NDP nominee Trisha Estabrooks.  Due to time constraints, we weren’t able to set up an in-person meeting, so we agreed to meet over Zoom.

When Estabrooks popped on, she smiled widely. Unfortunately though, due to audio problems,  I couldn’t hear her. We did the interview over the phone. 

Even over the phone, it wasn’t hard to picture a confident woman from her high, firm voice 

Estabrooks presents herself as a publicly-engaged person: a big part of her campaign is door knocking, which she finds is a great way to connect with people. She also says she’s always been drawn to careers where she could connect with people and hear their stories. 

“It was listening to the stories of families and realizing that there’s actually some pretty big structural changes that need to happen in our society if we truly are to represent and speak up on behalf of families,” she says, adding that it was those stories she heard that inspired her to get into federal politics.

Before becoming an Edmonton Public School Board member, Estabrooks was a journalist with the CBC for 17 years. “In some ways, the job that I’m working hard to get and to campaign for, which is to represent people at Edmonton Centre in Ottawa, to be their voice in Parliament, is really taking some of those skills that I spent almost two decades honing as a journalist, which is listening to people, and this time advocating for them.”

She joined the NDP because she found their policies aligned with her values. “I would say it’s a party that has consistently fought for people — for working people.”

“It’s a party that speaks from the heart.”

Estabrooks’s campaign is centred around lowering grocery prices, bills, and rent, and fighting against climate change. She is also focused on defending the current healthcare system, which she says has come under attack from threats of privatization by Conservative politicians. “I think that’s to the great detriment of all Canadians. It shouldn’t matter how much money you have in your wallet when you need access to public health care.”

But those issues are probably not what’s concerning Canadians the most right now. US President Donald Trump  wants to make Canada the 51st state. Can Estabrooks’ leader, Jagmeet Singh, stand up to him?

“Listen,” she says, “Donald Trump is a bully. And absolutely Jagmeet Singh can stand up to Donald Trump.” 

“I think anyone who’s a proud Canadian can stand up to (him).”

She didn’t expand on how he plans to do it, but she says her party is “really focused” on calling back parliament so the government can put out support for workers who will be impacted by the tariffs.

In a message to constituents who don’t support the NDP, Estabrooks says that she will absolutely “serve all voters in Edmonton Centre, regardless of whether they voted NDP or not.” 

She points out that it was her party who brought “key changes” to pharmacare and what drugs are covered, as well as greater access to dental care for seniors and children. “I will remind folks that those happened because the NDP forced and pushed the Liberals in that direction.”

“I think I bring much needed change at a time when we see a Liberal government who is struggling in the face of many crises that are happening in our country right now.”

As for her thoughts on the Conservative Party, she says Canadians should be wary of voting them in at this time. “You know, he (Pierre Poilievre) talks a good talk, but where’s the substance? I am concerned that he is no friend of workers (and) that he has a lot of hot air when it comes to real solutions on addressing the affordability crisis that our country is in right now.”

Whether they can be or not, Estabrooks is nothing but confident in her and the NDP’s ability to serve Canadians as an alternative to the Liberals and the Conservatives. To believe her or not, though, is a decision left to the residents of Edmonton Centre. 

Stay tuned to thegriff.ca for more political coverage of the nominees and candidates from Edmonton Centre

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Photo by Amanda Erickson