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LLRIB chief seeking Liberal Party of Canada nomination

Nov 13, 2018 | 11:26 AM

Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) Chief Tammy Cook-Searson has announced her intention to seek the Liberal Party nomination for the federal riding of Desnethé-Missinipi-Churchill River.

“I’ve been asked a number of times to run before in the federal election and I thought about it before,” she said. “It’s an opportune time and I decided to run for the Liberals for the nomination.”

Currently serving a fifth term as LLRIB chief, Cook-Searson has spent 21 years on band council and believes her experience in that time has made her ready to become an MP. If the Liberals manage to once again form a majority government in the October 2019 election, she said it would be a good time for her to bring forward issues relating to Treaty and Indigenous rights, agricultural policy and northern development.

Cook-Searson noted she was motivated to seek out the nomination because of the work she’s seen the Liberals do for northerners, adding there’s been movement on the creation of an educational authority for the band, education, health and child welfare. She said the federal government continues to underfund First Nations in those areas and she would like to work to have that changed.

“I want to be able to be a strong voice for our riding in Ottawa and be able to continue working on those important issues for our communities,” Cook-Searson said.

In the coming months, constituents can expect to meet with Cook-Searson as she travels around the riding. She already knows many people across the North, she stated and will be focused on meeting new people during the nomination process. Cook-Searson will also be looking for residents to sign up as members of the Liberal Party, as only members can vote during the nomination process. There is no fee to register and she said constituents are free to contact her to do so.

 

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno