Meet the Candidate: Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa Liberal Candidate Kevin Carlson

Growing up on the shores of Lake Winnipegosis as the son of commercial fishermen, Kevin Carlson began his career in broadcasting in Dauphin but soon found himself moving further north for work. His interest in advocacy work was fostered during his fifteen years with Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), a political organisation for the northernmost First Nations in Manitoba, where he worked in the areas of housing, capital infrastructure, and communications.

While he is currently living in The Pas, just outside the boundaries of the constituency, a move back to his home region was always in the near future even before his decision to run for office.

One of the largest industries in the region is agriculture, and his travels around the constituency have brought him in direct contact with the devastation from this year’s drought. Carlson indicates that collaboration between provincial and federal governments is crucial on this issue.

Rural telecommunications is another area where he feels attention is needed, a need that was highlighted this year with the increased reliance on remote communications. Carlson would like to see a community-driven process come forward to address this inequity, and have local companies come in rather than relying on the large telecom companies.

Approximately 25% of the Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa constituency is Indigenous, and as a Métis man whose immediate family are members of the Northlands Dene Nation, Carlson has a very personal and direct relationship with issues of race and Indigenous Reconciliation.

“Federal governments in the past - doesn’t matter what political stripe they’ve been - have made the significant [error in judgement] to think that they have the answer to solve issues in Indigenous communities instead of wanting to work together. Sitting down with a blank piece of paper and drafting something together, in partnership.”

When it comes to COVID-19 and measures that have been implemented and continue to be developed, Carlson says he puts the safety of Canadians first and foremost, comparing vaccination cards or vaccine passports to the proof of vaccination that has been required to travel to many global locations for decades. Where more work needs to be done, says Carlson, is in ensuring that the different identification measures are all equally recognized across all borders. That is where he feels the need for federal leadership on the issue comes in.

As a final note, Carlson stresses that people are able vote ahead of the September 20th election date, particularly if they’re concerned about social distancing or public gatherings. This is one of the ways, he says, that Elections Canada provides a healthy and safe environment in which all Canadians can exercise their freedoms.

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