Anna Gainey, the eldest daughter of former Montreal Canadiens captain Bob Gainey, will seek the Liberal nomination in the riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount ahead of the by-election to be called next of the departure of former Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau.
Liberal sources have confirmed to La Presse that the candidacy of Ms. Gainey, who was president of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2014 to 2018, is acquired. Ms. Gainey could confirm her candidacy in the coming days.
Liberal activists are already hard at work in the constituency she covets to ensure that she wins the nomination meeting if other candidates were to appear, according to our information.
Currently, Ms. Gainey is the executive director of Canada 2020, a progressive politics think tank that is close to the Liberal Party of Canada. She is also the Executive Director of the Gainey Foundation, which funds charities providing educational programs for young people. This foundation was created shortly after the tragic death of his sister, Laura Gainey, who fell from a boat during a raging storm off Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
“It is certain and certain that Anna Gainey will show up in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount. It has been preparing since Marc Garneau announced his departure,” said a reliable Liberal source, who requested anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly on this file.
“She will be in the ranks. That’s for sure,” confirmed a second Liberal source familiar with the matter.
The main interested party did not respond to La Presse’s interview request on Monday, which was a holiday for many.
Ousted from cabinet following the September 2021 federal election, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau announced on March 8 that he was ending his political career by resigning as an MP.
Ms. Gainey had acknowledged Mr. Garneau’s contribution the day he announced his resignation.
Ms. Gainey has been active in the Liberal Party of Canada for several years. She is also very close to Justin Trudeau. She and her husband, Tom Pitfield, played prominent roles in Mr. Trudeau’s 2012 leadership campaign.
Ms. Gainey and her spouse had accompanied Justin Trudeau and his family on the Prime Minister’s famous trip to the Aga Khan’s private island for a holiday vacation in 2016.
Previously, Ms. Gainey worked as a close aide to ministers Bill Graham and John McCallum in the former Liberal government of Paul Martin.
She was also president of the Westmount–Ville-Marie Liberal Association, the former name of the riding held by Marc Garneau.
Mr. Garneau’s departure brings the number of vacant seats in the House of Commons to five. Two seats are vacant in Manitoba, one seat is vacant in Alberta and one in Ontario.
“We would like to have our five candidates chosen and present at the party convention,” noted a liberal source.
Mr. Trudeau must announce before June 11 the date of the by-election which is to be held in Winnipeg South Centre, which was held by former minister Jim Carr, who died last December following cancer. Mr. Carr’s son, Ben Carr, will run for the Liberal Party.
These by-elections would help gauge the mood of the Canadian electorate at a time when the rising cost of living remains a source of concern for many Canadians who are struggling to make ends meet.
The Liberals have had a rough start to the year due to widespread media reports of Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. They are three points behind the Conservatives in voting intentions, according to an average surveys conducted by 338Canada.com. According to this site, the Conservative Party garners an average of 34% of support across the country compared to 31% for the Liberal Party and 19% for the New Democratic Party.
