Can the NDP hold onto its fortress Ontario riding of London-Fanshawe? Voters weigh in

Isha Bhargava · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 23, 2025 6:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 42 minutes ago

With days near successful the national predetermination campaign, large enactment leaders are continuing to marque their pitches to Canadians earlier predetermination time connected April 28. It's especially a do-or-die predetermination for the New Democratic Party (NDP).

According to CBC's Poll Tracker, the NDP is trailing acold down different parties and may not triumph capable seats crossed the state to clasp authoritative enactment status. The destiny of the NDP's Ontario caucus could remainder successful immoderate conflict ridings, specified arsenic London-Fanshawe.

The district covers London's eastbound portion which including neighbourhoods specified arsenic Pond Mills, Argyle and Fanshawe College. It's been an NDP-stronghold since 2006 and is presently represented by incumbent Lindsay Mathyssen, who succeeded her parent Irene Mathyssen arsenic the riding's Member of Parliament successful 2019 and is seeking re-election.  

Mathyssen is moving against Conservative candidate Kurt Holman, Najam Naqvi of the Liberals and Daniel Buta of the People's Party of Canada. 

CBC News spoke to voters successful the riding astir what matters to them successful this predetermination and however they're feeling. Here's what they shared. 

'It is simply a precise scary time,' says autoworker

Ben Matthews is among hundreds of car workers who were laid disconnected from the General Motors CAMI Assembly works successful nearby Ingersoll, which announced its closure earlier this month.

"Being successful the automotive industry, it is simply a precise scary clip for not lone my works but plants crossed Canada and Ontario," helium said. "We've had portion shortages, COVID and retooling truthful we've been disconnected much than we've worked truthful it's been a hard 5 years and it's conscionable getting harder."

Matthews voted successful the beforehand polls implicit the play but admits it was a pugnacious choice. A apical precedence for the adjacent premier curate needs to beryllium lasting up to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and his threats to Canada's sovereignty, said Matthews. 

"I conscionable person a hard clip trusting the Liberals and I don't cognize if the Conservatives person what it takes, particularly to basal up to Trump, truthful I person precise hard spot issues. As overmuch arsenic I'd similar to accidental NDP, it's hard to deliberation who's going to beryllium capable to spend immoderate of their platform," helium said.

"I would similar my kids to person a aboriginal wherever they don't beryllium billions of dollars successful national debt, truthful it's a pugnacious decision."

The NDP has promised to raise astir $94.5 cardinal by taxing the highly wealthy, deliver a taxation chopped for workers and bolster Canada's health-care system. The party's level would add $48 cardinal to the national shortage implicit the adjacent 4 years connected apical of the existing deficit. 

Although Paul Gillmore is inactive deciding who he'll ballot for, helium believes whoever forms Canada's adjacent national authorities needs to instantly tackle outgo of living. 

"People either person to wage rent oregon can't eat. It's 1 oregon the different and it's a large occupation but it seems [parties] skirt the issues," said Gillmore.  

"I've been listening to what everyone's got to accidental and to maine it sounds similar what I perceive each year. I request idiosyncratic to enactment their ft down and accidental 'Enough is enough.'"

Some voters can't beryllium swayed, others being strategic

Betty Edwards formed her ballot astatine an beforehand canvass connected Monday and she's assured Mathyssen tin clasp onto her seat. The long-time NDP protagonist said she appreciates the party's efforts to bring nationalist dental and pharmacare to Canadians.  

"I truly admit our section MPs here. I deliberation radical are truly torn with what's going connected politically and our state is truly warring to survive," said Edwards.

"We really request to conscionable support beardown but we inactive person to support our dependable and for me, that's wherefore we request NDP still. I won't beryllium swayed to ballot for the different two, I conscionable can't bash that."

WATCH | Incumbent London MPs speech promises versus actions:

Some voters told CBC they're leaning Conservative due to the fact that they judge a alteration is authorities is needed and the Liberals person been successful powerfulness for agelong enough. Others are voting strategically, including Mike Maisonville in London-Fanshawe, who voted Liberal for the archetypal clip ever. 

Although his values align astir with the NDP's, Maisonville believes Liberal leader Mark Carney is the close acceptable to usher Canada during these uncertain economical times, helium said.

Maisonville said he's not loyal to immoderate peculiar party, adding that helium voted Conservative erstwhile erstwhile premier curate Stephen Harper was moving and successful the astir caller provincial election, voted NDP. 

"I deliberation Carney is the champion idiosyncratic to instrumentality connected the American tariffs and Trump and I besides deliberation he's a fiscally liable Liberal," said Maisonville. "I don't mostly set myself to 1 peculiar party, I look for idiosyncratic who tin pb the state well."