Liberal candidate for the Prince Albert riding Estelle Hjertaas has received the endorsement of Byron Tenkink who ran for the Green Party in 2015. (submitted photo/Estelle Hjertaas campaign) 

By Glenn Hicks

environmental battleground

P.A. Liberal candidate gets Green backing

Sep 16, 2019 | 5:16 PM

The environmental battle for votes is heating up in the federal election campaign in Prince Albert with the Liberal candidate announcing the endorsement of the man who previously ran for the Green Party in the riding.

Lily Plain strawberry farmer Byron Tenkink, who ran for the Greens in 2015, has put his name to the efforts of Estelle Hjertaas, admitting his move is a strategic one aimed at trying to ensure the Liberals stay in government in what is seen as a two-horse race with the Conservatives.

“It would be awesome if the percentage of people who voted Green, we were able to send that percentage to Ottawa,” Tenkink told paNOW. “But, unfortunately in the situation we’re in now [with no proportional representation] basically we have to be a little more strategic. We have to go with the top two, and right now the best of the top two is by far the Liberals.”

Hjertaas said getting Tenkink’s backing was important for her campaign.

“It’s clear to everyone that the environment is his number one issue… and that shows everyone how serious I am about addressing environmental issues.”

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She said voters had the choice of expanding progressive policies of the Liberals or falling out of step with friends and allies around the world if the Conservatives came to power.

“It’s clear Canadians in general care more about environmental issues, and climate change in particular, in this election than ever before,” she said. “Hopefully people will see there is a candidate who is making this a priority issue.”

Conservative incumbent Randy Hoback said he wasn’t surprised by Tenkink’s move to Hjertaas’s camp because “a vote for the Green Party or NDP is a vote for the Liberals.”

He called Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s climate plan a “tax plan” that was symbolic and not practical. He added Trudeau rejected the efforts of provinces like Saskatchewan and their own environmental plans which is insists would have helped meet Canada’s global climate change commitments.

Hoback disagreed with the notion that Hjertaas’s large focus on the environment and the backing of 31-year-old Tenkink would give his Liberal rival a boost with younger voters.

“I think they’ll vote Conservative. Young people got fooled by the Liberal party last time and won’t be fooled again,” he said.

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow