When you ask Mississauga City Councillor Sue McFadden why she’s taking a run at federal politics, tackling crime in the area ranks as one of her top concerns.
“Violent crime is on the rise in Peel and across the Greater Toronto Area,” says McFadden, the Conservative candidate for Mississauga – Streetsville. “Incidents of Intimate Partner Violence, car-jackings, robberies, they all are happening at an alarming rate. That’s not to mention the auto thefts and break-and-enters that have sky-rocketed in the last bunch of years. It’s all leading to a feeling of insecurity in our neighbourhoods and a significant threat to public safety.”
McFadden says Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives will work to make things safer. In fact, Mc-Fadden and Poilievre were recently endorsed by the Peel Regional Police Association.
“The current Liberal ‘catch and release’ policies of the last decade are doing nothing to keep our law-abiding citizens and their property safe,” Mc-Fadden says. “I’ve heard from countless police officers who are frustrated with arresting criminals only to see them released within days – or even hours – and out on the street committing the same crimes.”
McFadden knows the community well, having served as a municipal representative for 19 years and before that as a trustee with the Peel District School Board for six years. She’s lived in the riding for over 30 years with her husband Dave, who is a retired Captain with Mississauga Fire. She’s a proud mom to seven children and a
doting grandma to nine grandkids.
When it comes to safety, McFadden touts her work on council and in the community. She encourages residents to establish Neighbourhood Watch programs on their street, and her ward has among the most Watches of any in the city. She advocated for School Resource Officers to remain in high schools as a means to build positive relationships between youth and police. McFadden also hosts townhalls on crime prevention, gangs and guns and property crime to provide a forum for residents to engage directly with police. She’s served on the Safe City Mississauga board for many years.
McFadden is going up against Liberal candidate and incumbent Member of Parliament Rechie Valdez (Right), who was first elected in the previous election in 2021. Valdez was appointed by Justin Trudeau to serve as the Minister of Small Business. The NDP candidate for the riding is Bushra Asghar (Left), who describes herself as a community organizer.
The riding was last held by the Conservatives when current Mississauga councillor Brad Butt was elected in 2011 during the Stephen Harper majority government. Butt is not the only familiar name who has represented Mississauga-Streetsville though. Ontario Liberal leader and former Mayor Bonnie Crombie represented the riding as a Liberal MP for two terms, before losing to Butt. Current PC MPP Nina Tangri ran as the Conservative candidate federally in the riding over 20 years, in 2004.
This election has been described by many as a historic one and, in the
words of Poilieivre, the most consequential election in recent history.
McFadden agrees. “I’m not happy with the last decade of failed leadership and what that has done to Canadians across our country,” she says.
Advance voting locations are open for four days this year – April 18-21 from 9am-9pm. The main election day is on Monday, April 28.
