Candidate Profile - Kayley Kennedy

Jeff Green | Oct 17, 2019

As a first-time candidate, Kayley Kennedy said she has learned a lot during this campaign. She has learned about the issues that concern people in parts of the riding that she did not know that well coming to the campaign, and about what it takes to run an effective campaign.

She is a long time Liberal Party supporter even though she is only 24, having gotten her start in the Liberal Youth wing, and then working in the office of MP Judy Dzerowics and completing an MA in political management.

But being a candidate is something different.

“I have been taken with the feedback I have received; the emails, questions at the door and at candidate meeting. A lot of people are looking for someone to be an advocate for change, over a whole range of issues, issues that matter to people in their day to lives, such as dementia and mental health. These are issues that the Federal government can play a role, by developing national strategies, such as the dementia strategy that the Liberal government announced earlier this year,” she said.

One issue that she takes a special interest in is that of accessibility, in all its forms.

“Accessibility is an issue that is personally important to me, having worked in human rights, and it has become a profession as well, since last summer when I left my job in Ottawa to come home. I have a business now making documents and websites accessible.

“Physical barriers are something that the federal government needs to be addressing. We need to be a strong national advocate, pro-actively seeking opportunities to improve accessibility,” she said, pointing out that Ontario took a lead in promoting accessibility years ago by bringing in the Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Federal government needs to play a role as well.

In terms of organisation, she has learned how important a strong core of volunteers is for a campaign, and in the value of door to door campaigning.

“Door to door campaigning ultimately is most effective way to meet and talk to people about what they really care about. A lot of people that we have spoken to have never had someone knock on their door.  It’s way of demonstrating that you really are planning to work for them,” she said. “There is a perception that I am picking up out there that people are really ready for  a change, for an activist government.”

She said that in her home town of Smiths Falls everything in the town was turned around by a single policy that the Liberal Party were promoting during the last election campaign.

“Legalising Cannabis has made the growth of Tweed and Canopy growth a reality, and that have brought employment and investment to Smiths Falls that has really turned the town around. I’m proud to be representing the party that made that happen in government for my home town.”

She said that she learned a lot from Judy Dzerowics about how hard an MP needs to work, and part of that is making sure to get back to the riding on Fridays when the house is sitting and during breaks in Parliament.

“She has been someone I have been able to talk to during the campaign, but when I worked for her I saw how much it takes. For me it is easier since the riding is not that far from Ottawa, but I feel it is important to make sure as MP I get to know more people in Frontenac County and South Frontenac in particular. When I was going door to door the people were saying they hadn’t seen their MP at all. The Liberal Party has the best chance to make change in this riding. That is what my campaign is all about.”