The People’s Party of Canada has announced its first ever candidate for Fort McMurray-Cold Lake ahead of the 2019 Federal election.

Last week, Canada’s newest Federal party declared Fort McMurray’s Matthew Barrett as their candidate to become our next member of parliament.

Barrett, a long-time resident of Fort McMurray, has experience with executive positions in the community, being the Vice President of CUPE Local 1505.

He tells Mix News if elected, he would make it his priority to get shovels in the ground for the Trans Mountain expansion and represent the interests of the riding.

“Building a pipeline and enforcing it using the constitution as a national energy project is the only way this pipeline is going to get built. We’ve been celebrating minor victories with pipelines being allegedly approved for about six years now and nothing is moving.”

Barrett, like party leader Maxime Bernier, believes what the PPC does to separate itself from the Federal Conservatives – is avoid intellectual and moral corruption.

He adds what resonated with him most about the party and its platform is its focus on transparency.

“Even if you disagree with something that is law currently, you can still fight that law in the proper venues and channels by of course using speech, whether written or verbal. We’re the only party advocating that – that you should have your freedom of expression protected.”

Bernier will be in Fort McMurray on July 8.

He’ll be accompanied by Barrett for a meet and greet at the Stonebridge Hotel starting at 6:30 p.m.

Barrett hopes to see plenty of residents come and see what the party is all about.

“Our platform is incredibly transparent, concise, common sense and blatant. The platform resonates, it has to because I know people here. It resonates. So, I am the MP who can represent that platform and these wonderful people.”

The election is scheduled to take place on or before October 21.