The Member of Parliament for the Kamloops Thompson Cariboo is welcoming Terry Lake to this fall’s election race.

Cathy McLeod is not terribly surprised at the news Lake is seeking the federal Liberal nomination.

McLeod is suggesting the Justin Trudeau brand is so toxic it will negatively impact Liberal candidates including Lake.

“I don’t think it is any surprise. I think the signals have been out there for a long time. Certainly I have been waiting to hear not only who the Liberal candidate will be but of course the NDP and Greens. From my perspective the biggest issue for any Liberal candidate in this riding is going to be the current government and the baggage of Justin Trudeau, which certainly in my opinion is significant and very negative.”

In the 2015 federal election the Liberal candidate Steve Powrie finished third just over 3,000 votes behind Cathy McLeod who is now suggesting that finish for the Liberals was an anomaly.

“The NDP has always been the second strongest in this riding. The Liberals were down to 6,000 votes in 2011 and very very few in other years. Certainly 2015 was extraordinary for the Liberals.”

McLeod says people who voted Liberal in the last election are now telling her they regret that vote and won’t be voting for the Liberals again.

She also disagrees with Terry Lake when he claimed the riding does not get the attention of investment from the federal government it deserves.

“Absolutely not. I look at the funding charts and certainly up to 2015 we had some of the highest investments throughout the country in to this riding and that has continued. I look at this riding and the dollars that have been invested although they might be quieter dollars because you are not out there doing the announcement with the media coverage but certainly a really solid record. Just in the last couple of years alone $80 million.”

McLeod is seeking re-election to serve a 4th term.