Yukon candidate Ryan Leef proud of Harper government, and his own record
If the only poll published so far in the race for the federal Yukon riding is correct, Conservative candidate Ryan Leef is in a tough race against his Liberal and NDP rivals.
Leef says he's running for a second term because of his long-term vision for the territory.
Leef says voters tell him "'We're an innovative, creative, energetic group of people here in the Yukon, just give us an environment where we can grow and prosper.
"'Give us an environment where we can spread our wings and use our creativity, artistic talent, musical talent, our athletic talent and we'll show you a world that's going to work.'
"That's really what they want: they want less government in their lives," he says.
Leef was first elected to Parliament in the 2011 election in what many saw as an upset win. If he's worried about his prospects this time around, he's not showing it.
Defends record on missing and murdered aboriginal women
In the first debate outing of the campaign, at Yukon College, Leef was flanked on either side by rivals Melissa Atkinson of the NDP and Liberal Larry Bagnell, both eager to make the incumbent a target.
Leef stood up for himself when Atkinson criticized the Conservative government's refusal to hold an inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women.
The criticism is galling to Leef who has run self-defence clinics in the past for women as part of the White Ribbon campaign. He is also the only Conservative MP to support an inquiry.
"I was and still am proud to defend the position Yukoners have taken, stand up and vote for them, regardless of the party position and I did that no less than eight times as a Member of Parliament," Leef said.
He's equally annoyed by criticism of his Conservative colleagues' refusal to support his private member's bill on the criminal sentencing of people with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders.
Leef wanted the law changed so judges could consider FASD a mitigating factor in sentencing, but then withdrew the bill in return for a government promise to study the issue in more depth.
The recommendations from that study did not include his sentencing proposal.
Leef bristles at the suggestion his party let him, and people with FASD, down.
"It's nothing but a partisan and unsubstantiated smear to be kind about it," he said. "I still am very much praised and recognized internationally for the work that I was able to achieve for that."
Affected by 2 terrorist attacks
Leef was also affected by two terrorist attacks that occurred during his term.
In 2013 he had finished running the Boston Marathon and was just a few blocks from the finish line when two bombs exploded. Then a year ago he was in a caucus meeting in Ottawa when a gunman shot and killed Corporal Nathan Cirillo outside the Parliament building before running into the building, firing more shots near Leef's meeting room.
Leef was one of several MPs who barricaded the door.
"I spent 20 years in diversified law enforcement and never really felt at any point in my career that my life was imminently and immediately in danger," he said. "It sure changes your perspective on some things."
Leef is a strong supporter of measures the Conservative Party says are necessary to protect Canadians. He says over-reacting to an incident is not healthy, but neither is under-reacting in the face of extremist groups such as ISIS.
Stephen Harper has many outstanding qualities: Leef
"What I see is a lot of people that really, really love Stephen Harper and really, really respect his leadership," Leef said.
"I see a prime minister that has a wonderful sense of humour, who's a loving father, who is a strong leader, who is very capable and very much interested in what I have to contribute personally as Yukon's Member of Parliament. He's been always open, always considerate, always welcoming to me in terms of dealing with issues we need to deal with."
Leef himself became the centre of mockery, and praise, early in the campaign when he made a citizen's arrest of a woman vandalizing his signs.
"Just because I become the Member of Parliament doesn't mean I cease to be Ryan Leef, and it doesn't mean I cease to have my own personality," he says.
"That's also by human nature what brings the right decisions and sometimes the wrong decisions to something. We're humans and we're fallible."
In Yukon, there are four candidates running in the Oct. 19 federal election. CBC North will profile all four candidates.
