Medicine Hat’s Liberal candidate says he aims to scoop voters from both sides

“I have people who provincially support the NDP right in this room right now, and they’re saying the same thing. Let’s go with the party that has the best chance,” said Rooke.

The polls seem to agree, with a rise in Liberal support poised to deal a devastating blow to the New Democrats countrywide.

Rooke will aim to sway voters such as Gwendoline Dirk, a staunch Alberta NDP operative in the Medicine Hat area.

Dirk said she came on board as his campaign’s volunteer coordinator after she was convinced by Liberal leader Mark Carney.

Gwendoline Dirk, a provincial New Democrat, looks on as Liberal candidate Tom Rooke addresses supporters on April 10, 2025. Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

“When I thought about this election and who I want sitting in the prime minister’s chair, I definitely would like to see Mr. Carney,” Dirk said.

“Especially having to do with the Trump tariffs, it would be best to have an economist who actually has a quite spectacular resume to lead us out of this mess.”

Dirk said many traditional New Democrat voters are making the choice to back the Liberals because of how badly they want to keep the Conservatives out of power.

“We need to bolster up as much support as we can for the Liberals so we can get Carney to lead us the next four years.”

But it’s not just left-wing residents of the Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner riding Rooke will need to convince. The area has historically voted overwhelmingly for the national conservative party.

In the last three elections, over 60 per cent of the riding marked Conservative Party of Canada on their ballots, a party formed in 2003 by uniting two right-wing parties.

Rooke argued there’s no longer a true progressive conservative option as the Conservatives have moved too far to the right.

“What that means is that there’s a lot of people out there who still think progressively or just to the right of centre,” Rooke said.

“The NDP is a little bit too extreme, the current CPC is very extreme,” he added.

Rooke equated Pierre Poilevre’s Conservatives to the U.S. president.

“We have a Trumpian-like party with a leader that is saying things exactly what Donald Trump has been saying always, following the playbook 100 per cent,” he said.

“I don’t think the people in this constituency want that, and I hope to carry that message to them.”

Ashley Large, an advocate for 2SLGBTQ+ rights, said he wanted to volunteer for his campaign after meeting Rooke.

“He shares a lot of the same values I do,” Large said.

He also pointed out the advantage of having a representative who is part of the ruling party, should the Liberals win the election, echoing one of Rooke’s campaign pitches.

“It would be really, really nice for Medicine Hat to have a voice at the table if we’re going to see a Carney or a Liberal government,” he said.

“As opposed to always having somebody in the backbench on the other side,” he added, in reference to incumbent MP Glen Motz.

Rooke said he’s already heard at work and plans to divide his time between Medicine Hat and the rest of the riding ahead of the election.

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The former school board trustee said he’s heard concerns about Alberta separatism and cost of living at the door.

Rooke told about 30 supporters gathered at his downtown campaign office Thursday night that he wants to make sure Medicine Hat has a voice in Ottawa.

“We want a seat at the table,” he said.

“We want to be on the dinner plate, not on the menu.”

by Eli J. Ridder

Medicine Hat’s Liberal candidate says he aims to scoop voters from both sides

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