Cathy Pellizzaro is hoping to represent the Manitoba NDP as their candidate for Thompson in the next provincial election sometime between now and Oct. 6, 2020.
The Thompson Teachers’ Association (TTA) president recently got the green light from the party to seek the NDP nomination, which means she could be gunning for current MLA Kelly Bindle’s seat in the Manitoba legislature.
Pellizzaro has been an increasingly vocal critic of Bindle and Premier Brian Pallister over the last couple years, and said she decided to run for office after her concerns about education funding were consistently being dismissed.
“It’s the frustration of not being felt that you’re heard,” Pellizzaro says. “We’ve been commenting about the lack of education funding for two years, and those are falling on deaf ears. And health care as well. I see it in the hospital when I’m volunteering, the long waiting lines and the overworked nurses and understaffing.”
If she does clinch the nomination, Pellizzaro said she would serve as a “voice for the north” by putting these and other concerns front and centre during her campaign.
“The north’s been neglected for the last three years, and we need a voice so we can have economic development, improved healthcare, improved education, education funding and make childcare more accessible for younger families.”
Outside of serving as a kindergarten to Grade 3 teacher in the School District of Mystery Lake, Pellizzaro does have political experience at the local and provincial level.
Not only has she been involved with the TTA since 1993, but Pellizzaro was a member of the 2017-18 provincial executive for the Manitoba Teachers’ Society, where she represented the interests of over 15,000 educators.
Pellizzaro also volunteered her time helping federal and provincial NDP candidates run in Northern Manitoba elections throughout the last 20 years, which should give her some insight into mounting an effective campaign.
Otherwise, the local union president said she wants to use her status as an active member of the community to bring about meaningful change.
“I listen to people, I hear concerns and I act on them,” said Pellizzaro. “I always find an answer and I always look to improve things.”
Bindle has been Thompson’s MLA since April 2016, when he beat long-time NDP MLA Steve Ashton by 185 votes.
Even though the next provincial election is officially set for October 2020, Pallister recently hinted that Manitobans could be going to the polls sometime this year instead.
Pellizzaro is the first person to publicly state she’s seeking the NDP nomination in the Thompson provincial riding. However, a member of the party’s provincial executive wouldn’t say if she is the only potential candidate.
