‘We need to win’: Michelle Ferreri vows to ‘bring it home’ again in 2025
Campaign kickoff touches on Trump, taxes, and 10 years without improvement.
Updated March 27, 2025 at 9:35 a.m.
March 27, 2025 – The Peterborough Examiner
Michelle Ferreri, Conservative candidate for Peterborough, takes a selfie with her supporters at the official opening of her campaign office, marking the launch of her re-election bid in Peterborough on Wednesday. Clifford Skarstedt Metroland
MP Michelle Ferreri told a packed campaign office Wednesday evening that voters need to ignore the negative noise and focus on affordability, public safety, and choosing a government that has real leadership and common-sense solutions.
“You inspire me to pound the pavement one door at a time,” she said, addressing a standing-room-only boisterous crowd at her King Street headquarters in Peterborough.
“We need canvassers. We need to hit a minimum of 1,000 doors a day … If you can’t knock on doors, that’s OK. Maybe you can put up a sign. Maybe you can talk to your neighbours. Maybe you can reach out to people.
“We need to win,” she said.
When voters head to the polls on April 28, Ferreri will be seeking to repeat her victory of 2021 where she garnered 39 per cent of the vote. She finished that election with 27,402 votes — clearly ahead of Liberal incumbent Maryam Monsef with 24,664, and NDP challenger Joy Lachica who took 13,302.
By unseating Monsef, she became the first representative in 41 years to win in this riding despite its long-standing bellwether voting trend.
Michelle Ferreri, Conservative candidate for Peterborough, greets her supporters at the official opening of her campaign office in Peterborough on Wednesday. Clifford Skarstedt Metroland
Ferreri’s campaign officials describe her as a relentless fighter for affordability, public safety, addiction, mental health, and accountability. She has served as shadow minister for Families, Children, and Social Development and sat on the standing committee on the Status of Women, the standing committee on Justice and Human Rights, and the standing committee on Human Resources, Skills & Social Development.
On Wednesday, she doubled down on her desire to get tough on crime and tough on repeat offenders, to help those battling addiction, and to hold her opponents to task for what she called a loss of civility.
“It’s insane. You shouldn’t be called negative and a rage farmer for spitting facts,” she said. “And here is the fact, people. What is better after 10 years? Name me one thing … I dare you. I challenge anyone in this room to tell me one thing that is better.”
Ferreri said one of the biggest issues in Peterborough is crime. “People want to bring their small, beautiful children and feel safe in their communities,” she said, but there are “violent repeat offenders committing crimes while on bail. That has to stop.
“We also need to ensure that people who are battling addiction are not just left there. Yeah, this is a terrible disease that has taken 50,000 people in our country in the last 10 years. We must invest in treatment and recovery.”
Canada, she said, has the resources to better itself.
“We should never have been put in this position of weakness and vulnerability that our country is in. This whole Trump situation should have never happened. We literally have every single thing the world needs in Canada. We should be the richest country in the world. And, you know, sometimes it takes a threat for you to wake up and say, ‘holy crap.’ We do have a Ring of Fire … the largest mineral mine in the world and it is valued at $1 trillion. These are not just jobs. These are careers for people. These are life changing opportunities for our country and our people. And we are going to fix this.”
Before she stepped outside to talk to supporters who couldn’t find room to hear her campaign launch, she urged her supporters to hit every door and tell people that it’s time for change.
Michelle Ferreri, Conservative candidate for Peterborough, takes a selfie with her community members at the official opening of her campaign office on Wednesday. Clifford Skarstedt Metroland
“All I can say to you guys is we are going to bring it home and we are going to put Canada and Peterborough first for a change. I’m telling you, people are watching Peterborough, they are watching us because if it works in Peterborough, it works in Canada.”
Bill Hodgins is a news writer for Peterborough This Week. He can be reached at bhodgins@mykawartha.com