It's 1 year until the provincial election. We want to hear the issues important to you

It's just over a year away until the next provincial election.

With that in mind, CBC Kitchener-Waterloo is taking a brief look at each local riding, and we want to hear what is important to you as politicians gear up to campaign for your votes.

• Answer our short surveynow

Locally, there is a wide political spectrum. In Waterloo region, two MPPs are with the sitting Progressive Conservatives, two are with the Opposition NDP and one is part of a brand new party.

Looking outside the region, Guelph is the home riding for the leader of the Green Party of Ontario, while two PC MPPs serve in Wellington-Halton Hills and Perth-Wellington. There are currently no Liberals holding seats in the area.

The provincial election is set to take place June 2, 2022.

Cambridge

The riding of Cambridge is currently served by MPP Belinda Karahalios.

Karahalios was elected as a member of the Progressive Conservatives, but was removed from the party in July 2020 after she voted against a government motion.

She and her husband launched the New Blue Ontario partylater that year.

Karahalios won the seat in 2018, beating incumbent, Liberal MPP Kathryn McGarry, who is now the mayor of Cambridge.

The Elections Ontario website lists the2018 vote count as:

• 17,793 for Karahalios.
• 15,639 for NDP candidate Marjorie Knight.
• 11,191 for McGarry.
• 3,018 for Green candidate Michele Braniff.
• 490 for Libertarian candidate Allan Dettweiler.

In 2014, McGarry edged out former PC MPP Rob Leone for the seat. Before McGarry's win for the Liberals,the riding had been PC since 1995, with Gerry Martiniuk serving as MPP from 1995 to 2011.

Kitchener Centre

The riding of Kitchener Centre is currently served by MPP Laura Mae Lindo.

Lindo is a member of the NDP and serves as the party's critic for anti-racism, colleges and universities. She's also the chair for the party's Ontario Black Caucus.

Lindo won the seat in 2018, beating incumbent Liberal MPP Daiene Vernile.

The vote count in 2018 was:

• 20,512 for Lindo.
• 13,080 for PC candidate Mary Henein Thorn.
• 9,499 for Vernile.
• 3,234 for Green candidate Stacey Danckert.
• 439 for Libertarian candidate Jason Erb.
• 429 forNone of the Above Direct Democracy Party candidateChris Carr.
• 87 for Communist Party candidate Martin Suter.

Vernile won the seat for the Liberals in 2014 and served on a number of committees before she was named a cabinet minister in January when she became the minister of tourism, culture and sport.

Prior to Vernile's win, the seat had been held by another Liberal, John Milloy, who served as MPP from 2003 to 2014. Before Milloy, the riding was served by PC Wayne Wettlaufer, who held the seat from 1995 to 2003.

Kitchener-Conestoga

The riding of Kitchener-Conestoga is currently served by MPP Mike Harris.

Harris is a member of the Progressive Conservatives and is parliamentary assistant to the minister of natural resources and forestry.

Harris won the seat in 2018 after the former MPP, Michael Harris, was removed from the Progressive Conservative party in April 2018 and did not seek reelection.

The vote count in 2018 was:

• 17,005 for Harris.
• 16,319 for NDP candidate Kelly Dick.
• 6,035 for Liberal candidate Joe Gowing.
• 2,853 for Green candidate Bob Jonkman.
• 550 for Libertarian candidate Daniel Benoy.
• 212 forConsensus Ontario candidate Dan Holt.

Michael Harris had served as MPP since 2011, when he beat Liberal Leeanna Pendergast. Pendergast had beaten Harris in the 2007 election by 1,500 votes.

Kitchener South-Hespeler

The riding of Kitchener South-Hespeler is currently served by MPP Amy Fee.

Fee is a member of the Progressive Conservatives and is parliamentary assistant in the ministry of children, community and social services.

Fee won the seat in 2018, which was the first year of the riding's existence.

The vote count in 2018 was:

• 16,511 for Fee.
• 15,741 for NDP candidate Fitzroy Vanderpool.
• 6,335 for Liberal candidate Surekha Shenoy.
• 3,198 for Green candidate David Weber.
• 423 for Libertarian candidate Nathan Andre LaJeunesse.
• 275 for independent candidate Narine Sookram.

Waterloo

The riding of Waterloo is currently served by MPP Catherine Fife.

Fife is a member of the NDP and is the party's caucus chair and finance and treasury board critic. Fife has held the seat since 2012.

The vote count in 2018 was:

• 27,315 for Fife.
• 16,973 for PC candidate Dan Weber.
• 6,577 for Liberal candidate Dorothy McCabe.
• 2,613 for Green candidate Zdravko Gunjevic.
• 566 for Libertarian candidate Andrew Allison.

Fife's win in 2012 came after long-time Progressive Conservative MPP Elizabeth Witmer stepped down from politics. Witmer had held the seat since 1990.

Liberal Herb Epp held the seat before Witmer from 1977 to 1990, when he retired.

Before 2012, there were only 10 years where the seat wasn't held by a Liberal or Progressive Conservative. That includes five years, between 1919 to 1923, when it was held by an independent Liberal named Nicholas Asmussen and then in a stretch from 1943 to 1948 when the seat was held first by John Henry Cook of the Co-operative Commonwealth and then by Liberal-Labour MPP Joseph Ignatino Meinzinger.

Guelph

The riding of Guelph is currently served by Mike Schreiner, who is also leader of the Green Party of Ontario.

Schreiner won the seat in 2018 after former Liberal MPP Liz Sandals opted not to run in the election. Sandals had held the seat since 2003.

It was a historic first win for the Green Party of Ontario.

The vote count in 2018 was:

• 29,082 for Schreiner.
• 14,084 for PC candidate Ray Ferraro.
• 13,929 for NDP candidate Agnieszka Mlynarz.
• 6,537 for Liberal candidate Sly Castaldi.
• 358 for None of the Above Party candidate Paul Taylor.
• 297 for Libertarian candidate Michael Riehl.
• 181 for Ontario Party candidate Thomas Mooney.
• 109 for Communist Party candidate Juanita Burnett.

Wellington-Halton Hills

The riding of Wellington-Halton Hills is currently served by Ted Arnott, of the Progressive Conservatives.

Arnott has held the seat since 1990 and has served as Speaker for the legislature during his most recent term.

The 2018 vote count was:

• 31,659 for Arnott.
• 14,087 for NDP candidate Diane Ballantyne.
• 7,492 for Liberal candidate Jon Hurst.
• 5,066 for Green candidate Dave Rodgers.
• 320 for Libertarian candidate Jadon Pfeiffer.

While Arnott has served for more than 30 years, his time at Queen's Park is not yet record-setting. The ultimate record is 42 years in office and that honour goes to Harry Nixon of Brant County, who also served briefly as premier in 1943.

Perth-Wellington

The riding of Perth-Wellington is currently served by MPP Randy Pettapiece.

Pettapieceis a Progressive Conservative who has held the seat since 2011. The riding was previously held by Liberal John Wilkinson, who served as the MPP from 2007 to 2011.

The 2018 vote count was:

• 23,736 for Pettapiece.
• 14,385 for NDP candidate Michael O'Brien.
• 5,062 for Liberal candidate Brendan Knight.
• 2,746 for Green candidate Lisa Olsen.
• 380 for Libertarian Scott Marshall.
• 320 forConsensus Ontario candidate Paul McKendrick.
• 125 forFreedom Party of Ontario candidate Rob Smeenk.
• 89for Ontario Alliance Party candidate Andrew Stanton.

We want to hear from you

We want to hear what's important to you in the lead up to the next provincial election. Please fill out the form below to share your thoughts.