All eyes on Oxford: Opponents, some Conservatives raise questions about Conservative candidate's commitment to riding

Most political watchers consider the federal riding of Oxford a safe seat for the Conservative Party of Canada, but an upcoming by-election could prove to be an interesting test for the party under Pierre Poilievre's leadership.

Dave MacKenzie held the riding for the Tories for 19 years, announcing his retirement in January. Arpan Khanna won the Oxford Conservative Association's riding nomination on March 25.

On Sunday, a June 19 date was set for the by-election.

"Oxford's full of doers,” Khanna said Tuesday morning has he prepared for another day of campaigning. “People who are blue-collar, who want to work and get things done."

Khanna ran unsuccessfully for the federal Tories in Brampton in the 2019 election. He also helped lead Pierre Poilievre's leadership campaign in Ontario.

Oxford Conservative Party candidate Arpan Khanna with party leader Pierre Poilievre during a May 6, 2023 rally in Woodstock, Ont. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London) The lawyer and long-time Brampton resident said he's fully committed to Oxford, having moved with his wife and son to the region.

"I'm actively involved with local charities, like Operation Sharing. I'm with the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce. I'm a lawful gun owner myself. I shoot at the Oxford Fish and Game here, as well. People want someone who's going to do the work,” he said.

David Hilderley, a local realtor and former educator, won the Liberal nomination in Oxford on Monday evening, defeating lawyer Elizabeth Quinto.

Hilderley calls Khanna a parachute candidate, and said he was hand-picked by Poilievre and former Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer.

"We're getting a lot of spirited response from the Liberals,” said Hilderley. Referring to Khanna’s nomination process he said, “What's very, very interesting is that I'm getting calls and emails on a daily basis from local Conservatives who are concerned about what happened and how that placement was made, and they're asking for my sign on their lawn."

That includes Dave MacKenzie and his daughter Deb Tait.

"I'm supporting David,” Tait said matter-of-factly, regarding the Liberal candidate. Tait was runner up to Khanna in the Conservative nomination race.

Liberal Party Oxford candidate David Hilderley as seen on May 16, 2023. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)"Both my father and I did a lot of community volunteer work before either one of us were elected, and I think that's really important,” she said. “You need to be vested in the community, you need to understand the community."

Like many southern Ontario ridings, Oxford is mixture of urban and rural residents, but urban centres like Woodstock and Ingersoll are seeing dramatic growth in industry and population.

Federal New Democratic Party candidate Cody Groat believes many of the changes are actually bringing the riding inline with his party’s policies, especially when it comes to sustainability.

"Our auto sector is about sustainability. Our agriculture sector is about sustainability. There's a lot of money out there for green technologies, for modernizing our economies and we can bring all that money to Oxford County if we're on the forefront of sustainability in all of our industries,” he said.

There will be three other by-elections on June 19, two in Manitoba and one in Quebec.