Former Laurentian political science prof to seek federal NDP nod

An associate professor in Laurentian University’s now defunct political science program has announced her intention to seek the federal NDP nomination in the Sudbury riding.

Nadia Verrelli announced her intentions this morning (May 11).

She said she developed her passion for politics through debates with her father, during which she found herself “pushing for what I came to understand as the progressive social justice politics championed by Canada’s NDP.”

She obtained her doctorate in political science, becoming a professor first at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay and then at Laurentian University.

“Since then, Sudbury has been home, a place to live and grow with my partner and his daughter. I fell in love with it,” Verrelli said in a news release.

Laurentian, she said, exposed her to students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse interests, while continuing her research pursuits “and exploring ideas in areas of policy and political systems where Canada still has to grow — particularly our commitment to ending violence against women and to reconciliation. 

Laurentian University’s insolvency and the fallout from that was heartbreaking, Verrelli said.

“I feel certain — if we had the chance to bring the city together to work the problem — to build a stronger Laurentian — we could have saved jobs, saved programs, ensured students could graduate in their chosen programs, and kept our community whole.”

She also said it appears the university administration and the provincial government “don’t care” enough to save the school as it was, while the federal Liberal party “had no fight in them.”

When it comes to her candidacy, Verrelli wants “them all to know that Laurentian and our community is worth caring about. It is worth the fight!”

She said the federal and provincial NDP teams are willing to fight and have proved that with the many events the members have hosted to hear from those impacted by the Laurentian cuts.

“New Democrats understand — we are standing up not just to fight for Laurentian University, but also for the next battle our city faces, and the ones to follow after that,” Verrelli said. “That is why I am running to be your candidate in the next federal election — to turn the values I was taught and the knowledge I’ve gained into action on the issues that matter.”

You can learn more about Verrelli, her candidacy and the NDP at NadiaVerrelli.com.