WATCH: Parker vows presence and action as she campaigns for Rural North seat

Malaka Parker addresses crowd at UPP campaign launch (photo by Robert Andre Emmanuel)

Malaka Parker, the United Progressive Party (UPP) candidate for St. John’s Rural North, has described herself as being on the frontline for constituents she says have been neglected for decades, pledging a style of representation defined by visibility and direct engagement.

Parker said her daily canvassing has been gruelling but driven by a love for people and a growing understanding of the hardship facing residents.

A central theme of Parker’s campaign is what she described as the absence of the current representative.

She said constituents in Rural North have repeatedly raised the issue of an MP who is largely unseen and unfelt in the community.

Parker announced a town hall meeting planned for Thursday in the constituency, which she described as part of a broader strategy of community engagement that would define her leadership.

Parker said she believes the constituency is ready to embrace a different future. “I feel that I’m on the cusp of change,” she said.