Mishall RehmanProud mother of two sons in the Canadian Armed Forces, Sherry Romanado, Liberal Candidate for the riding of Longueuil-Charles-LeMoyne, entered politics to bring change for veterans and be a voice for other military moms.
Romanado’s older son Patrick is in his last year as an officer cadet at RMC Kingston and younger son Johnathan is currently a soldier based in Gagetown.
“Maybe I’m one of the weird moms but I was incredibly proud. A lot of moms that I talked to when they decided to do this were like ‘oh my god aren’t you afraid?’. And it never dawned on me to be afraid for them. This is what they wanted to do and I supported them and to me this was such a noble profession to want to serve their country and I was fine with it,” said Romanado.
Both of her sons started out in the Cadet Corps.
Part of the reason Romanado entered the field of politics was because of her children’s military service.
“My family has a long history of public service and it was a natural progression. Also as a military mom, I was concerned about the treatment of our military and veterans. I am worried about the support and care that will be available to them if they need it (specifically the lack of support for those suffering from PTSD) so I decided who better to fight for our military and veterans and their families than someone who is living in the same situation as them,” noted Romanado.
And being a military mom is what gives her a special edge in Parliament.
“I would much rather see Canada play a peacekeeping role like we’ve always had. Any decision on whether or not we are going to send troops anywhere in the world, especially in a battle zone, I’m not comfortable sending my own children then why would I commit other parent’s children to do that. I am more hesitant to put children in harm’s way without a really good reason to do so,” explained Romanado.
Romanado believes the Liberal Party has what it takes to ensure the military and the country, in general, are taken care of.
“The vision of our leader to make things happen is what sets our party apart. Our team is walking the talk,” said Romanado.
At the end of the day, Romanado expects to be a voice for other military moms, if elected.
“I don’t take the service that our children are doing lightly. As a military mom, I’m very protective of our military. My word to all military moms is: don’t worry I’ve got their back,” said Romanado.
Romanado has fifteen years of experience in higher education. A graduate in the Certificate in Public Relations Program at McGill University, she completed her MBA from Concordia University in 2011.
