Tag Archive for politics

| March 15, 2012
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By-Election Profile: Christopher Porter

Christopher Porter

Canadian Action Party Candidate Christopher Porter shares his vision for a more open and involved Parliament

by Vanessa Pinto

Christopher Porter

Christopher Porter feels strongly about Canada benefitting from its resources: the rich multiculturalism in the riding. As leader of the Canadian Action Party, Porter feels strongly about having all views within the riding represented in Parliament. One of his largest goals is fostering a close relationship with the people of the community, and making sure their views and needs are represented.

OTD: Can you tell On the Danforth readers about your political life?
CP: My political life started in the South Pacific when I watched a small resource rich country get taken over in the name of peace. I was shocked to see that in our own Great Canada, resources [are often] exported without being manufactured locally. I joined and became the leader of the Canadian Acton Party to ensure that Canadians receive the benefit of our vast resources.

OTD: What is one thing that stands out to you about the Danforth neighbourhood?
CP: I love the multiculturalism of the Toronto-Danforth riding. You can literally eat around the world walking the Danforth strip. This lends to a vibrant and diverse neighbourhood that shows you the true spirit of Canada.

OTD: If elected, what is one thing you would change to benefit the riding?
CP: The one thing that could truly be changed to benefit the riding is offering more opportunities for the voters to be involved in the decisions made in Ottawa on their behalf. Too many parties focus on following the party line. The party line does not include all views of the electorate of the riding. I would make certain that there was a multiple of resources available for people to express their views. Polls, town halls, online information sites, etc. can all be better utilized to truly involve the people in their governance.

OTD: What are the views of this electorate that you feel are not being represented?
CP: The electorate are tired of the same old, same old. [Voters] need to feel that they are voting for something that Canada needs. I empower people to believe that together we can make a difference if we ensure policies are in place that protect the voters. That is why I work so hard on the introduction of direct democracy and proportional representation right at the riding level.

OTD: What is your vision for Toronto-Danforth?
CP: My vision for Toronto-Danforth is to embrace the diversity of the riding, to become an example for the people, and to regain their direct involvement in their governance. The people resources of the Toronto-Danforth are great and they all can contribute in creating a template that other electoral ridings will want to emulate.

OTD: How do you feel about running in the late Jack Layton’s riding?
CP: I am honoured to be running in Jack Layton’s old riding. He was a true hero of the Canadian political system based on his direct one-on-one relationships with the electorate. I [will] work hard to ensure that I am as open and personal with the people as he was.

Disclaimer: On the Danforth Online is a neutral magazine, dedicated to providing information. The political views mentioned or discussed do not reflect the opinions or preferences of the staff or the magazine as a whole.

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| March 11, 2012
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Toronto-Danforth By-Election Approaches

Keep an eye out for the ‘Vote Here’ Elections Canada arrows that lead you through your local polling stations.Credit: Sameer Vasta, Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vasta/5695473877/

With the by-election to elect a new Member of Parliament for Toronto-Danforth nearing, which candidate should you choose?

by Vanessa Pinto

Keep an eye out for the ‘Vote Here’ Elections Canada arrows that lead you through your local polling stations. Credit: Sameer Vasta

It has been roughly six months since Jack Layton’s passing, and the Toronto-Danforth riding is in need of a new Member of Parliament. According to bylaw, the Government of Canada has six months to call a by-election. After some date-shifting, the office of Prime Minister Stephen Harper selected March 19 as the official by-election date. Advance polls are in progress, which began on March 9 and will conclude March 12.

With a last minute flurry of candidates, there are currently eight political parties and three independent candidates on the ballot. On the Danforth contacted a few of the more renowned party candidates to share their views on politics, their vision for the riding, and their thoughts towards the late Jack Layton.

New Democratic Party: Craig Scott
Liberal Party: Grant Gordon
Green Party: Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu
Libertarian Party: John Recker
Canadian Action Party: Christopher Porter
Conservative Party: Andrew Keyes (has not yet responded)

For more information on advance polling and local polling stations, visit Elections Canada.

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| March 11, 2012
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By-Election Profile: John Recker

John Recker, Toronto, 2012

Libertarian candidate John Recker shares his political philosophy of social and economic freedom for Toronto-Danforth

by Vanessa Pinto

John Recker, Toronto, 2012

The by-election date of March 19 is fast approaching, and Libertarian candidate John Recker is prepared for the race. In his discussion with On the Danforth, Recker reveals his movement into politics out of a discontent for current politics and big-government parties, as well as a passion for individual freedoms. Recker also shares his disdain for heavy legislation, his drive towards “responsible and rational discussion” regarding social inequalities, and his respect for the late Jack Layton.

OTD: Can you tell On the Danforth readers about your political life?
JR: Like many others who have joined the Libertarian Party, I became disillusioned with the lack of any real choice in our political process. I feel it is imperative to offer an alternative to the current mainstream, where all the major parties are singing the same song, albeit in slightly different keys. I am proud to represent the Libertarian Party — a party that is actually committed to facilitating a just and voluntary society, free of the violence inherent in large governments — in the upcoming by-election. I’m relatively new to libertarianism. Until just before the last federal general election, I was politically homeless. I had held more socialist views growing up due to its positions on social issues, but I came to recognize the coercion inherent in large governments and the logic of Austrian economics. I participated in the protests at the G20 in Toronto and witnessed our rights and freedoms protected by the charter being ignored and violated by the police as a result of nefarious legislation enacted by the Liberal government. The federal Conservatives have also been creating legislation that is based on fear and ignorance; ignoring the empirical evidence on which policy should be based, and further threatening our freedom and liberty. For me, libertarianism represents a mix of social and economic freedom and responsibility that is offered by no other party.

OTD: What is one thing that stands out to you about the Danforth neighbourhood?
JR: It’s the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of the Toronto-Danforth that is the riding’s most prominent feature. Nearly 40% of the riding is made up “visible minorities.” Few communities can boast of such a diversity of culture and tradition that truly enriches our community and brings together people from all over the globe. It represents a microcosm of what our country should and will look like in the future; people of different faiths, cultures and ethnicities living together with a spirit of volunteerism and mutual respect for each other’s rights. It’s a testament to how we as a global village can live in harmony.

OTD: If elected, what is one thing you would change to benefit the riding?
JR: I would […] offer the people of Toronto-Danforth the opportunity to have their views represented in Ottawa from someone who is not a member of one of the mainstream parties. The big-government parties have proven time and time again that they only seek to grow the size and scope of government at the expense of our individual freedoms and liberties. The people of this riding deserve better than to be represented by someone who will be forced to vote the party line, and ignore the wishes of their constituents.

OTD: What is your vision for Toronto-Danforth?
JR: There is huge support in this riding for the idea that our government has gone too far in restricting and regulating our lives. My vision for Toronto-Danforth involves creating a centre stage [to oppose] the intrusive, draconian, freedom-robbing legislation supported by the mainstream parties. Let’s stop criminalizing mental illness, addiction and poverty, and take measures to change the criminal justice system by implementing an evidence-based approach to corrections. We need fewer laws, not more prisons. The recent focus on “tough on crime” legislation has been demonstrated to be expensive and ineffective. Resources that could be much more effectively used for the prevention of crime are being directed toward exponentially more expensive band-aid solutions that only aggravate the situation. Policy based on fear that seeks to legislate morality is doomed to fail. It’s time to have a responsible and rational discussion about how to address the issues of addiction, poverty and mental illness in a way that does not line the pockets of drug dealers [...] and gang members. Though we believe in harsh consequences for individuals, corporations and governments that violate the rights of others, too many of our laws punish people for victimless crimes and create circumstances that aggravate many social inequalities.

OTD: How do you feel about running in the late Jack Layton’s riding?
JR: Jack was a good man with an unquestionable passion for our community and our nation. From fighting poverty and homelessness to tackling issues of addiction and crime; we had many similar goals, even if we may have disagreed fundamentally on some of the means of achieving them. I think it’s sad that the NDP is now basing their campaign largely on riding the coat-tails of such an honest and respectable man. The constant “Jack-dropping” does little to respect Jack’s honour.

 

Disclaimer: On the Danforth Online is a neutral magazine, dedicated to providing information. The political views mentioned or discussed do not reflect the opinions or preferences of the staff or the magazine as a whole.

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| March 11, 2012
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By-Election Profile: Grant Gordon

Grant Gordon, Toronto, 2012

Liberal candidate Grant Gordon shares his plans for small business, youth unemployment, and maverick politics

by Vanessa Pinto

Grant Gordon, Toronto, 2012

“Grant Gordon’s Liberal vision for Toronto-Danforth is one of “people caring for people.” Gordon expresses his desire to deepen Toronto-Danforth’s sense of identity.” His values of community, family, and fairness and equality are reflected in his career running a design firm dedicated to creating social change. This has led to a natural crossover into politics, where he’d have an opportunity to better impact the community “on the inside of the government.” Gordon, a self-proclaimed maverick, reveals that current government initiatives have prompted him to “jump in” to politics in a more active way.

OTD: Can you tell On the Danforth readers about your political life?
GG: For the last 10 years, I’ve been running a design firm downtown. It’s a company dedicated to creating social change. That means we run programs to try and create cleaner air, cleaner water, better education for kids, better nutrition — all the good stuff. I have been advocating, on the outside of the government, for change, trying to make the world a better place — trying to make our community a better place. I feel especially, with what the Harper Government is doing right now, I can make more of an impact on the inside of the government. That’s really what’s prompted me to participate. I can’t stand on the sidelines and bellyache any longer. I have to jump in and see if I can affect change.

OTD: How long have you been a part of the Liberal Party?
GG: I’ve been part of the Liberal Party for many years. I’ve been a long time Liberal because my values align well with the Liberal values. The notion of fairness and equality for everyone is what I believe in — from Laurier to Pearson to Trudeau — I feel a great sense of kinship with their ideals.

OTD: What is one thing that stands out to you about the Toronto-Danforth neighbourhood?
GG: It has to be its diversity. It must be one of the most diverse places in the world, in three ways: it’s culturally diverse, it’s socially diverse and it’s economically diverse. That’s what attracted me to living here in the first place and that’s why I want to raise my children here. I want them to be immersed in a community that reflects the changing world.

OTD: What sorts of challenges do you feel that diversity places on someone in a political role? Are there any challenges?
GG: No, I think it’s the opposite. It provides opportunity after opportunity for us all to learn from one another. It’s truly a multicultural riding and that’s the joy and beauty of it.

OTD: If elected, what is one thing you would change to benefit the riding?
GG: The list is very long. I’ll give you three that pain me the most. There are lots of children in this riding who go to school hungry every morning. We all know children can’t learn on an empty stomach. We have a moral imperative to make sure there isn’t one single child who goes to school hungry, and that’s something I will devote myself to changing. There are also a lot of youth who are unemployed. We need a mentorship program for them. That’s something I would start working on March 20th, the day after the election. The third thing is small business. This is a riding fuelled by small business. Small businesses are having a very hard time right now. I’m a small business person. I understand the challenges. I want to think outside the box, gather people together, and facilitate and come up with innovative ideas to help small business.

OTD: Do you have any ideas you want to share that you think will help small businesses?
GG: I think we need a buy-local campaign. I think we need this campaign to permeate every conscious person in the riding. Our kids go to school with the kids of people who own small businesses. We have to support them locally. Our instincts at every turn should be to buy local, shop local, eat local, and do whatever we can to support the businesses in our community.

OTD: What is your vision for Toronto-Danforth?
GG: My long-term vision is to make sure that there is a culture of caring in the community. A culture of people caring for people in everything we do. Furthermore, I feel like this riding needs more of an identity. It needs to celebrate itself more. It needs to understand what’s so great about it. It really is this amazing quilt of pockets of great communities, great neighbourhoods, and I really feel like we need some kind of leader to bind us all together.

OTD: How do you feel about running in the late Jack Layton’s riding?
GG: To be perfectly honest, to be the next Member of Parliament after such a larger-than-life person, after a guy who made such a great contribution to the Canadian political scene, that would be a tremendous honour.

OTD: Is there any other statement you would like to add?
GG: I really believe that a member of parliament, the role of an opposition MP, is kind of a dual role. The first role is to go to Ottawa, and in this case rattle the cage of Steven Harper and fight like hell for Old Age Pension, and there’s a long list of things we have to try to protect, but that’s only half the job. We can’t wait until a new government comes in to help us in this community. There are people who are really hurting [in this riding]. And I think a maverick Member of Parliament has to put all their energy into coming up with ideas to help people right here, right now. It can’t wait. There are too many people that are suffering in this riding.

OTD: Do you consider yourself a maverick?
GG: I wouldn’t want to be anything else.

 

Disclaimer: On the Danforth Online is a neutral magazine, dedicated to providing information. The political views mentioned or discussed do not reflect the opinions or preferences of the staff or the magazine as a whole.

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| March 11, 2012
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By-Election Profile: Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu

Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu, Toronto, 2012

Green Party candidate Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu shares her views on climate change, her Danforth roots, and female strength

by Vanessa Pinto

Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu, Toronto, 2012

Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu is passionate about human rights, climate change, and her family. Both in conversation, and from her online presence, Mugnatto-Hamu’s motivation for entering Green politics is clear: realizing that her children needed “a liveable world to inherit.” In her interview with On the Danforth, Mugnatto-Hamu’s voice is one of strength and activism, and she expresses a respect for humanity that is inherently connected to the environment. Here is her story.

OTD: Can you tell the On the Danforth readers about your political life?
AMH: I never imagined I would be a politician, and I was never especially partisan. I admired Green Parties around the world for their long-term focus, but I didn’t vote Green until the 2004 election. By that time it was clear to me that none of the other parties had any plan for meeting targets to reduce carbon emissions. I joined the Green Party because I respect science and I’ve fought for human rights all my life. I could no longer sit back and vote for the best of the bad. Our children deserve voices in Parliament that will speak clearly for their future as well, and only the Green Party is providing those voices. I helped to build the coalition that fought the gas power plant on our Portlands. I spearheaded an initiative to facilitate reporting on air quality issues. I was also involved in fighting big-box development to protect local business and in demanding a naturalized rehabilitation for the mouth of the Don. I’ve joined in residents initiatives of all kinds to make streets safer and calmer. I’ve been the Climate Change Critic on the Green Party of Canada’s cabinet for the last three years. As a part of this group, I’ve been involved in platform development for the party so I’m very well aware of the process of making budgetary tradeoffs to develop a balanced platform.

OTD: What is one thing that stands out to you about the Danforth neighbourhood?
AMH: It exemplifies green values. It’s compact and accessible by transit, walking and bicycle. It has an abundance of fresh, local foods grown without pesticides. It is welcoming to newcomers and celebrates the diversity of the world within its borders. The people here are actively working to promote healthy and safe communities. I’ve been fighting for community issues for years. I realized soon after I moved here that my newly adopted baby had developed a rasp in his chest. I was horrified to discover that this area has one of the highest asthma rates in the country, primarily because of the winds blowing Don Valley smog our way. It’s frustrating because, like many people who live here, we moved into the area because of its outstanding transit connections. So a lot of the things I’ve been working on locally have to do with safety and health, and with cleaning up our air, water and soils. Toronto-Danforth residents live well, but are overcoming the toxic legacy of a long industrial history. The Portlands, which could be a waterfront gem, have instead become the dumping ground for unwanted development.

OTD: If elected, what is one thing you would change to benefit the riding?
AMH: I would engage with the community. I’ve knocked on every door at least twice already and if elected I would continue with close civic engagement, meeting regularly with residents, bringing their concerns to Parliament and changing policies and laws to address their needs. As a Green MP, I would have more freedom in Parliament than the members of any other party to vote with the wishes of my constituents. The Green party doesn’t function like most other parties. This is just a by-election; there is only one seat at play so the balance of parliament won’t shift. The question becomes “what can we do with that one seat?” What is the voice we can give in parliament that will most benefit Canada and Toronto-Danforth? Any other party will elect someone who will be thrown into the back benches, [and] told to […] vote strictly along party lines and nothing will change. As Elizabeth May’s Climate Change Critic, if I am elected, I will be encouraged to speak out as loud, clear and strong as I possibly can. So I will be the best possible representative for this community.

OTD: What is your vision for Toronto-Danforth?
AMH: I would like to see kids swimming in the Don again. I’d like asthmatic kids to breathe easy. I’d like to see the Don Mouth restored to a wetland filled with birds. I’d like caregivers to have the dignity of a guaranteed income. I’d like the streets to be safer. I’d also like to nurture a lot of the good things we already have — the exciting diversity of stores, the walk-ability and easy transit access, the inspiring creative hubs and the multitude of things to do.

OTD: How do you feel about running in the late Jack Layton’s riding?
AMH: It’s my riding. I chose to plant my roots here for myself and my family, and I’m committed to making it as wonderful as it can be. I’ve lived here for nearly a decade now and I want to grow with my community and the families within it. This is the greenest riding in Toronto and it deserves a Green MP.

OTD: What are your thoughts on being the only female candidate? What advice do you have for young female leaders?
AMH: What led me into politics is a fierce protective interest for my children; that seems very female, though I’ve met some men who share it. Most of the climate activists that work most closely with me outside elections are also women. I think this differs from the motivations of the other candidates. As an educated mom with a very scant career history, I initially could not imagine myself as a candidate, even after I had committed to working on climate change both within and outside of the Green Party. As a CEO of the local Green Party riding association, one of my responsibilities was to help the party find qualified candidates. I have had a repeated experience of approaching very qualified women candidates who were too timid to run, while much less qualified men were willing to jump-in to the race. My advice to women would be to have more confidence in themselves. We need more women’s voices speaking out, and women are generally more powerful and capable than they believe themselves to be. I am very proud that this time, the nomination for the Green Party candidate in Toronto-Danforth became a race between three very strong women contestants. While the slate of [other] candidates in this election is all male, no matter whom the Green Party chose the Green candidate would have been a woman. Elizabeth May jokes that if I am elected, I will do nothing to restore gender parity to the party, as our representation in Parliament will remain 100% female.

 

Disclaimer: On the Danforth Online is a neutral magazine, dedicated to providing information. The political views mentioned or discussed do not reflect the opinions or preferences of the staff or the magazine as a whole.

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| February 3, 2012
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By-Election Profile: Craig Scott

By-election Profile: Craig Scott, Craig Scott, Toronto, 2012

NDP Candidate Craig Scott shares his vision for Toronto-Danforth

by Vanessa Pinto

Update: February 6, 2012: The by-election date has been moved to March 19.

Craig Scott, Toronto, 2012

It has been nearly six months since Jack Layton’s passing, and the Toronto-Danforth riding is in need of a new MP. According to by-law, the Government of Canada has six months to call a by-election. With the six-month mark fast approaching, the New Democratic Party has already chosen their party candidate, Craig Scott.  On the Danforth was fortunate enough to interview Scott, an Osgoode Hall Law Professor, who considers himself an activist and a fighter, whose teaching philosophy informs his politics. “You are always learning. When you learn that, what you can give back is going to be more informed and more connected,” says Scott.

OTD:  Could you tell On the Danforth readers a little about your political life?

CS:  My political life has essentially been one of an activist citizen, so I’ve interacted with legislative and policy processes almost all my working life.

OTD: What is the one thing that stands out for you about the Danforth neighbourhood? Or Toronto-Danforth as a whole?

CS: The Danforth neighbourhood is the spine in many respects of the riding, but I think of Toronto-Danforth as a community of diverse communities. We have to remember that it has quite a disparity in incomes and life experiences, and is not at all uniform. There are great variations in this riding that make it quite important, almost a microcosm for how to think about a range of issues that affect the country as a whole. I’m really excited to potentially be the MP of a riding with so much energy at the activist level, the arts and cultural level, and the culinary level. It’s one of the most amazing ridings anywhere, when you go from East Chinatown to Little India, to a range of different places along the Danforth involving North East African Ethiopian. It’s quite an amazing place —the culinary side of the riding might not be easily matched anywhere else in the city. Greektown is in some respects an important anchor, and it is important to the extent that the Danforth is part of the identity of the riding, but the riding is so much more than that.

OTD:  If you were elected, what is one thing you would change to benefit the riding? Or would you implement an initiative to benefit the riding?

CS: A top priority will be to continue the work Jack started, but also to work as seamlessly as possible with the MPP Peter Tabuns, and Councillors Mary Fragedakis and Paula Fletcher on seeing whether or not we can make some fairly serious strides on child care.  It’s a bigger issue than just the riding — it’s a city-wide, even a country-wide, issue. There are so many extensions of the problem — everything from equality issues around the fact that generally it’s women who bear the brunt of child care and the lack thereof, but also just productivity. Toronto can’t be complacent about how it could start falling behind if certain parts of it become unliveable. The lack of child care facilities and/or the ridiculous waiting times, especially for younger families that are moving into certain neighbourhoods in Toronto-Danforth, I think has to be taken really seriously.  That’s right at the top of the agenda.

OTD:  What is your vision for Toronto-Danforth?

CS: My vision would be to somehow continue what was implicitly the case: that it’s a vibrant cosmopolitan riding within a vibrant cosmopolitan city. I would like to see the riding as a bit of a knowledge hub. I would love to find ways where the riding could take on a bit of that role as being a place where people think not just of things that impact their lives immediately around them, but also thinking about and contributing to broader debates. I have some ideas about how to do that, but the idea of it being a knowledge hub from which ideas radiate, that can benefit the entire country.

OTD:  Is there a part of Jack Layton’s legacy that you want to carry forward?

CS:  I think the part of his legacy that I want to carry forward is Jack’s character. I’m a different person, but the values he summarized of love, hope and optimism — I very much believe in — they tap into something else, which is being a fighter for social justice and for what’s right.  I think there may be a tendency to remember Jack for that amazingly moving letter that reached out to all Canadians and asked people to think about working together, and that’s very much a part of my own character. But I’m also a bit of a fighter, and values like love, hope and optimism aren’t self-fulfilling. You often have to fight against things in order for love, hope and optimism to find their proper space in society. I would like to be able to follow the legacy of Jack being the optimist who was also a fighter.

 

Disclaimer: On the Danforth Online is a neutral magazine, dedicated to providing information. The political views mentioned or discussed do not reflect the opinions or preferences of the staff or the magazine as a whole.

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