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Candidate profile — JMike MacDonald, Wild Rose riding

Mike MacDonald found the Green Party about four years ago while looking for solutions to problems he has identified in Canada’s political system.
Wild-rose-mike-mcdonald
Mike MacDonald

MIKE MACDONALD

GREEN PARTY

OF CANADA

Age: 41

Occupation: mental health consultant, Alberta Health Services

Residence: Summer Village of Waiparous, near Cochrane

Family: Married to Sharon with five children from four to 14

Mike MacDonald found the Green Party about four years ago while looking for solutions to problems he has identified in Canada’s political system.

“Obviously, my decision for choosing the Greens came down to some concern about environmental things. But, when I started looking into the Greens, I became impressed with the thoroughness of their policy. They have something to say about all the different issues that concern Canadians on a federal level.”

Being rigidly divided along party lines should not exclude people on the opposition side of the house from participating in decisions, says MacDonald.

“I became concerned about the state of democracy in Canada. I think we can to better in terms of governance. We have 305 elected representatives, and I think those 305 should have a voice.

Canada’s adversarial style of democracy is less effective than a governance model in which all members have input in decisions, he says.

He identifies the status of democracy as the most important issue in his riding and across the country so that Ottawa represents the best interest of Canada and Canadians.

“That’s why we’re at the polls — because we’ve had a contempt of Parliament. There’s been a lot of wrangling. I think government has to do better than that.”

MacDonald said Canada needs a Canadian solution, in which elected officials are more open to dialogue.

“If we can get together and talk about things, then we can move forward.”

Aside from the status of democracy, Wild Rose is a diverse riding with diverse interests, with the economy being the most pressing among them.

“I would take a more balanced or a broader approach to addressing the economic concerns. The catch phrase we’re using (is) we need to look at a smart economy . . . that is sustainable in the future,” says MacDonald.

His party stresses the idea of full-cost accounting, in which environmental, health and social costs are weighed in.

“If there’s long-term, negative impacts, then how are we accounting for those? Those things need to be factored in because, obviously, down the road, those things come into play.”

Looking back to the “economic meltdown” in 2008, he says it’s time to turn the page, look at why it happened and determine whether another economic crisis is looming.