Campaign Trail 2008 Voices from the fringe Greg Beneteau
A look at the alternative parties
An audience member at last Thursday's electoral debate asked candidates if they felt a 'none-of-the-above' option should be provided on voting ballots, so voters who don't identify with any of the parties would still be able to participate in the democratic process.
Fortunetly, Guelph has no shortage of options thanks to the involvement candidates of all political stripes.
As of Sept. 22, the cut-off date for submitting paperwork and a $1,000 deposit to Elections Canada, there were 10 candidates running in Guelph: four major party candidates, five candidates representing smaller political parties and one independent. Most of the 'fringe' candidates have run for office before, holding down regular jobs while campaigning to offer an alternative to mainstream politic.
"I decided to run because I think it's an urgent necessity that workers, women and youth become political and put themselves in Parliament," said Manuel Couto, a printing industry worker and Guelph's candidate for the Marxist-Lenninist Party.
Coutu, who ran in the 2004 and 2006 federal elections, said having ordinary citizens elected to Parliament is the only way Canadians will ever have "representatives who are accountable to them, and a government that represents their will."
Some candidates campaign on a specific set of priorities advocated by their party, but many have their own ideas when dealing with local issues. Kornelis Klevering, Guelph candidate for the anti-cannabis-prohibition Marijuana Party, proposes turning the site of the former Guelph Correctional Centre into a grow centre for medical marijuana and constructing a plant to process biofuels from hemp.
"The plan will create jobs, turn Guelph into a tourist attraction and involve the Ontario Agricultural College," he states in his candidate profile.
Animal Alliance and Environmental Voters candidate Karen Levenson, whose party wants the Canadian government to take action on climate change and withdraw support for the annual seal hunt in Newfoundland, also favours stronger anti-cruelty laws and better standards of care for laboratory and farm animals – an issue of particular importance for the University.
Other party candidates have a full platform of positions to work with. Communist Party of Canada candidate and Guelph graduate Andrew Garvie says his party offers "the best youth platform," promising a $15 minimum hourly wage and the elimination of tuition fees.
"Many other countries have free post-secondary education and there's no reason why our federal government can't work towards that with the provinces," Garvie said.
Communist MPs, Garvie said, would also support withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement, expanding health care programs to provide universal coverage and introducing legislation to keep manufacturing jobs from going abroad.
"We need to curb the power of corporations over our lives, stop the warmongers and fight for policies that benefit working people, students and the environment," he said.
On the other end of the spectrum, Philip Bender of the Libertarian Party of Canada said big government is the cause of many societal ills, "dominating the lives of Canadians through taxes and regulations."
"The ever-growing power of the state in Canada is stifling us all," Bender wrote. "The main problem is that many Canadians have come to believe that all problems can be solved by government. The only proper justification for government is to protect the individual from the use of force or fraud by others."
If elected, the professional engineer and father of four says he would advocate for enhanced property rights, low taxes, limited government and non-intervention in economics, social policy, trade and defense.
Last but certainly not least, independent John Turnel, who holds the Guinness World Record for campaigning in the most municipal, provincial and federal elections, positions himself as the "champion of the gamblers, hookers and pot smokers."
Turnel, a professional engineer from Brantford, said he would "get cops out of gambling, sex, drugs and rock & roll" and integrate his software to manage interest-free loans through Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS) into the Bank of Canada's systems.
"People have a right to gamble, a right to drugs; shy and less attractive people have a right to get laid," Turnel wrote. "And interest-free loans for all from the National Bank of Canada and no more from the loan-shark private banks."
This is the last of five installments in the Campaign Trail 2008. To view full interviews, visit www.theontarion.ca.
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