Meet Andy Shadrack, Green Party candidate for Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner

Winston Churchill brought me into politics in 1963 when he made me an honorary member of his constituency association and I believe we have to build an economy for our children and grandchildren.

Why should people vote for you, and what skills do you have that make you suitable for this role?

Elected as rural local government official for nine years I tried to share political power and work with individual voters and communities.

Each year I organized for citizens to discuss and decide, by vote, how to spend $250,000 in grant money.

If elected I would create advisory committees on climate change/transition/economy, housing, and healthcare to guide me in how I should vote in Parliament.

I am furious that the home I share with my spouse is assessed at eleven times more than we paid for it in 1987, while minimum wage has only risen four fold since 1975.

What will you advocate for; and do you intend to fully toe the party line?

I will advocate for: farmers facing US and Chinese tariffs to be financially supported; an expansion of local government, community and co-operative housing funding; elimination of personal income tax below $40,000 a year; a guaranteed annual income for persons who are experiencing mental and physical health challenges; and developing a transition off fossil fuels to renewable energy which is now cheaper and cleaner.

Raised under a British Conservative government that believed healthcare included prescription drugs, eye care and dental care, and in building social housing, I believe in building community for every citizen.

We should end $19 billion in subsidies and credits to oil and gas companies like Suncor, whose CAO earns $729,000 a year, so we can help the millions of Canadians struggling to find a place to live, buy enough food and pay for all basics and medicine.

How do you believe Canada’s federal government should tackle its current predicament with the United States, and where do you sit on Canadian sovereignty?

I emigrated to Canada as an agricultural labourer in 1970 and became a citizen in 1976. I believe that Canada should rebuild the manufacturing economy that has been destroyed by “Free Trade”.

Premier Smith and Preston Manning’s proposition that Alberta has been treated unfairly fails to consider whether our cereal farmers and beef herds can survive a 2 to 3 celcius increase in temperature. We need to have a conversation around what kind of economy we want to build and why, that acknowledges that our trading partners in Europe, Asia, and in countries like Australia, are much further along in the transition off fossil fuels.

Having seen the impacts on UK workers and communities when coal mines closed, I am very worried about future impacts for oil and gas workers and communities if we do not plan for a transition off fossil fuels. “Free Trade” has caused similar impacts in the BC forest industry where export of raw logs has seen the shut down of many small and medium sized mills.

Under prime Minister Harper we signed a $14 trillion 30 year “Free Trade” deal with China that locked us into importing goods that could have been built here and offered employment in Canada.

My Father, a life long Conservative and accountant for Shell Oil, never understood how a “Free Trade” economy, in which we exported manufacturing jobs overseas would benefit the country.

Finally we need a taxation system that sees corporations paying the same amount of taxation as us individual citizens.

Offering tax cuts and increased program spending without ending the deficit and lowering government debt is fiscally irresponsible. Every individual and corporation should pay their fair share of taxes.

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Editor’s Note: Every Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner federal candidate has been supplied a series of four questions and answers are posted upon response. Find each candidate’s response — and more local coverage — in CHAT News’ federal election section.

by CHAT News Staff

Meet Andy Shadrack, Green Party candidate for Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner

Why are you running to be a member of parliament?

Why should people vote for you, and what skills do you have that make you suitable for this role?

What will you advocate for; and do you intend to fully toe the party line?

How do you believe Canada’s federal government should tackle its current predicament with the United States, and where do you sit on Canadian sovereignty?

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