Nomination Speech 2019

Date

6 March 2019

• Social Justice Warrior: Alt-right sorry they coined the term

Political awakening:

• Immigrant, citizenship in 1990
• Citizenship judge asked "Who's the Governor General of Canada?"
• Hesitant, judge explained "The purpose of becoming a citizen is to be politically engaged"
• Supported the National Party in 1993. Remember them?
• Pirate Party in 20009
• Ran for the Green Party in 2015 and 2018

Why Kitchener Centre?

• All my work and volunteer activities are here
  • Working Centre, Fair Vote Waterloo, KWPeace, WR Nonviolence: Weekly meetings at Queen Street Commons, know many people
  • Every Festival, information tables at fairs
  • Participated at consultations: Federal climate consultation, provincial Basic Income consultation, Alliance Against Poverty Zero-Fare Transit

Candidates with impeccable environmental credentials

• But Green Party cannot be seen to be a One Issue Party
• Need to have a well-rounded candidate who knows
  • Electoral Reform: Make everyone's vote count
  • Parliamentary Reform: Power of the PMO, whipped votes
  • Fiscal policy, Foreign policy: Free trade agreements, intellectual property legislation
  • Current SNC Lavalin scandal: How many people realize this is the result of corruption with an Arms Trade Deal? Contrary to "nonviolence" value
  • Other human rights: Interference in Venezualan elections, countries with settlers invading and occupying disputed territory - internationally as well as domestically
  • Universal Pharmacare, National Housing Strategy, Zero-tuition for post-secondary education, poverty elimination with Guaranteed Livable Income

• Climate change: Fought against development in Bill 66, spoke at Rise for Climate and School Strike for Climate
  • Meeting tomorrow to get municipalities to declare a Climate Emergency

Kitchener Centre:

• Bellwether riding, swing riding
• Correlation is not causality: Maybe if we elect a Green member here, the whole country will go green
  • Needs broad appeal in issues, policies to capture swing voters

Competition:

• Raj "Better luck next time"
• Working with candidates during the campaign

Election slogan:

• Choose the best candidate to represent you
• Nomination slogan: Choose the best candidate to represent the Green Party to the voters

• Answer: Governor General was Ray Hnatyshyn
  • and I got it right