Provincial Election 2022: Scarborough Southwest candidate Cara Brideau, Green Party, answers our questions

Cara Brideau, Green Party candidate for Scarborough Southwest, answers three questions from Beach Metro Community News regarding the June 2 provincial election.

(EDITOR’S NOTE:  Candidates were instructed to keep their answers to approximately 200 words, and some of the responses have been edited to keep them as close as possible to the agreed word count.)

QUESTION 1: Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself and why you are running in this election?

I am a unionized labour activist who recently became a licensed electrician.

Because I have achieved this goal, I’m left with a lot more time on my hands to pursue my passions such as running for the Green Party of Ontario.

Environmental rights and human rights go hand in hand which is why I chose this time to run for provincial politics.

Ontario needs politicians who understand the challenges people face on a daily basis and being a construction worker I am uniquely qualified for this.

QUESTION 2: What do you think is the issue in your riding that you can have the most impact on if you are elected MPP?

I want to be part of the ‘Green’ vision for this province that can balance sustainable growth with protection of our natural environment.

The green spaces, waterways and shorelines in Scarborough Southwest (and all of Scarborough) are treasures we must preserve and protect for the well-being of all our residents.

And it must be part of a broader plan to protect biodiversity in the province. We need to protect and expand our greenbelt.

And most urgently of all we need to take decisive action on the climate change challenges that confront us.

I encourage everyone to take a close look at our Ontario Green party platform which offers us the opportunity to meet those challenges and provide the livable future we all want and deserve.

QUESTION 3 – What do you consider to be the top local issue in Scarborough Southwest and the top provincial issue in this election?

The local issue that affects people the most here is public transit.

To get anywhere in Scarborough without a car is always a challenge. And with gas prices so high, it needs to be a viable option. A ‘buck a ride’ sounds great, but if you have to wait a long time for a bus or if the bus or subway train is overcrowded you’re not going to be happy.

Excellent service should be the focus of our attention. And if we want to cut down on our commute times and traffic congestion, we need to generate more local jobs in our riding.

At one time we had a thriving manufacturing sector here and we now know that global supply chains no longer provide the security we need.

There’s no reason we couldn’t manufacture a wide range of leading edge products and develop the associated know-how for the emerging green economy right here as well.

Good employment opportunities for the young people entering the job market has to be a priority, so people can afford to stay here and provide the creative innovation we need for a better future.

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