Federal Byelection 2026: Beaches-East York Green Party candidate Bruce Livesey answers our questions

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Beach Metro Community News sent these questions to the federal candidates in this month’s Beaches-East York federal byelection Please visit our website at www.beachmetro.com for more information on the candidates.)

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

I was born in Vancouver, grew up in Fredericton, and moved to Toronto in 1982 to study journalism. I then spent the next 40 years working as a journalist for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, weeklies, television networks, radio outlets, podcasts and even wrote a best-selling book about fraud on Bay Street for Random House.

Most of my career was spent as an investigative reporter, focusing on corporate crime, social justice and environmental issues. I worked for the CBC for 10 years, most of that with “the fifth estate” and a show called “CBC News Sunday”. I have done reporting in many countries and won numerous awards for my work, including a National Newspaper Award and two National Magazine Awards.

However, as the media industry went into decline I tried different occupations and ended up working for the TTC as a bus driver out of the Birchmount division in west Scarborough where I drove at least 16 routes through Beaches-East York, transporting thousands of its residents to their workplaces, homes and shopping. As a result I grew to know the neighbourhoods and its people and many of the issues they are facing. I could see that many people are struggling to make ends meet, as are many of the small businesses in the area.

I decided to run for the Green Party as its program and positions best address the problems facing the residents of Beaches-East York. I also feel the current Liberal government has embraced a right-wing corporatist agenda which will make the rich richer at the expense of working people and the environment. The government had gutted most of the federal government’s climate policies despite the climate crisis becoming more apparent – as seen in the 200 wildfires that swept northern Ontario last month.

QUESTION 2: What do you see as the top local issues that will be on the minds of Beaches-East York voters in this federal byelection?

Like most Torontonians, I believe cost of living is the foremost issue – people simply being able to pay their bills. As we know, inflation and weak wage growth have made it more difficult for working people and small business owners to cover their costs. This has been made worse by the fact that many businesses are corporate-owned chains (like grocery stores) that are trying to maximize profits, or landlords doing the same.

I feel that affordable housing is a huge issue as many people are having a hard time paying mortgages or rents. I also see that poverty and homelessness are a growing concern. As a bus driver, especially around the Main Street TTC station, I saw that visibly all of the time. Good schools, public safety and crime are issues of concern. The transit system and having sufficient buses on the road, as well as a subway system that is always fully operational are common complaints. Overall, though, I think that residents are most keen to hear practical solutions to their cost of living woes around housing, food and providing for their families’ needs.

QUESTION 3: Though the federal government announced last month that it would not support an expansion of Billy Bishop Airport to allow jets, can you clarify you and your party’s position on any other future expansion plans for the island airport and address concerns among some that this issue will come up again once the Beaches-East York byelection has concluded?

Our party is vehemently opposed to the expansion of the airport, a position which will not change. This drive to expand the airport was made at the behest of the airport’s terminal owner that is controlled by a consortium overseen by J.P. Morgan, one of America’s largest banks. They hired Tory-connected lobbyists to pressure the Doug Ford government, who responded by passing a law to seize the airport with the goal of ramming the expansion through despite it being overwhelmingly unpopular among local residents.

The Carney government initially came out in support of the expansion and only backed off due to the fact that so many Liberal MPs were facing the rage of their constituents. Carney has said that the issue is not closed, however. Our party, on the other hand, will always be opposed to the expansion because it will increase pollution, noise, and create horrible traffic in the already over-crowded streets of Toronto.

QUESTION 4: What actions will you and your party take to protect jobs in Toronto and the rest of Canada in light of the ongoing tariff, trade and economic threats coming from U.S. President Donald Trump?

This is a complex issue. Most of the free trade agreements that have been signed by successive Liberal and Conservative governments since the 1980s have been a disaster for Canadian workers and small businesses. It has led to the de-industrialization of Canada, the lowering of workers’ wages and our economy now controlled increasingly by foreign multinationals and monopolies and oligopolies. Canada’s steel industry was once entirely Canadian owned and the envy of the world. Now it is completely owned by foreign companies. The companies that are involved in exploiting the oil sands are almost 70 per cent controlled by foreign companies. The auto sector alone has lost 50,000 jobs since the mid-2000s.

The solution is twofold: Canadians must seize back control of their economy by nationalizing key sectors in resource development and manufacturing. We also must diversify our trade so we are no longer as dependent on the U.S. And we must negotiate trade agreements that are fair and environmentally-sane while protecting the sovereignty of the Canadian economy. In regards to Bay Street, the financial industry must be encouraged if not directed to invest in Canadian innovation and manufacturing.