Documentary filmmaker Aaron Gunn wants to use his experiences and knowledge from covering key Canadian issues to assist him in member of parliament business in Ottawa. He is one of six candidates seeking to represent North Island-Powell River as MP. Gunn, who is the Conservative Party of Canada candidate for the riding, spoke to the Peak on April 11.
Peak: Why do you want to be an MP?
Gunn: For the past five years, I’ve been a documentary filmmaker. I’ve produced over 25 documentaries, and after years of talking about and reporting on these issues, I want to do something about them. It’s about making a difference and it’s all about making a change.
In the past 10 years, there’s lots of things in Canada that haven’t been governed well. We have the highest inflation in 30 years. Housing prices have doubled and so has the national debt. Our military is in a very bad place. We need to bring some common-sense change to Ottawa.
A perfect example would be the opioid crisis. Since 2015, 50,000 Canadians have died. It’s an issue that I’ve investigated thoroughly through three documentaries. The government’s policy of decriminalizing hard drugs, of handing out deadly, dangerous and addictive opioids, has been a terrible disaster. The Conservatives want to take the money that has been spent on the drug crisis and put it into treatment and recovery instead.
Peak: How will you address the needs of qathet region constituents as MP when you live on Vancouver Island.
Gunn: There are not any shortcuts. You have to come to Powell River frequently, often on a regular schedule. I feel like I have spent the most time here in Powell River of any candidate. I have been a candidate for more than a year.
I’ve been to Powell River many times, including when I was running for the nomination. We always get a strong turnout here and a strong response.
I’ve come to know Powell River well. My previous experience here was mainly playing hockey against the Powell River team, with mixed success, while growing up.
It’s about coming to Powell River and talking to the people here, the business owners and recognizing what powers and drives the local economy. I think we have to establish a constituency office here.
Peak: Why is your party best suited to address the needs of Canadians?
Gunn: If you look back, politics is all about elections and all about choices. If you look back over the past 10 years, the Liberals and NDP have been working together. For myself, I think we’ve been heading in the wrong direction.
The reason why I believe the Conservative Party is the one to vote for and the party that I’m running for is because we have solutions to problems such as high inflation, the high rate of drug overdoses, violent repeat offenders being allowed to walk free, and many other issues.
We need to stop printing, spending and borrowing so much money. It’s about permanently getting rid of the carbon tax and to stop taxing Canadian energy. It’s to fast-track new home construction by incentivizing municipalities to do so. It’s about bringing in a common sense, capped immigration that is tied to new housing bills.
It’s about stopping handing out free drugs and to reverse the destructive policy of decriminalization, putting more money into treatment and recovery. It’s about standing up for Canada and not backing down. We need to make sure Canada’s economy is strong and resilient, and that means developing our resource sector.
Peak: What do you feel is the right way to handle US president Donald Trump’s administration on the national stage?
Gunn: We have to be proud to be Canadian. We have to be firm, but fair, and we can’t back down.
The first thing is that we support reciprocal tariffs. If the Americans bring in tariffs against us, we will put tariffs on them. We want a future where there is free trade between Canada and the United States.
We need to negotiate with president Trump from a position of strength. The Liberals and the NDP have put us in a position of weakness by not getting pipelines built and by undermining our resource sector. Also, by undermining the value of the Canadian dollar, by not diversifying our trade market overseas, and by not dismantling the trade barriers between individual provinces right here in Canada.
Canada should be the easiest place in the world to do business, while maintaining the highest standards.
Peak: What makes you the best choice to represent the North Island-Powell River riding in Ottawa?
Gunn: I’ve always been a fighter. I was a fighter when I was at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation fighting for lower taxes, less waste and a more accountable government for all Canadians. I was a fighter, quite literally, when I was in the Canadian Army Reserves and the Fifth Field Artillery Regiment.
For the past five years, I’ve been fighting to investigate some of the biggest, most important issues facing the country, whether it is the opioid epidemic, the housing crisis or infringements on free speech.
Now, I want to go to Ottawa to fight for the people of this riding and to fight for the constituents. It’s a big, beautiful riding and I feel blessed to be able to have my name on the ballot, and for voters to be able to have a choice of how they want the country to move forward on April 28.
Also seeking to represent North Island-Powell River as MP are Tanille Johnston, New Democratic Party; Jennifer Lash, Liberal Party of Canada; Paul Macknight, People’s Party of Canada; Glen Staples, Independent; and Jessica Wegg, Green Party of Canada. An interview with Staples will be published on Saturday, April 12. Macknight has not yet scheduled an interview offered by the Peak.
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