LEADING BY EXAMPLE
NDP Leader Mike Redmond says P.E.I. is in need of stronger leadership at the provincial level
NDP Leader Mike Redmond says P.E.I. is in need of stronger leadership at the provincial level
Mike Redmond knows the best way to form a winning team is to have some strong leadership.
And the former UPEI soccer coach says that’s something currently lacking in the provincial legislature.
Redmond, who is the P.E.I. NDP leader and candidate in the upcoming District 11 byelection, said many of the issues facing Islanders show a need for stronger provincial leadership.
He said politicians are out of touch with Islanders, and public trust has to be restored in the province.
“There’s a real disconnect. People want their politicians to be more like them… When (politicians) are making twice the average income, it’s a very, very poor message to send,” he said. “(Voters) want leadership to start at the legislature.”
Although the NDP received 11 per cent of the popular vote in the last provincial election, slightly higher than the Green party’s 10.8 per cent, it is the only one of the four main parties to not have a member in the legislature.
Redmond said he feels proportional representation is a key issue in the byelection, with a high number of District 11 residents voting in favour of electoral reform during last year’s plebiscite.
“They feel let down,” said Redmond, referencing the province’s decision to not act on the plebiscite and its price tag of more than half a million dollars.
“It’s another example of government waste.”
Since becoming NDP leader in 2012, Redmond has been a vocal critic of what he describes as patronage and overspending by the province in some areas while failing to act on social issues like poverty, housing, education, mental health and addictions.
He said his interest in social justice goes back more than 25 years through his work with underprivileged youth and immigrant families.
“I’ve always been invested in my community… sports gave me a lot and kept me on the straight and narrow. So I’ve always felt a need and desire to give back,” said Redmond, who grew up in Charlottetown and spent a dozen years as a UPEI soccer coach.
Redmond made a major lifestyle change in 2013 when he and his family began a mixed farm as a way to teach his children about food security.
He is also halfway through a masters program in global leadership from Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C.
Redmond, who described the program as “eye-opening,” spent one month in Victoria earlier this year and will go to Ecuador for a month next year to help develop a community plan.
He feels P.E.I. also has a role to play on the global stage and has called for
more collaboration between the levels of government on issues such as fair trade, workers’ rights and environmental protection.
“We’re living in a globalized society. If you’re going to be a global citizen, you have to bring something to the table,” said Redmond, who described running for the NDP in the byelection as an honour.
“I don’t ever take the opportunity lightly and I really appreciate the opportunity to get in front of people and talk about these issues. Politics is a deeply personal issue for a lot of people… and I’m here to listen.”