Sunna Murphy, The Circle
I am as well as can be expected. Still doing massive cleanup and renovations since the fire. It is slow going but every step forward counts. In terms of your question- Its important to me that the person has some real world experience (they are not just a politician), they have good values in terms of valuing diversity, supporting human rights, and causes that matter to me- LGBTQ inclusion, supporting living wage and antipoverty initiatives, being invested in green solutions (anti pipelines), a willingness to learn from and with various communities. I’m also more likely to support a woman, since women are underrepresented in govt.
Lori-Ann Livingston, The Circle
I look for someone who will lead with compassion. Sometimes to make real change, you have to think differently about the budgets. I understand the importance of budget constraints and the impact of tax increases, but I’m someone who actually doesn’t mind paying taxes. We benefit from a high level of programs, services and amenities in our community, and I don’t mind paying more for reliable, safe, sustainable services. I’d rather the politicians we elect think about people, rather than numbers and budgets. So I look for the ones who might. I also like candidates who are outside the box of our political representation – I’m a big believer in getting more women elected to sit around the table, or more new Canadians, or more people with visible or invisible challenges. And beyond that, the proof is in how they interact with the community – what’s their volunteer involvement, their education and work experience.
