When fifth-year Carleton student Kas MacMillan contacted federal political parties last fall looking for ways to get involved in a campaign, he said he expected to be offered volunteer work.
Instead, the Green Party of Canada suggested something different—that MacMillan run as a candidate in the 2015 federal election.
After several months of correspondence with the Green Party, MacMillan became the election candidate in the Lethbridge, Alberta riding.
MacMillan, a political science and history student at Carleton, said his decision to run was motivated by an interest in politics. He said he originally wanted to work as a bureaucrat, but feared he wouldn’t have the political weight to accomplish the work he believes to be important.
“I decided that I’d like to push forward my own ideas, my own policies—have conversations with people and build relations that way,“ MacMillan said.
MacMillan said his priorities align with the Green Party’s platform on many issues, but the thing he respects most about the party is its refusal to have a party whip. This means Members of Parliament (MPs) can vote any way they want.
“I’m not very partisan,” he said, and added the important thing is to put constituents before party interest.
“If you’re elected, like in my riding [of] Lethbridge, then you should be representing Lethbridge, not the party,” MacMillan said.
It’s this kind of attitude that makes young candidates such a positive voice on the political scene, according to Rand Dyck, adjunct professor in the department of political science at Carleton.
“They are keen, they are idealistic, they are hard-working,” Dyck said. He added they are also usually single with lots of time, and have the support of the party and their staff to supplement their own talents.
MacMillan said living in Ottawa and going to Carleton were important influences on his decision to get involved in federal politics. He said opportunities to go to different discussion groups, engage in person with representatives from political parties, and hear about their experiences were invaluable to him.
He also said he felt inspired by his professors in Carleton’s department of political science. “I can speak openly with them, I can speak politically with any of them. We can talk freely—no one gets heated in the discussion. It’s awesome,” he said. “I don’t think I’d have gotten that experience at any other university.”
Right now, the Green Party only holds two seats in the House of Commons. Dyck said it is likely the party encourages young candidates to run because the candidates are idealistic and don’t expect to win.
However, Dyck added election studies show most people don’t vote for the local candidate anyways, and they are more influenced by the party label and their assessment of the party leader.
MacMillan said he has plans for himself if he does face a loss in the fall election. He will return to Carleton for the winter semester to finish his degree and after that, he hopes to work with Green Party candidates on Parliament Hill.
