For Ottawa Centre Green Party candidate Thomas Milroy, the Greens “aren’t just a one-trick pony.”
“I’ve adopted most of the Green Party’s platform as kind of a mantra to live by,” the 57-year-old western Canada native said. “You know, being a Green, it’s not just a political affiliation or membership in a party—it’s kind of a lifestyle, it’s also kind of an attitude.”
Milroy is running for the first time in this election. In 2011, Green Party leader Elizabeth May was elected as the first MP from that party.
“Elizabeth May’s made a real impression on Canadians,” he said. “To capture their vote in a fairly hostile environment that we’re in right now, to try and remove a government, that’s another matter. That’s very difficult.”
Milroy said his party is one that is evolving.
“When Greens talk about . . . the environment, and climate change, and ecology, that’s certainly one thing that’s rooted in Green philosophy—but we’re a maturing party,” he said. “We’ve taken that Green attitude and moved it to all relevant areas of concern.”
Milroy said he is “dead set” against unpaid internships.
“I don’t like them because they’re open to abuse,” he said. “I think labour code legislation needs to be adjusted to address it.”
Milroy mentioned the Green Party’s emphasis on moving Canada away from fossil fuels to renewable and clean energy. According to Milroy, that is where job creation will be.
Milroy said he wants to see tuition fees abolished. The Green Party is proposing to phase out federal tuition fees.
“The abolition of tuition fees is an absolute must,” he said. “If we’re going to be the nation that we want to be—and a leader in the world—we have to unburden students with the horrible amounts of tuition that they have to pay.”
“It’s expensive, obviously. But if we don’t do it, what’s the cost to the nation?” he said.
Milroy said the federal government should show leadership on the issue of affordable and student housing. He said he would want to work with the City of Ottawa to develop a strategy for building housing for people of low income and students.
Milroy also mentioned his party wants to reform the first-past-the-post system.
“Young people have told me they really want that to happen, and it’s why they’re so disenchanted,” he said. “Young voters are saying ‘forget it, I’m not going to vote, it doesn’t work, it doesn’t count.’ I get it, they’re right, it’s a real piece of work right now, and it needs to be fixed.”
“Go to the polls at least one more time with this old system and maybe we can get it fixed for the next election,” he said.
Milroy graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in administrative studies from the University of Winnipeg in 1985, where he also played rugby. In 2003, he moved to Ottawa. He has worked in labour relations and human resources for more than thirty years. Currently, he is a partner in two Ottawa recruitment and placement firms.
As for making Ottawa more environmentally friendly, Milroy said “it’s a process.”
“You have to provide incentives for people to go green,” he said. “You can’t just expect it to happen.”
Milroy said what makes him a good candidate for Ottawa Centre is his passion for listening to stakeholders when making a decision and his ability to collaborate. He also said he loves the city and wants to help in areas such as public housing and transit.
“Government needs to be a leader and a facilitator, and to do that you need to talk to people and you need to bring stakeholders into play, and then nothing is unachievable,” he said.
“The most important issue for me has been to show Canadians that the Green Party is a maturing, viable entity for their vote, in addition to trying to remove the current government,” he said. “Is that a priority for most Centretown residents? Yeah, you bet it is.”
