Andrea Richardson-Lipon, Liberal Elmwood-Transcona

Why do you want this job?

I want to show to people that you can be a regular, middle-class person and still bring change. You don't need to have a political pedigree to be able to make a difference.

What's the biggest issue for the country and in your riding?

Infrastructure and the economy, because everything sort of stems from that. And the environment.

What would you do with the Senate?

There needs to be Senate reform. Things need to change with the Senate.

Winnipeg was described as the most racist city in Canada. What would you do to combat racism?

What it comes down to is educating people, getting together at the ground level and listening to all the issues that contribute to racism and then taking those to every level. Not just saying, "Let's have more policies,"but starting from the ground up.

What role should the federal government play in dealing with climate change?

Each province has their own sort of unique climate change issues, but there needs to be a larger framework that provinces and cities can follow.

If there was one government policy you think is done better in another country, what is it?

This is one that's near and dear child care in Sweden.

Under what circumstances is deficit spending a good choice?

It's fiscally irresponsible to promise a balanced budget when we're in the midst of a recession, so to run a little bit of a deficit is OK as long as there's a time frame. As long as it's not, "We'll have it balanced by 2050," as long as it's within reason, that's OK to help stimulate the economy.

What do you believe is the single most effective way to fight crime?

It should be preventative. You want to nip it in the bud early, getting into the classrooms early and having more inner-city programs to keep kids busy. And education.

What should be done about homegrown terrorism?

Instead of just talking about everything, we need to actually start doing things to create awareness. There's a disconnect between that.

If there was a gay pride parade in your riding, would you go? Why or why not?

Oh, of course. We need to rejoice in our differences. It's important to show people that being different is not a big deal. It's a non-issue.

Have either you or your family had a frustrating experience with the health-care system, and what would you do to fix the problem?

We (fortunately) haven't had any issues. I personally haven't been affected. What I would change is for an audiologist to be able to directly refer to a specialist versus having to go back to the family physician.

What would you do to get more people to vote?

Let them know the importance of voting, making it real to people so they can see the whole bigger picture. I would create fun videos get out and make cool raps. Making it more easily accessible. Some people don't vote because they don't feel they're educated enough, so making the policies easier to understand. But I really like the idea of making a cool rap.

What's a better use of federal dollars: fixing roads or building rapid transit infrastructure?

Infrastructure and roads. Our roads in this city really need to be addressed. Maybe working on them jointly, but putting a little more into the roads.

Would you support legalizing a small amount of marijuana? Have you ever tried it?

Yes, I do support the legalizing of marijuana. And in my younger years, I may have tried marijuana.