Kim Parke, Green Elmwood-Transcona

Why do you want this job?

I see Canada going down the wrong road and there are many things we need to change. I think our social safety net is absolutely disintegrating before our very eyes.

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

The environment and the economy, and these things can go hand in hand. My riding is interested in job security and income security. They're also interested in having a future for their kids.

What would you do with the Senate?

I could see how the Senate has been helpful in our government, but I think they've gotten to a place of total entitlement and forgotten why they exist in the first place, and that's for Canadians. It's supposed to be the sober second thought, but they seem to be only thinking of themselves.

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

I think that's an economic issue, and the Greens have the guaranteed livable income and that would address that. When people have more money in their own pockets to better their lives, that will be better.

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

We've got to start now. Geothermal engineering. The same way that Hydro does programs in Manitoba for windows and doors, that same thing needs to happen at a federal government level throughout the provinces. It needs to be harmonized throughout.

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

Investing in the youth. The one way to eliminate poverty is to make sure people are trained and educated like the successful world economies like Germany, Austria and Sweden.

Under what circumstances is deficit spending a good choice?

You've just got to think about your own personal pocketbook. You can't go without food to pay down your debt. You've got to make sure you're well fed so you can go to work every day and have the energy to do that. It's very clear that there have been a lot of cuts and that has hurt too much, and it's been too deep, and that needs to be reversed so people can get back and get the economy going.

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

Again, it's jobs, it's having people having income. The Greens are the only ones that are talking about the guaranteed livable income. This would reduce costs in our health-care system because so much money is spent on ambulances and fire and rescue on people that are just on the street, and that is very costly. When people feel good about having money to spend on things, they do better.

What should be done about homegrown terrorism?

The behaviour of terrorism would be a lot less if people feel empowered, that they have an income, that they do matter, and that they have opportunities. We're very lucky that in Winnipeg all the crime is really property crime.

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

Yeah, sure. Why not?

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

My middle child was born in 1997 with a rare syndrome and I did develop good relationships with some doctors and my pediatrician was fabulous. Our social system did fail me in a sense, and that's why I'm really concerned about where things are going. It is a growing problem. We know that autism 20 years ago was one in 10,000 and now it's like one in 100. It's hard to find a doctor that's going to listen to you.

What would you do to get more people to vote?

Get involved with the issues. To on YouTube and search for the party members, they're all on YouTube, their speeches are all on there. Get to know what the policies are. There are lots of jokes in the media about voting for people with good hair, but you need to ask them questions.

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

In some cities, the rapid transit really works. But I'm more into quality than quantity, and I think there could be something added to the roads, especially here where we have drastic climate changes, that would prevent the concrete from having the sinkholes that we experience every spring. It could be as simple as adding some sort of recycled substance to the cement that would prevent that.

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

The Greens are for full legalization of marijuana and taxing it. I think there needs to be a lot of education about this. Marijuana has been proven to help people with seizures and various other issues, so I would have to say that it's not a big deal. It's potentially a $150-billion-a-year business, and when you think of what that alone could do for our country, it's making sure people are looked after.