The Peoples’ Party of Canada candidate for Simcoe-Grey believes a responsible government and a balanced budget will resonate with local voters.
Richard Sommer is running for the PPC in Simcoe-Grey, and comes from a career of more than 25 years of teaching and school administration in Canada and overseas. He is a private pilot and has eight children, including three he and his wife have adopted. He and his wife operate LifeStamp.com.
He said he was encouraged to enter politics overseas, but decided to move back to Canada.
“The PPC has taken a responsible approach to government, considering our massive and increasing debt,” said Sommer. “When primary residences are exempt from capital gains tax, when corporate and business tax is reduced to 10 per cent, when inter-provincial trade barriers are removed, when our poultry, eggs and dairy can be competitively marketed abroad, when our oil and gas sector is opened up to the world market–that’s when Canadians will see the petty trinkets offered by the other party as nothing substantial.”
For Sommer, part of the appeal of the PPC party is their push for a balanced budget, something he said needs to happen in two years.
“The other parties are all about endless spending and taxation,” said Sommer. “Anyone knows that if you have credit card debt, you pay that off as soon as possible before promising your kids you will take them to Disneyland … Having a balanced budget rather than hopeless debt to give to our grandchildren resonates with people.”
The PPC is a new federal party this year, led by Maxime Bernier, who resigned in 2018 from the Conservative Party.
“We used to have three parties,” said Sommer. “Now we have two different shades of NDP and two shades of Liberal. We need to have representation for the people.”
Among the PPC party lines is a general skepticism toward man-made climate change.
“We believe in careful use and preservation of the environment to achieve clean air, water, and land,” said Sommer. “We believe there have been changes in climate. Since it is not certain that humans are the primary cause, we are not in favour of taxes like the carbon tax.”
Sommer did participate in a recent environment-focused debate in Collingwood, where he reiterated his belief the climate is changing, the environment needs preservation, but he doesn’t believe there is a climate crisis.
Still, Sommer said the issue of green innovation and greater efficiency is important for the nation’s economy, and, therefore, should cross party lines as a national issue.
“Driven mainly by a free economy, not borrowed government incentives, these things can be very good for our economy,” said Sommer.
The issue of affordable housing should also be non-partisan, according to Sommer.
The PPC campaign slogan is “strong and free.”
“We have no doubt that our policies will make Canada stronger and freer,” said Sommer. “Those are two values that many Canadians are increasingly worried about too. We feel like we are being sucked into this global vortex that will destroy the middle class and weaken us.”
The PPC website states the party would repeal the Multiculturalism Act in favour of putting “emphasis” on the “integration of immigrants into Canadian society.”
The party states it would ensure candidates for immigration undergo a face-to-face interview and answer a series of specific questions to “assess the extent to which they align with Canadian values and societal norms.”
“We all know that Canada was built on immigration, and Canada is made stronger when those who come are committed to our values and have the skills and talents our economy needs,” said Sommer. “We are in danger of destabilizing Canada economically and culturally.”
The party, and Sommer, wants to see a stronger relationship with Canada’s Indigenous people.
“We spend $20 billion every year and their plight hardly improves,” said Sommer. “We believe more can be done to ensure they have clean drinking water, establish individual property rights, infrastructure and investment projects – all in consultation with them.”
Sommer said Canada should get rid of the “paternalistic Indian Act” and “start with respect.”
Ultimately, if he is elected, Sommer said he would focus on listening to constituents.
He said he draws great satisfaction from seeing people in the riding who love Canada and are committed to its wellbeing.
Sommer joins Conservative candidate Terry Dowdall, Green candidate Sherri Jackson, Liberal candidate Lorne Kenney, NDP candidate Ilona Matthews, and Veteran’s Coalition Party candidate Tony D'Angelo in the running for MP of Simcoe-Grey in the Oct. 21 federal election.
