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One of Simcoe-Grey’s federal candidates is making his first leap into politics thanks to a new party he believes will offer Canadians more consideration than they have experienced before from government.
Tony D’Angelo is the candidate for a new party called the Veteran’s Coalition Party of Canada, which was registered in September 2019.
D’Angelo has spent his career in the construction trade primarily as a Red Seal Welder, and he joined the UA Local 46 Toronto 16 years ago.
“I have a great appreciation for the struggles of the working population and am passionate about contributing to a stronger Simcoe-Grey and a stronger Canada,” said D’Angelo. “I believe that the Veteran’s Coalition Party of Canada (VCP) provides an opportunity to make the necessary changes in how our country is run.”
Part of the changes suggested in the national party platform is a four-year moratorium on foreign aid, and redistribution of foreign aid funds to social programs in Canada.
Those foreign aid funds would also be redirected to the Canada Pension Plan since the VCP proposes lowering the optional age to begin receiving CPP to 55 and modernizing the CPP amounts and adjusting for inflation.
The VCP suggests a further moratorium (two years) on immigration to “repair the process” and a stepped return over four years after that.
The national platform also suggests a 20 per cent pay cut and reduction in office expense accounts for Members of Parliament.
“Canadians want to know that their opinions matter in building a political platform within a party,” said D’Angelo. “Canadians have very sound opinions that come from both the left and the right of the political spectrum, but until the VCP was registered they had no singular party that met both those ideologies.”
In D’Angelo’s view, Canadian dollars need to be reinvested back into Canada “versus sending money out of the country.”
“I believe that voters will now have a new choice with the VCP and that we need to make change to have change,” said D’Angelo, adding he sees a growing “lack of trust” in the Conservatives from long-time blue voters. He said that distrust only grew after the party’s leadership race.
“Canadians want to know that the national leadership is planning for our future, not buying votes today using borrowed money that will be carried as the national debt,” he said.
The leader of the VCP is Randy Joy, a Canadian veteran who has completed two tours in Afghanistan and a third with the United Nations in Syria and Israel. He is running for election in Nova Scotia in the riding of Sydney-Victoria. The national campaign slogan is “Stronger Together”
“The VCP has been established to provide Canadians with a federal political party founded on truth, duty, and honour,” said D’Angelo. “Once final arguments are delivered and decisions have been made, we believe it’s by working together that Canadians have the best opportunity for positive outcomes.”
According to D’Angelo, that can mean a minority government which can “provide restraints” and put Canada’s political parties into a position where they have to collaborate.
“Healthcare, education, and environment are all key issues that should not be held hostage by party politics,” said D’Angelo.
The VCP platform also includes a plan for what they call an “alliance with First Nations.”
The party proposes compensation of pension and medical psychological treatment for survivors of residential schools, and an alliance to provide clean drinking water on all reserves and territories.
VCP also proposes eliminating GST for Canadians.
D’Angelo is running for Member of Parliament in Simcoe-Grey with five other candidates including Terry Dowdall, Conservative; Sherry Jackson, Green; Lorne Kenney, Liberal; Ilona Matthews, NDP; and Richard Sommer, PPC.
You can see more coverage of the Simcoe-Grey campaign on CollingwoodToday here.
