Jason MacInnis, People’s Party of Canada

Personal details. Name, age, hometown

Jason MacInnis, 43, St. Catharines, Ont. I’ve been in the Battlefords for eight years and counting.

Tell us about yourself

I’ve been a tax consultant for the past 10 years. I own my own business, MacInnis Process Serving. I used to be a welder, and I worked at a soft rock radio station doing overnight operations. I’m married, with one child.

What’s a little-known fact about you?

I’m Batman! Nope, but if I were, I wouldn’t tell you! I used to play football, wrestle and play baseball. I was hit by a drunk driver in 2004 and spent a considerable amount of time with very limited mobility. At one point, I was near 350 pounds.

Why should voters hire you?

I have worked in a tax/accounting-related industry and understand budgets. I have been a strong proponent for common sense and have zero fear and believe in our four pillars: Freedom, respect, fairness and responsibility — all things our government has been doing its best to limit or ruin. My work ethic is simple: “Go hard and surpass expectations at all times.”

Who should we call for a reference?

I don’t believe in references; they just tell you what you think you want to hear anyways. I prefer to impress by letting my actions speak about me.

What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness?

I have been known to work seven days a week, 20 hours a day for eight months straight every year for the past eight years. I work until the work is done. Weakness? I never shut off, always working, always fighting the fight.

Where do you stand on:

Most of these are on www.peoplespartyofcanada.ca

Gun laws? Respect the rights of legal firearms owners. Canada’s firearms legislation must protect society from the criminal misuse of firearms and prioritize the deterrence and punishment of criminals. Legal firearms owners deserve a legal framework that protects their property rights and treats them with fairness and respect. We need a common-sense approach to gun control that promotes safety while removing the threat of arbitrary criminal prosecution.

A People’s Party government will:

— Replace the Firearms Act and supporting legislation with new legislation that will prioritize effective measures to improve public safety and fight crime in Canada.

— Replace the costly and burdensome licensing system with an efficient lifetime certification system for firearms owners following mandatory vetting, safety training and testing. To avoid criminalizing legal gun owners and guarantee their property rights, this system will legalize simple possession of firearms for certified Canadians as long as they use their firearms lawfully and don’t commit some other crime which would disqualify them from firearms ownership.

— Require that all firearms categories be based on function, not on looks or arbitrary political whims, and remove ineffective restrictions which unfairly target sport shooters, but have no deterrent effect on criminals.

— Mandate that all future changes to firearms regulation be completed through Parliament only. This means that neither the RCMP nor cabinet will be able to move the legal goalposts for legal firearms owners without the approval of Parliament.

The need for more pipelines? We will impose pipelines as a matter of national interest. The oil and gas industry has been for decades a major source of employment, government revenues, and economic well-being for all of Canada. It should be allowed to grow, export its products, and bring prosperity to our country.

A People’s Party Government will:

— Counter anti-oil and anti-pipeline propaganda from radical environmentalists and foreign foundations.

— Repeal Bill C-48.

— Repeal Bill C-69.

— Approve pipelines projects using a streamlined process.

— Find a private buyer for Trans Mountain.

— Reassert federal jurisdiction over pipelines construction by invoking section 92(10) of our Constitution, whereby Parliament can declare any project to be for the general advantage of Canada.

Western alienation? Treat Western Canada as the economic powerhouse it is and work to improve upon it. However Western Canada is not a wallet for the rest of Canada. Provinces should not be receiving equalization payments for decades, just like individuals should not be receiving welfare cheques all their lives. It’s time to stop rewarding provincial governments for not adopting better economic policies. The Constitution does not commit the federal government to spend $20 billion a year on equalization; it does not prescribe any specific formula; and it does not define what “reasonably comparable” means.

A People’s Party government will:

— Reduce the total amount of equalization payments to provinces, and make sure that only the provinces with the greatest needs benefit from it.

— Establish a parliamentary committee to review and make recommendations on a new formula that will avoid the welfare trap and provide poorer provinces with the right incentives to adopt pro-growth economic policies and reduce their dependence on federal money.

— Ensure that the new formula respects our Constitution, makes provincial governments more responsible for their policy decisions, and is fair for citizens of all provinces.

China? What should our approach be with some of our markets blocked? We are working on this; luckily we are permitted to speak directly on issues not part of our platform. Firstly, 36 million Canadians spend a lot on “MADE IN CHINA” products yet we cannot sell to them and they are withholding two Canadian citizens in retaliation for us following OUR rule of law. While I believe we should continue to use some diplomatic channels, of which we are currently failing on this, we need to entertain some more “sour” options. If we cannot repair this issue amicably, perhaps we should entertain the idea of a “MADE IN CANADA” requirement. If China wishes access to this market, they must produce at minimum 30 to 50 per cent of their product here! This will provide Canadian jobs, or at the very least, incite Canadian businesses to fill the void. Tariffs and taxes will not resolve this because in the end the consumer gets the burden of paying it. Of course, this would be a final resort. I would defer to opinions of more experienced politicians than I.

Are we facing a climate change crisis? Is carbon tax the answer? Climate alarmism is getting out of hand and a carbon tax is simply the redistribution of wealth whilst handicapping our own economy. Given the uncertainties over the scientific basis of global warming, and the certainties about the huge costs of measures designed to fight it, there is no compelling reason to jeopardize our prosperity with more government interventions.

A People’s Party government will:

— Withdraw from the Paris Accord and abandon unrealistic greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

— Stop sending billions of dollars to developing countries to help them reduce their emissions.

— Abolish the Liberal government’s carbon tax and leave it to provincial governments to adopt programs to reduce emissions if they want to.

— Abolish subsidies for green technology and let private players develop profitable and efficient alternatives.

— Invest in adaptation strategies if problems arise as a result of any natural climate change.

— Prioritize implementing practical solutions to make Canada’s air, water and soil cleaner, including bringing clean drinking water to remote First Nations communities.

It’s a day off and you can do anything you want. What would it be?

I love rollercoasters, and rides in general. I am a giant kid (6-foot-4, 240 pounds) and as I’ve stated before, I have no fear. Also I am an avid gamer, so fire up the PlayStation and work my way through my back catalogue.

Who inspires you?

Aside from (PPC Leader) Max Bernier, a man who said, “I’m not going to participate in this corruption” and fired off onto his own at great expense and risk? That is a hard one. I’ve always been my own person, so I don’t really idolize people.

What is your hidden talent?

I love spicy food, and have yet to actually find my limit. Seriously, I collect hot sauce and use it regularly — stuff that would make paint peel (my only rule is that it must still be real food).

What do you wish you could do but can’t?

I have always wanted to be in the WWE; in fact, I even have a good amount of the training but due to a back injury I just cannot.

Who are the three people, dead or alive, that you’d love to have dinner with?

Ryan Reynolds, just to tell him to stop hitting on my wife … in her dreams (and I’m a fan of Deadpool). Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson because he is just amazing. Finally Stan Lee because I am a giant Marvel fan! Holy crap I just realized how much I am a nerd?!?!?!?

How do you take your coffee?

I don’t drink coffee, can’t stand the taste nor smell. I like my caffeine in the form of MONSTER or Rockstar!

What’s the one album you’d take with you on a desert island? What embarrassing song do you admit to on your playlist?

AlexisOnFire Crisis. Unfortunately my daughter causes Britney Spears to show up in my playlist.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Anime. I love watching shows like Cowboy Bebop, Akira, Naruto, Attack on Titan, One Punch, The Seven Deadly Sins, Sword Art Online, Dragonball and Gundam.

What is the last book you read?

Sadly, I don’t read very often outside of technical manuals and tax legislation. I spend so much time looking at financial books that I have no interest in reading when I get home. I do Audible regularly; the last one was the Shannara series off books from Terry Brooks.

What is your favourite TV show? What are you binge watching?

I never miss an episode of Monday Night Raw/Smackdown but I mostly DVR it. I last binge watched Red Vs Blue on Netflix (a show made entirely in Halo).