Ryan Schultz, People’s Party of Canada

Personal details. Name, age, hometown

Ryan Schultz, 36, Hepburn. Current occupations: Electronic systems technologist and general contractor. Political experience to date: Councillor for the Town of Young.

Tell us about yourself

I was born and raised in rural Saskatchewan. I’ve taken an interest in politics in the past few years, as a way of serving my community. I was elected councillor for the village of Young in 2016. I’m involved with numerous committees in the community. I served on the pool committee and the pool construction committee, and volunteered for parks and rec and the playground committee.

What’s a little-known fact about you?

I’m a Back to The Future fan. As a result, my dream car would be a DeLorean.

Why should voters choose me?

I’m in politics to advocate for my neighbours, particularly on issues that have been causing the cost of living to rise. With every gradual tax increase, the freedom of our neighbours to sustain themselves is chipped away. My desire for every Canadian is to be free and independent regardless of background, including Aboriginal Peoples.

The People’s Party of Canada believes that Canadians know best for what they want from life, not the government. Our federal government is bloated. It is overstepping its jurisdictions set out in our Constitution, causing the federal government to be involved in areas it has no business in. For example, health care is strictly a provincial responsibility in our Constitution. The intent of this constitutional rule is to make sure the funds for health care stay as close to the citizens they are needed to serve.

However, the federal government has continuously provided health transfer payments, which leads to confusion of who is responsible for health care in Canada. Is it the provinces or the federal government? There are too many cooks in the kitchen when it comes to health care. This causes the cost to taxpayers to increase without any improvement in service.

Much of the cause of people struggling to make ends meet is due to government interference in the form of overtaxation. Overtaxation is a taboo subject for the other political parties, but not for the PPC. When you add up what I’ve been calling “The Alphabet Taxes” of GST (5%), PST (6%), EI, CPP (5.25%), income tax, property tax, etc., the average Canadian has an effective tax rate between 45 and 50%! This is crazy! Half of everything you make is taken in tax! Canadians are struggling mainly due to overtaxation.

The People’s Party of Canada has the best platform to address cost of living, through shrinking the federal government, balancing the budget, and simplifying the tax code as well as abiding by Canada’s Constitution as it was written.

In one sentence, constituents should vote for me because I want them to have freedom.

Who should we call for a reference?

My fellow councillors in Young.

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

A go-getter attitude with a drive for success. I love my kids and being away from them due to work is never easy.

Where do you stand on:

Gun laws? The People’s Party full policy on firearms can be read at this link.

Canadian firearm regulations are some of the strictest in the world to begin with. You cannot purchase a gun legally without undergoing an extensive ordeal of background checks and regulation. We don’t have a legal firearm problem. We have an illegal firearms problem. Canada’s firearms legislation must protect society from the criminal misuse of firearms and prioritize the deterrence and punishment of criminals.

Criminals don’t play by the rules. They acquire firearms illegally. This is the issue we need to solve while respecting law-abiding Canadians.

The need for more pipelines? View the complete policy here.

Pipelines are critical infrastructure to the prosperity of all Canadians. Robson Fletcher just released an article saying that had governments not interfered with the building of pipelines in the last five years, we would likely not have a deficit and the Canadian economy would be $130 billion stronger EACH year since 2014.

This is not just a western issue. This is a national issue to ensure Canada remains a First World nation. Transporting oil by truck and rail is ridiculous. It is inefficient, less unsafe and environmentally dirty.

Trains derailing are an every-day hazard of operating a railroad. While they are often inconsequential with only a couple of cars popping off the rails at low speed, they happen on a regular basis and aren’t public knowledge. We never want another Lac Megantic disaster that killed 47 people and decimated an entire town. Just near us in February, there was an oil train derailment east of St Lazare, Man. Millions of litres of oil spilled into the Assiniboine River.

Recently I spoke with several railroaders while researching the pipeline issue. They tell me that locomotives routinely leak engine oil onto the tracks and soil. Occasionally even the oil rail cars can suffer from slow leaks. Railcars do not have any monitoring systems to track leaks, whether their cargo be oil, chemicals, potash or grain. Railways don’t have the same environmental regulations and monitoring that pipeline companies have.

Pipelines are the only safe, clean and efficient way to get the job done.

Western alienation? The sentiment of western alienation is real; however, Canada is better united. Decentralizing the federal government and respecting the jurisdiction of provincial and civic governments will help unite us. Direct government at a local level is best for most issues.

China? What should our approach be with some of our markets blocked? Canada should be working with the U.S. and our other allies to ensure we all get better access to the Chinese market.

Are we facing a climate change crisis? Is carbon tax the answer? The People’s Party of Canada does not subscribe to the idea that we are facing a climate emergency. The climate has always been changing and humans adapt. The globe has been on a warming trend for thousands of years since the last ice age ended 25,000 years ago — well before humans began using fossil fuels.

According to Simon Fraser University, the place we stand on this very moment was once covered by two kilometres of glacier ice. The only reason we can inhabit Canada is due to gradual climate change! If it were not for climate change, you and I would not be here right now.

Much greater forces of nature such as the Sun play a much great role in climate, than humans. The claim that we are currently in a climate crisis is a false modern political creation.

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

Be with my family.

Who inspires you?

Jordan Peterson.

What is your hidden talent?

Working with my hands. Construction.

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

Play the guitar.

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

Jordan Peterson, Fredrich Hayek and Chris Voss.

How do you take your coffee?

Black.

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

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Stadium Arcadium. I’m too embarrassed to reveal that information.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Potato chips.

What is the last book you read?

Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss.

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

Star Trek the Next Generation. Star Trek Discovery.

What is your all-time favourite movie?

The Fifth Element and Back to the Future are tied.