Michael Glenister, the C candidate for Coquitlam - Port Coquitlam, sat down with Tri-Cities Community Television to share his ideas for the region and why he believes he’s the right person to represent the community in Ottawa.

Cathy Cena – Local Journalism Initiative

Reflecting on the last election, Glenister says many voters felt they didn’t have a real choice. “People did not have a choice in the last election,” he notes. His motivation to run is grounded in his commitment to proportional representation and offering a new voice. “Why not me?” he adds, confidently.

Glenister looks to Green Party leader Elizabeth May as a model for community-focused leadership. “She doesn’t look at herself as a regular Member of Parliament. She has meetings with provincial and local representatives, I would follow something like that.” he says, while emphasizing his desire to work collaboratively across all levels of government.

Glenister also promises to bring a new level of accessibility to the office by proposing to extend the constituency office hours from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. to better serve working families and young voters.

A strong supporter of the green economy, Glenister advocates for interest-free federal loans to install solar panels on homes, and for more aggressive investments in public transit and renewable energy. “I’m into fairness and will be pushing for that on all levels of government,” he says.

He credits his passion for politics to a high school teacher who encouraged students to be educated voters. For Glenister, research, equity, and climate-forward policies are at the heart of his campaign.