Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal — Winnipeg North
Erin DeBooy | for CBC News | Posted: October 6, 2015 3:07 PM | Last Updated: October 6, 2015
'I've seen the benefits of how you can help people.... It can be life-changing'
Why do you want this job?
The biggest satisfaction I have received in terms of being a member of Parliament is the number of people we are able to help. I like to think I'm a people-oriented type of person, and I've seen the benefits of how you can help people, whether it is through immigration matters or pension issues. It can be life changing.
I consider myself as a parliamentarian first and foremost because I enjoy being a part of the Parliament itself. I truly believe in accountability of government.
Being accessible is also something that is very important to me. That's the reason why I'm [at McDonald's] every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., so people know they can talk to me.
What's the biggest issue for the country and in your riding?
The economy. I think people are genuinely concerned with the direction we are going. Also jobs and social services are big issues. There's a great deal of concern about pensions. A good number of people who are on fixed incomes are put in the position where they need to make a decision to either get prescriptions or a proper meal, and it's sad to see the number of people facing that. We need to work harder on delivering a better quality of life for our seniors.
What would you do with the Senate?
Realistically, I would like to see how we could change the Senate without requiring constitutional change. I think there are some things that Justin Trudeau has done already that suggest it's possible. For example, the Liberal senators are no longer a part of Liberal caucus. It takes the politics out of the Senate, and we don't require constitutional change. Those are the types of things we should be looking at and supporting. By doing that, it's completely our responsibility.
I think that at the end of the day, the likelihood of the Senate being abolished is not good, only because it requires unanimous support of the provinces and it requires a constitutional change. So failing that, we need to look at how we can improve the quality of the Senate, and the two biggest things we can do is depoliticize it and look at the way in which [senators] are appointed.
Winnipeg was described as the most racist city in Canada. What would you do to combat racism?
I don't necessarily believe that to be the case. I think there are racial issues that differ in different municipalities. Winnipeg is a very diversified community, and I truly believe our greatest strength is our diversity. When you look for negative things there's no doubt you will find them; equally when you look for positive things you will find them as well.
We have Folklorama here, which is one of the greatest celebrations of diversity in the world. It's been going on for more than 30 years and it's all about cultural diversity and celebration. I wish that would have gotten just as much attention as a negative headline.
I don't want to concede to the fact that we have any more of a racial problem than any other municipalities, and I believe there is more positive than there is bad.
Does that mean there isn't room for improvement? Absolutely not, there is always room for improvement. But you are always going to find stories that will be there to make a community look bad, and I choose not to support those things.
What role should the federal government play in dealing with climate change?
I believe the government should demonstrate leadership and show that it genuinely cares about the environment. I think there are things that take place around the world and Canada needs to be on the world stage, showing we are concerned about the environment and act where we can act.
We have a budget come out every year. Maybe it's about looking for a way to be creative in providing tax incentives for environmental programs and send a positive message that also helps the environment. We also need to sit down with the provinces to have a sense of co-operation. This is something that has been lacking.
Leadership means being on the world stage talking about and encouraging a more responsible attitude toward global warming, and then on the national stage, we should be talking with the provinces and looking for ways we can encourage responsible behaviour regarding the environment from within.
If there was one government policy you think is done better in another country, what is it?
Canada is part of a group called The Five Eyes, alongside Australia, United States, England and New Zealand. All of them have parliamentary oversight when it comes to security, ISIS, and to protect individual freedoms and rights. Canada is the only one that does not have that. That's something I believe we should have. I believe there should be a designated committee of parliamentarians that have the responsibilities to protect our rights and freedom.
Under what circumstances is deficit spending a good choice?
I think it's irresponsible for a government to make a commitment to have a surplus budget indefinitely. When you have economic cycles that take place, you have to recognize that when the economy is not doing well, you expect the government to do more to try and get the economy to do better. When the economy is doing well, that's when governments should be looking at ways, in terms of balancing the books and building something so when the economy isn't as well that it can invest more.
What do you believe is the single most effective way to fight crime?
Getting youth engaged in opportunities that will take them off the streets, getting them engaged in better-quality education, encouraging post-secondary education and encouraging apprenticeship. I think the best way to combat crime is to deal with the causes of crime and be proactive with programs. In Winnipeg, we have a high percentage per capita of youth in gang activities. In order to try and fix it, you have to understand why they are getting involved in gangs and come up with a program that will prevent them from getting involved in gangs and give them alternatives. Whether it is sports or social activities, it puts them in a safer environment.
What should be done about homegrown terrorism?
Bill C-51 has some positive aspects to it, and I think that was often overshadowed. We need to look at what recruitment mechanisms are being used to get young people or homegrown terrorists engaged, and how the government of Canada, through its many different agencies, is best able to shut those things down. Whatever we can do as government to support that, we should. That's the reason why ultimately we supported Bill C-51, was because there are some good aspects to it.
If there was a gay pride parade in your riding, would you go? Why or why not?
Yes. We live in a society that is very diverse, and I support that. I represent 90,000 people under this particular boundary and that means all people, of all diversities, behaviours and so forth.
Have either you or your family had a frustrating experience with the health-care system, and what would you do to fix the problem?
From a personal point of view, health care is part of our Canadian identity. I believe that Ottawa needs to play a stronger role, and I'm disappointed there was never a renewal of the Health Care Accord for 2014 which expired.
At the end of the day it's not just money, it's the administration of health care and the province. Our province in particular has done a crappy job of managing health care for the province of Manitoba. As a result, there are many people who have a lot of concerns about the quality of care as bureaucracy tends to grow. We are not investing enough into home care and bedside care, and we are investing too much into health-care bureaucracy.
My challenge would be to the provincial government, not only to Manitoba but to all provincial governments, to look at a way to best manage the changes that are necessary to deliver the quality health care that Canadians want and deserve. It's not just the money, it's how it's delivered.
What would you do to get more people to vote?
We will see more people go out and vote this election. We need to encourage voter participation.
I think Justin Trudeau's attitude toward engagement is much more positive, and when you have that, people are more inclined to go and vote. The negative ads and negative media coverage are not healthy for democracy. It feeds into that negative "why should I?" attitude.
At the end of the day it's about trying to engage people and get them excited about the election. I suspect after Oct. 19, you'll see that the percentage of people who have voted in this election will be much higher than in previous elections.
What's a better use of federal dollars: fixing roads or building rapid transit infrastructure?
Both. I don't think it's an either/or. We talked about the environment, we can talk about urban planning, those are all good reasons for why you should have the best means of transportation possible. Investing in public busing is really important, but it means more than just the corridor services going downtown, it means going all the way out to Amber Trails and all areas of the city. Every area needs to have a sense that they are included in Winnipeg's public transit, and I'm not sure that is the case today.
At the same time, you walk down some streets in Winnipeg and they're in pretty rough shape, but there has to be a sense of fairness as to where that money goes and how it is being spent. Quite frankly, I would like to see us give $20 million to the person who can come up with a better way to construct the streets, so we can improve the long-term stability of these roads. There has to be a way to find a more permanent solution so we don't have to continue to fix and refix roads, because that is costly.
Would you support legalizing a small amount of marijuana? Have you ever tried it?
Yes, I tried marijuana as a teenager.
One thing I do know is that there's a very strong criminal element that costs a great deal of money and causes a lot of problems in our society, and they're being funded by marijuana. The idea of spending hundreds and millions of tax dollars in order to incarcerate people or put them through the court system because they have had some issues with marijuana, I don't think that's the best use of money and taxpayers' dollars.
Three years ago my opinion might have been different. Today I look at it as legalization and regulation, much like we do with alcohol, is the right direction to be moving.