There's not too much in common with plumbing and politics ... once you remove all the potty-humour ...but Jonathan Meyers, the local candidate for the new federal Maverick Party, has flushed out some common ground.
A plumbing and heating expert by trade, Meyers, the married father of four lives in Fort McMurray and joined the fledgling Maverick Party to stop the leak of Western Canadian resources and money going to Eastern Canada and Quebec. Sending it down the drain, he explained.
"Growing up in Alberta and listening to my parents and grandparents, there's always been this idea that Western Canada gets a raw deal from Ottawa," Meyers told the Lakeland Today following his recent tour of the area, including a stop at the Hylo Harvest Days and a meet and greet in a Lac La Biche conference room.
As the Fort McMurray-Cold Lake Maverick candidate in the upcoming Sept. 20 federal election, he is one of just 27 federal candidates representing the party in a scattering of ridings in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC. Although some of the party's candidates are former federal MPs from the Reform or Conservative parties, this is the first time the Maverick party has been on a federal election ballot. Meyers said the main mandate of the western-based Maverick Party is to see the western provinces gain self-sufficiency and more respect from the vote-heavy eastern part of the country. Acknowledging the small percentage of ridings the party is covering with just 27 candidates — there are 338 federal electoral districts across Canada — Meyers says the point is to raise awareness for "western" issues.
He thinks the party's platform will resonate with many across the prairies.
Meyers and the new party echoe a sentiment they say is held by many in the West, that the "power base" of political decisions in Eastern Canada and Quebec. He says that way of governance needs a shake-up.s
"That power-base in Eastern Canada dictates what we do. It's not about politics, it's mathematics" he said, explaining that Ontario and Quebec make up the nation's majority of electoral districts with 121 in Ontario and 78 in Quebec. "We can have the best MPs in our ridings, but right now it's the East that dictates."
Part of that direction involves transfer payments from the western provinces to the East and Quebec. Other unfair policies and legislation created by the majority include Carbon Taxation and oil tanker moratoriums that only affect the west coast of the country.
Learn from the Bloc
Ironically, it is one of the decision-making provinces in the East that Meyers says the Maverick Party is taking its lead from.
"We only want to be a Western Canadian party. We only want to discuss and debate issues directly affecting Western Canada, and that's the way we want it... we are taking a lesson from the pages of the Bloc Quebecois. We want to act like the Bloc does when it comes to Quebec, putting forward bills that only benefit us."
Another common seam between the Bloc and Maverick Party is the underlying thought of one day seeking sovereignty from Canada.
The Maverick Party was formed by many members of the Wexit movement from three years ago that campaigned to remove the western provinces from confederation. Meyers says the push to leave confederacy is still part of the party's foundation... but not a main talking point.
"We're not ashamed of it. It certainly is a central tenet of our platform," he said, but added that the party needs to build a larger base and stronger political hold before those kinds of plans can be explored fully. For now, says the candidate, the party is working within the bounds of the Confederation to find a better way for the West to be self-sufficient.
Conservative aspects
The "Western-only" stance and the muted push for eventual sovereignty are what makes the Maverick party different than other "small c conservative" parties.
Meyers admits that he's not a politician, describing himself as a "down-to-earth farm kid," plumber and oil and gas worker prior to a year ago when he learned about the new party. That's when he knew he wanted to help bring about a needed change.
"I think I'm one of many Albertans and Western Canadians who are fed up, and we have to do something," he said, explaining that "getting political" was something that had to be done. "I feel that if you are aware of a problem you have an obligation to do something about it."
In the coming weeks leading up to the September 20 election, Meyers will be busy trying to get the party's message out to as many people as possible.
"We're a new party and a lot of people don't know about us. Once they do, I've been getting a lot of good comments... and I feel we are on the verge of something, a change is happening."
Information about Meyers and the Maverick Party can be found by clicking the links.
Information on local Elections Canada offices — No Pirate Party this year — Click HERE
