Provincial candidate for Oakville NDP, Che Marville, counts jobs and opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs as her main priorities in the event of an early election.
Marville said she’s concerned with the many small establishments that have been going under and looks at them not just as failing businesses but also as individuals who have been in business for decades. She thinks the government should be finding ways to give them tax incentives and to also incent businesses that create jobs for people in the community.
“We have to think about things in a very diverse and collaborative way and that’s very hard for us,” Marville said. “We know which business models work and we sort of accept that when businesses fail, they fail. The reality is a business isn’t just a business. It’s a person; it’s a family.
“We have to ask ourselves what is our responsibility as a government and supporting a downtown community and making a community vital? If the downtown is important, well than we need to invest in it.”
Another issue of Marville’s is youth unemployment. She feels a lot of people are concerned about the opportunities their children will have and whether or not they’re prepared to work in today’s economy.
One solution is to have high schools connected to economic development hubs, that way students have a better idea of what’s happening in the economy and can make informed decisions on what skills to pursue for future employment.
“I think there should be far more apprenticeships and training for students in high school, college and university,” she said, “and people should be able to access those programs whether they have finished high school, college or not. They should be able to really get out there and explore what’s there.”
Marville is also concerned about retirees and their financial ability to remain in the community. The amount many people receive for their pensions require them to downsize after retirement and the majority of houses being built are bigger homes geared toward younger families.
One way to tackle this problem would be to also build mixed dwellings and homes for single people and people without children. She believes we should think about how homes and dwellings are part of a community and not just focus on individuals and they’re individual property.
“It’s not to say that having your own property is not important, it’s just that we want to have communities for all people and just because you don’t have children anymore, you’re downsizing and you’re not working the way you used to, it shouldn’t mean you can’t be able to live in the community anymore.”
Marville became interested in politics through her concerns with social justice and advocacy. She says she has a firm belief in democracy and in creating a fair society for everyone. She thinks that governments should be part of helping people to succeed.
“That really, to me, is why I’m running. Not everybody is born with a silver spoon, not everybody comes from a great family and so the public domain is the space where you can be offered opportunity to transform your life.”
Contact information for Che Marville:
Website: www.oakvillendp.ca
Email: [email protected]