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Candidate Q&A: Talon Regent

A Q&A with Talon Regent, the NDP candidate for Moose Jaw - Lake Centre - Lanigan
talon regent

The Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com have sent out a questionnaire to each of the candidates in the Moose Jaw — Lake Centre — Lanigan riding. We will be publishing these results in order they were received.

Name: Talon Regent

Age: 28

Running for: Moose Jaw – Lake Centre - Lanigan

Profession: Lawyer

Currently residing in (city or neighbourhood): Moose Jaw

Who is your political hero?

Even if it’s a New Democratic cliché, Jack Layton is my political hero – his message of hope motivated me to strive for a better world for everyone.

What inspired you to enter the election race?

A man named Jack inspired me to get into politics. He was a 40 year old professional engineer with his own firm, a wife, two kids and a $300,000 home. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Even with his high income, he couldn't afford the high cost of medication. He was forced to choose between keeping food on the table for his family or buying his medication. He put his family first, which resulted in his symptoms surfacing. Over three years, he lost his firm, his house, and his family. He is now homeless and lives in a cycle of attending the mental health ward, having them pay for his medication until he stabilizes, being kicked out of the hospital, being unable to pay for his medication, and ending up back in the mental health ward.

This vicious cycle cannot be solved with tax cuts. We need a party in power that will advocate for better solutions. That's why I got into politics and chose theNew Democrats.

What’s the number one local issue at the federal level?

The question I get most often at the door-step is “who is our current MP and why have I never seen him in Moose Jaw?” Moose Javians (and the rest of our riding) are frustrated by their lack of local representation in Ottawa. Several people have told me they will vote for me regardless of my policies because I am putting in the work, listening to the concerns of my neighbours, and plan to be a voice for my community.

Beyond Moose Jaw, what’s the number one issue facing Canada?

Affordability is a major concern to everyone in Canada. Cutting taxes for the ultra-wealthy is not going to help the average Canadian pay their rent, buy a house, or make ends meet. On the door-step, people want affordable homes instead of the Liberal and Conservative plans to give them access to more debt. That's why New Democrats are advocating for the construction of 500,000 affordable homes across the country. I would be a vocal advocate for the construction of many of these homes in Moose Jaw. This will boost our real estate market, our construction market, and all the spin-off  stimulus to our economy generated by this venture.

Is there an issue that people are focusing too much?

People would start to focus too much on any issue I mention here!

Is there an issue that doesn’t get enough attention?

Integrity. New Democrats always like to take the high road, leaving Scheer and Trudeau to sling mud at each other. Even so, integrity at the local level needs to be emphasized. We need a Member of Parliament that will be a vocal advocate for our community and represent our community with respect and integrity. I strive to be that Member of Parliament for Moose Jaw – Lake Centre – Lanigan.

Why did you choose to run for your particular party?

In addition to Jack's story, I choose to run with the NDP for the upstream thinking that New Democrats apply when creating their strategies. While the Conservatives and Liberals want to apply band-aids to our country's issues, I want to focus on the root causes.

For example, the other parties are proposing to weaken the CMHC stress test and allow longer term mortgages. They want to burden people with more debt than they can handle. That's not the right solution. The right solution is to build more affordable houses, which is exactly why the NDP plans to stimulate our economy and our job market with the construction of 500,000 affordable, high-efficiency houses.

What is the biggest issue facing your party’s chance at success?

The Conservatives and Liberals are constantly fear-mongering by implying, “vote for us to keep an even worse party out of power.” While this reasoning is the greatest weakness to the NDP, Jagmeet Singh turned this into an advantage during the Leaders Debate. While Trudeau and Scheer can argue all day about which of them would hurt Canada most, Jagmeet Singh wants to talk about what is best for our country.

How will you engage and encourage young voters to participate in this election?

My youth allows me to connect with young voters on a personal level. I know what they have experienced and I know the troubles they face because I have experienced much of the same. I know which issues get them motivated to vote and I know where young voters congregate online. This gives me the opportunity to have direct conversations with them when getting my supporters out to vote.

What is your party’s leader’s biggest flaw?

People's assumption that he is not Canadian when he was actually born and raised in Ontario. Humorously, he is more Canadian than Andrew Scheer since it was discovered that Scheer is an American.

Once elected, your job is to represent your entire riding. How do you plan on representing individuals who didn’t vote for you?

I am always prepared to discuss my community's concerns. I have travelled throughout the riding to hear from both urban and rural neighbours. I have talked to renters, landlords, employees, business owners, and people from every walk of life. I will continue to interact with everyone in my community as their Member of Parliament.

What informs your political stance? What books, publications, relationships or experiences?

I completed a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Regina in 2013. It was there that I first started to become genuinely interested in politics. During class discussions about business ethics, I began to realize the difference in morals and values between left and right leaning voters. Right-leaning classmates were uninterested in the environmental and social damage caused by the glorification of greed. Meanwhile, left-leaning classmates approved of concepts that would impose a duty on corporations to enhance society and the environment, instead of harming them.

I received a Juris Doctor (law degree) from the University of Saskatchewan in 2015 and passed the Bar in 2016. During my time in law school I volunteered with many organizations, including the Corporate Law Club as its president, Green Legal as its treasurer, Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan, Community Legal Assistance Service for Saskatoon Inner City (CLASSIC), and the Human Rights Commission.

My time with the Human Rights Commission opened my eyes to the struggles of minority groups, and I realized just how far we need to go in breaking down society's unconscious bias. My time working pro bono with those in poverty helped me realize that they were not at all the lazy freeloaders some people make them out to be. In fact, many of them are the hardest working people I know. If they were given an equal opportunity to thrive in society, they could be top management rather than being stuck working two minimum wage jobs.

What local project or service would you advocate for more federal spending?

I am proud of the New Democratic platform and encourage everyone to visit www.ndp.ca/commitments for a closer look at all our ambitious proposals. I would be advocating for so many local projects including:

  • Better RCMP response times and services in rural areas;
  • Access to affordable high-speed internet and cell service everywhere in the province;
  • Turning southern Saskatchewan into a global leader in the renewable energy industry; and
  • Ensuring major infrastructure projects like Moose Jaw's water main replacement is done quickly and effectively.

What is something people don’t know about you?

I have a wide variety of interests and passions. This includes everything from motorcycles, hockey and skydiving to sci-fi, philosophy and video games. I take pride in the fact that I can find a common interest with almost anyone.

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