Empower the voters with direct democracy.
I believe in Canadians working together,Let's create a transparent democracy.
Early Life
Born in 1979 in Belleville Ontario, James grew up with a deep understanding of the Child Services system and health care system. His family fostered children and believed in supporting them as they did their own. These early experiences taught James the importance of family and support for other children.
Then at age 5, his father got into a car accident with him in the vehicle. He suffered internal injuries that went un-diagnosed. Later on complications nearly cost him his life, but he made a miraculous recovery in the care of his mother. Memories of these challenging times stayed with him. Since then, he has held the firm believe that access to high quality and timely health care is a right.
Work life and humanitarian values
James built his first cottage at age 14. This was a powerful experience where he realized the humanitarian potential of his skills. Filled with pride, James decided that he wanted to be able to build homes for people, so that nobody would have to experience the uncertainty and stress of becoming homeless. Then throughout his 20s, he refined his skills as a builder and began working as a housing contractor.
As he worked to try to offer clients affordable rates and quality services, it became clear that he would need to affect change at a greater level.
Canada is too bogged down with red tape and bureaucracy that works against working Canadians and small business owners. We need change, transparency, and processes that put the people first.
Art and Activism
Prior to getting involved in political activism, James discovered music as an outlet for his stress. Throughout the 2000s, he wrote and performed songs about the conflict and oppression that he was witnessing in the world. Touching on local as well as global issues, James organized musical groups and then later concerts with like-minded artists. His favourite works from that time were recorded his band "The Independent Artists For Change" while he was living in Calgary Alberta for a short while.
Then in 2010, all around the world, the Occupy movement rallied against the wealth disparity between the 1% and 99%. James took this opportunity to reach out. Living in Ottawa at the time, he used his resources to provide transportation and shelter to the protestors and homeless folks who lived in the protest camp. Here, he made his first political connections at a grass roots level that laid the foundations of his political convictions.
Entry into Federal Politics
Prior to the 2019 Federal election, James sought to mobilize small parties around Canada to a united cause of destabilizing the major parties tight grip on political power in Canada. While he found that many preferred to stay in their own groups, he found a few organizations who were interested in collaborating despite branding and ideological differences. The goal being to combine a diversity of approaches to issues such as the economy, the abuses and treatment of marginalized people, climate change, and rising costs of living.
It was during these meetings that he learned about Direct Democracy. This is a system of citizen voting where everybody is able to cast votes on bills moving through parliament. While Trudeau and others had campaigned on proportional representation, he believes that this is not enough to shift power into the hands of the Canadian people. Instead, he began to champion and fund the development of technological resources that will make participation in Canadian politics accessible to all Canadians
Canadians deserve representatives that have the courage to listen, and write policy that honours the interests of their constituents.
Election 2021
Like many, James was taken aback by the Liberal's snap election call. He and Partap Dua met and decided to stand up for Canadians and offer a unique alternative for Canadian voters.
James ran in this election to build space where those who believe that Canada needs a new way of doing things. In a country where our political leaders grow more and more out of touch with their constituents, James and Direct Democracy Party of Canada offer a way to rebuild that connection. To make it strong and to lead by example