The People’s Party of Canada (PPC) will have a spot on the ballot in the Yukon this federal election, and its acclaimed candidate here is a free speech advocate, someone who does not believe that climate change has been accelerated by human activity.
Joseph Zelezny has thrown his support behind PPC’s right-wing leader, Maxime Bernier, because his party is “most aligned with the way things used to be.”
Asked what he means by this, Zelezny, who’s lived in the Yukon for three years, said, “There used to be a lot more economic opportunity. I’ve heard from a lot of people, myself included, feel either sort of trapped and just getting by and not having an abundant a life as they once did.
“I can’t just complain and do nothing.”
Bernier formed the PPC last September after resigning from the Conservative Party of Canada.
When it comes to his leadership, Zelezny said, “I think he is a very good example because he’s consistent, he speaks his mind and speaks the truth, he stands up for free speech.”
The 32-year-old, originally from the Toronto area, has no prior political experience, he said.
Zelezny currently works in IT, doing consultancy and contracting.
Bernier has promised to adjust the equalization payment formula, which the Yukon relies heavily on, though so far he hasn’t explicitly mentioned the territories.
Asked about this, Zelezny said the Yukon has the potential to be self-sufficient.
“The Yukon could be one of the most prosperous jurisdictions,” he said. “It just has to be allowed and encouraged.”
Bernier believes that human beings aren’t to blame for climate change.
Zelezny shares this view. He said that a warming planet is normal.
“I think the climate has been changing for as long as the earth has existed,” Zelezny said.
Asked if he thinks the climate has changed as a direct result of human activity, he said, “No, I don’t believe that. The very nature of science is that it’s never settled.”
Numerous reports from scientists around the world have linked climate change to human activity.
He singled out the carbon tax, saying that he would get rid of it entirely if he represented the Yukon.
“Scrap it altogether and not replace it with anything.”
The Yukon’s carbon tax, a federal backstop, will come into effect next month.
Zelezny is a proponent of free speech. His biography marries political correctness to “cultural Marxism.”
“Censorship doesn’t benefit anybody, and it just allows people, or groups, to hide behind censorship to prevent the truth from being known and that doesn’t serve anybody except a very small group,” he told the News.
There are “those who demand preferential treatment simply because they wish it,” the biography goes on to say.
Asked what section of society he’s referring to exactly, he said, “I’m not referring to anybody. I don’t have anything mind. I’ve just encountered it. I’ve seen it. It (preferential treatment) just doesn’t have a place anywhere, it doesn’t matter what it is.
“I think there’s too many examples of essentially funding for very specific things instead of policies that would benefit absolutely everybody.”
Zelezny said politics are “deteriorating” in Canada.
“I think it’s a lot more important to focus on issues at home because that’s what Canadian government should be doing, taking care of Canadians and ensuring prosperity for Canadians and not concerning itself about funding any particular initiative anywhere else in the world.”
Bernier wants to limit the number of immigrants entering Canada, a policy carried over from his Conservative Party of Canada leadership race, which he lost.
Asked if Zelezny wants to place a cap on people entering the country, some of whom are fleeing violence and persecution, he said, “No.” He then went on to say that border and police services and vetting processes should be bolstered.
Zelezny said his parents were immigrants.
“Basically, Canada has been built on immigration, but at the same time, for many decades, there was very functional immigration program. There was a process. It wasn’t a free-for-all,” he said.
Contact Julien Gignac at julien.gignac@yukon-news.com