Mackie: Standing with the people

By Courtney Bachar

People’s Party of Canada’s Oshawa candidate Darryl Mackie says Canada deserves better.

Mackie says the last 18 months of lockdowns and restrictions do not align with Canada’s rights and freedoms.

“I think they’re overreactions,” says Mackie, adding they’ve been speaking out, writing letters and protesting the lockdowns, mask mandates, stay-at-home orders and COVID restrictions since the pandemic began.

He says the election seemed like a logical step to defend Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and to defend and speak out on behalf of people who are feeling vulnerable, helpless and infringed upon.

Mackie says while there’s a large group of people that are in favour of the restrictions, there’s also a large group of people who are okay with a reasonable number of mandates but not okay with the next phase of vaccine mandates.

“Then there’s the people who are very, very afraid and concerned about the choice they have to make,” says Mackie.

And while Mackie says there’s a lot of people who are comfortable with the vaccine, that’s their choice.

“And that’s the best part about Canada – freedom of choice,” he continues.

He says the reason he’s so adamant that the Freedom of Rights be upheld is because “nobody knows what the rules are anymore.”

“All of the rules keep changing from one week to the next,” he explains. “So people are uncertain. They don’t have a foundation of what things are going to look like. What they’re going to be able to do, or whether they can go to work or visit family.”

Mackie says people need to feel a certainty in the way life is going to be and to be able to go to work and find meaning and purpose.

“Everyone is essential. Everyone has purpose and everybody deserves to be able to contribute to society,” he continues.

If elected, Mackie says he will stand with the will of the people, noting everyone should be able to have a voice.

“The will of the people is what democracy is all about,” says Mackie.