Nickel Belt candidate wants to give voters a stronger voice

Dave Starbuck is no stranger to political campaigns.

The Nickel Belt candidate for the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada first ran for office in 1979, and put his name on the ballot again in 1980, 2004 and 2006. His last two attempts to get elected were in the Sudbury riding.

Starbuck, a retired math instructor at Cambrian College, served on the college's board of governors for a time, but says he is running in Nickel Belt to expand the conversation around Canadians' role in politics.

“I think it's important that Canadians participate in politics,” he said. “People need to be involved in the decisions that affect our lives.”

Starbuck said he doesn't expect to win the seat in Nickel Belt – and admitted NDP candidate Claude Gravelle will likely get re-elected.

But he said he hopes his presence in the campaign can at least encourage voters to think about political reform.

His position is that voters should have a say into which candidates are selected, as opposed to the parties.

He also said parties should just rely on their own financial resources, rather than depend on per-vote subsidies.

“We have to rely on our own resources, why don't the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP have to rely on their own resources?” he said.

But on that topic, he may be in agreement with the Conservative Party of Canada.

The Conservatives have dismantled the per-vote subsidy in stages since 2011, and finally eliminated it in 2015.