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Vodden wants government to step back

Libertarian candidate thinks a two-tiered health system and less red tape for mining companies would be a great start to revitalizing the country's economy.
Alexander Vodden
Marathon's Alexander Vodden is the Libertarian candidate in Thunder Bay-Superior North. (Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY – Alexander Vodden thinks less government is better government.

As the Libertarian candidate in Thunder Bay-Superior North, Vodden thinks there are a lot of areas Ottawa has its hands in that could be better done by the private sector.

Take health care, for example, the Marathon, Ont. resident said.

“We have a really failing health-care system and as soon as you bring up privatization, it strikes fear in the hearts of all Canadians, and rightfully so,” Vodden said. “Every instance we’ve seen of privatization has been a complete failure.

“But that’s because we’re not doing a free-market system. Look at Rogers and Bell, they have joint ventures and they’re 90 per cent of our telecommunications. We really need to bring different options forward, and radically different options.”

Vodden, who works at Manroc Developments designing and building water management projects, said he’s not in favour of full privatization, but there might be a hybrid solution that works for all.

“I am saying we should start looking at private alternatives, maybe a two-tier health system. It works great in Australia, it works great in Norway. It works great in a lot of places. I just feel if we continue down this path then we’re not going to go anywhere.”

Vodden also wants to heavily revamp Canada’s income-tax system, pointing to a recent Fraser Institute report that estimates Canadians are spending $5.8 billion on having their taxes done.

“That’s an obscene amount that we’re paying to do our income tax,” he said. “The Libertarian Party is really pushing for a simplified tax code, where your tax return would be as big as a postcard. It would just be a lot easier for everyone. You wouldn’t have to take your taxes to professionals. It would cut a lot of the overhead out, a lot of the bloated system.”

Regionally, Vodden said there is far too much bureaucratic red tape stifling industry, particularly in the mining sector.

This too has to change, he said.

“A lot of that is they’re on Treaty land. Obviously we have to respect the sovereignty of Native lands. No one is saying let’s not do that. But the government has embedded itself in this process and truly I believe that this should be one private landowner to another,” Vodden said.

“It should be a simple sale of land and these corporations should be held responsible for any environmental impact that wasn’t originally stated when they purchased the property.”

Vodden has lived in Northern Ontario for the past five years, where he met his wife, and said he loved the area so much, he never left.

TBNewswatch.com has profiled all 11 candidates running for office in Thunder Bay-Superior North and Thunder Bay-Rainy River. All the profiles can be found in our election section, Canada Votes. 



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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