The value of party recognition is overrated, says entrepreneur and activist Patrick Allard..The Manitoba troublemaker was featured in the Western Standard in June. He received 14 tickets for breaking COVID health orders and was one of five plaintiffs in a charter challenge against lockdowns. He, his wife, and daughter in school went maskless throughout the pandemic..The contractor placed fourth as an independent candidate in the March 20, 2022 Fort Whyte byelection, won by Progressive Conservative (PC) Obby Khan. This time he is campaigning the blue-collar riding of St. John’s riding for the October 3 general election..“As I’m going door to door, when I tell people I’m an independent, their eyes light up and the door opens even wider. Everyone agrees that the parties have long forgotten about us here on the north side of the city. Part of that reason is none of the politicians live here,” Allard told the Western Standard..“Our current MLA lives clear-cut across the city on the complete opposite end in the Fort Whyte neighbourhood. This is where doctors, lawyers and other professional white-collar members of society live. My neighbourhood is burning, literally, referring back to vacant homes.”.NDP incumbent Nahanni Fontaine won the seat in 2019, taking the election with 3,548 votes for 51.8% of the total. Her quest for a third term is contested by PC candidate and University of Winnipeg Education student Teddy Rubenstein and Liberal Dennis Yaeger, a retired railroad conductor..“People want real, and that’s what an independent offers. In the neighbourhood I have more election signs on people’s lawns than the incumbent NDP candidate. I connect with people here as, like them, I work with my hands and know what it’s like when gas goes up five cents. I feel it too,” Allard said..Last October, Allard received 822 votes in an anti-woke school board campaign that placed him in third. This election he is only talking to independent media. He said the positive reception he gets at the doors for not being in a political party has been “absolutely encouraging” and left him “a little surprised.” .“I get asked almost at every door with a grim look, ‘What party?’ Allard explained..“’Actually, I’m running as an independent candidate, the community candidate with no party ties.’ .“The answer almost always to that is ‘Really?!?’ And a big smile accompanies it. I didn’t think it was going to be so popular.”.Allard said affordability pressures and derelict buildings are big issues..“I’ve heard from many people that even just going to the grocery store is painful and people are even skipping meals to be able to make ends meet,” Allard explained..“I am trying to help this by opposing the carbon tax, as well as using my small business experience to find ways to cut spending without cutting services. Another big issue in my neighbourhood is vacant and derelict houses.”.Allard has already used his handyman skills on some of these buildings. He believes a wider effort would raise appraised values by up to $40 million in the riding..“This will help prevent tax increases on others, among other things. With more families in the neighbourhood, businesses will now want to come and fill the vacant commercial spaces as well, all of these will naturally lower crime rates. When the lights are on, the rats scurry,” Allard explained..One concern for the October 3 general election is its integrity. Machines will count all of the votes..“I just don’t like that we cannot, for the first time, examine and count the paper ballots,” Allard said..“This is a very concerning issue to me. The paper ballot that’s fed through the counter is available to compare for what the machine tabulates, but scrutineers, parties and candidates have no access and no way to ensure that what’s on the paper matches what the counter spits out.”.Allard said his political awakening has only come recently. He said political apathy has been costly for Canadians. He said engagement is necessary, as bad ideas can only be beaten by better ones..“We just need people to stop ignoring politics like I did for a long, long time and start taking action. We've let the inmates run the asylum for too long,” he said..“Support those who are in front of the court or get involved yourself, and support those who are involved in elections or involve yourself. And that's, I believe, how we can fix this, whether it's the World Economic Forum, the UN, WHO, whatever.”
