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Another candidate has entered the ring for the NDP nomination in the Burnaby North-Seymour riding ahead of a possible federal election.
Jason Blackman is no stranger to politics. In 2014 he ran against 19 other candidates for a spot on Squamish city council and was the second most popular councillor elected that year. Blackman held that position until 2018 and in that time he chaired the city’s Housing Task Force and created a purpose-built homeless shelter, supportive housing and a community kitchen. Despite his accomplishments, he maintains a sense of government realism saying in a recent interview with the NOW that he knows “it takes some time to get the wheels in motion.”
"I think the big thing is knowing how to push progressive change forward and actually get real results,” Blackman said.
Along with his work as a councillor, Blackman has worked for Burnaby MLAs Raj Chouhan, Janet Routledge, and Kathy Corrigan. According to a press release he has spent years advocating for Burnaby residents and helping them get the resources they need during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Blackman has some in-party competition though, two-term District of North Vancouver Coun. Jim Hanson and 26-year-old Markiel Simpson also announced their bid for the NDP nomination last month. Meaning all three NDP candidates will be vying for the same seat in Ottawa currently filled by Liberal MP Terry Beech, who was re-elected during the 2019 federal election.
Blackman says though that his campaign will be a cut above the rest as he offers a strong commitment to the generational challenge of climate change.
“It's very, very clear that especially in Burnaby North Seymour that the current government is not taking this seriously and in fact is doing things that actively are putting our future at risk with the Mountain Expansion and bailing out the pipeline," he said.
Blackman’s campaign also aims to push the federal government to deliver on a progressive agenda; implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), reduce inequality, tackle climate change, provide high-quality public services, and increase affordability.
"As a candidate and as somebody that is asking the public to vote for you I have a good understanding of what it takes to initiate those conversations and be a good listener as well as to bring our message very directly and actually win the seat so we can send more New Democrats to Ottawa," Blackman said.
More information about Jason Blackman can be found on his campaign website.
