Election file: Lockdowns abused the rights of Sudburians, Libertarian candidate says – The Sudbury Star

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'I have no other choice but to speak up in defence of the people of Sudbury'

By Adrien Berthier

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My name is Adrien Berthier and I am seeking election as Sudburys Libertarian candidate.

I live and work in Sudbury and owe so much of my personal growth to the people of Sudbury. I own salesacorn.ca and Jeesen. I love the fusion of urban and wilderness that Sudbury offers.

I am seeking election because of the loss of personal freedoms that we have been experiencing over the last couple of years. The knee-jerk reaction to lockdowns deprived people of the right to earn a living, to visit dying or severely ill family members and created an underclass of second-class citizens. It also discriminated against certain members of our society, forcing people to wear masks non-stop the entire day to participate in society despite the health concerns.

What we have lived through is a crime against humanity and our politicians, through lack of backbone, have failed us. Our politicians either kept silent during the human rights abuses occurring around them or worse, they were proudly complicit in the events through which we have lived.

Since our politicians are unwilling to defend the freedoms that our society has historically been built on, I have no other choice but to speak up in defence of the people of Sudbury. If we keep voting for the big three parties, nothing is going to change. Its time to make our votes count and either prevent the big three parties from gaining control or at least send them a message that citizens are not livestock on a farm, that politicians are meant to be our servants and serve the people they represent.

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My top priority would be to prevent the loss of freedom from ever happening again so that our children and youth can know what it is like to live in a free society without fear of what their own government might do to them next.

Our health-care system is completely broken. I say this from my own experiences with health care in this city. Our hospital is clearly too small for the needs of our community, but I do not believe that expanding it and pouring more and more resources into a broken system is going to help.

Its time that we look for creative solutions. We need to put our top minds together to brainstorm new ideas. We could look at freeing up all the health care tax dollars collected for each person and spending that money right here in Sudbury.

We could look at reducing the management burden of our hospital, we could look at adding more private clinics for many procedures, freeing up the burden on the system, but most of all, I would reach out to our nurses and doctors and ask them what needs to be done.

I believe that if Laurentian university is unable to figure out a way to restructure or be self-supporting, then maybe we should be looking toward other options. Paying professors more, reducing management and bureaucracy may help to save Laurentian. All options should be on the table to save the university and continue serving the people of Sudbury.

A French-language university in Sudbury would be great. If tuition can be raised to support such a venture, I would support it.

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The drug problem in Sudbury is heartbreaking and I have watched it grow worse year by year. Although I am not in support of spending taxpayer money on safe injection sites my heart goes out to the people afflicted with addictions.

If the safe injection sites could also be somehow combined with other programs, that would give people hope again and give them a clear plan to move forward with their lives and become productive citizens again. I would be supportive of anyone with addictions that really wants to overcome their situation and is willing to demonstrate their willingness with action.

I would be supportive of completing the widening of Highway 69. The important thing here is to have a plan and to steadily follow it through to the end.

To lower prices like gas prices and other goods, we need to produce more. That means more industry, more small business and more entrepreneurs. By producing more goods and services and supporting local solutions, we can drive inflation rates down.

Reducing the size of the government burden on the taxpayers shoulders and emphasizing private solutions can drive down inflation and increase employment. We need to lower taxes, reduce the number of people employed by government and reduce the amount of red tape and paperwork involved in running small businesses.

Reducing the cost of housing in Sudbury is a key issue that comes down to reducing government fees, and government controls over the housing market. We need landlord rights to protect small landlords rights over their own property. By making private property and investing in housing stock a more attractive option, we would quickly increase inventory and pull pricing down for everyday renters.

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Increasing the number of options for tenants would provide not only more choice but also better rates as more and more people compete to invest in housing. Making rents more affordable and bringing up the quality and standards of the rental inventory available would be a win for the poor.

Creating jobs in Sudbury could be done by teaching entrepreneurship to high school students and encouraging entrepreneurs as much as possible. Making Sudbury more self-reliant and innovative would reduce our reliance on government support and encourage more employment.

I would like to see the creation of a charitable foundation in Sudbury to restore the soil and waters of our forests and lakes. Restoring self-sustaining ecologies in Sudbury and bringing back our beautiful wild landscapes would be a good idea.

I am also offering to donate 25 per cent of my MPP salary to the Sudbury Food Bank and am challenging all the other candidates to do the same thing.

Adrien Berthier is the candidate for the Libertarian Party in Sudbury.

sud.editorial@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @SudburyStar

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Election file: Lockdowns abused the rights of Sudburians, Libertarian candidate says - The Sudbury Star