Most of the info is the same as in my previous application for Edmonton–Leduc, but I've made a few changes to better suit my new intended riding. I wanted to wait until after the Directors election to throw my hat in the ring, but given rumours of an upcoming federal election, I've decided to get the Candidate application procedure underway as well.NAME/NOM: Mikkel Paulson
PROVINCE: Alberta
RIDING/CIRCONSCRIPTION: Edmonton Centre
PARTY INVOLVEMENT / PARTICIPATION DE PARTI:
I'm currently an acting Director and intend to run in the upcoming Directors election. I am a PR Representative and a member of a number of committees, as well as chairman of the CaPT Administration committee. Independently, I've designed the Party's membership cards and am writing the bot that the Party uses during meetings. (Should my application go to a vote, I would transfer control of the bot to a third party to ensure the impartiality of the voting process.)
I am heavily involved in both the forum community and the IRC channel. If you'd like further background on my political position and discussions, you are welcome to view my
post history.
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE / L'EXPÉRIENCE POLITIQUE:
I've worked for 2 years as a Page at the Alberta Legislature, and another 2 summers as a Research Assistant with the Legislature's House Services branch, so I'm very familiar with Canadian Parliamentary procedure. I have also worked for a former MLA and leadership candidate for the Alberta Liberal Party. I've studied political science and sociology at university, so I have an academic understanding of how politics and society works.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST / CONFLITS D'INTÉRÊTS:
I operated a BitTorrent tracker for two years, and have acted as a moderator for several others. This was some years ago, and I am no longer involved in the scene.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / PARTICIPATION DE LA COMMUNAUTÉ:
I've done some volunteering with non-profit organizations in the inner city, as well as the Food Bank and Meals on Wheels. I've lived in Edmonton for most of my life.
PLATFORM / MANIFESTE:
PPCA core platform:
• 15-year copyright covering only commercial, for-profit use, as well as use where association or endorsement is implied.
• 10-year patent with a limited number of patents per person or organization, and no patents on genes, life-forms, software algorithms, or pharmaceuticals.
• Require all non-governmental and governmental organizations to directly justify every piece of information collected, to clearly state how it is to be used, to make available to a person exactly what information has been gathered about them, to require explicit consent before sharing it with others, and to provide the option to permanently erase any and all collected information on request.
• Require proactive disclosure of information by the government and all organizations associated with the government, except where in conflict with privacy laws and in matters of genuine national security. In particular, MPs should be compelled to make all of their finances open for audit and review by the public.
General platform:
• Increase funding for post-secondary education, ensuring that it is and remains accessible to all Canadians.
• Tighten standards against provincial privatization of health care.
• Encourage a significant percentage of federal stimulus money to be allocated to green, high-tech, and secondary industries rather than rebuilding same economic mess all over again.
• Maintain and strengthen federal tax credits and subsidies for energy-efficient home improvements, public transit, alternative energy, and hybrid and electric vehicles.
• Encourage immigration, and streamline opportunities for professionally-trained immigrants to become certified to practice in Canada, or to upgrade their skills so as to become eligible.
• Introduce legislation preventing the Prime Minister from acting independently in matters that affect Parliament, including prorogation.
• Mandate the return to a surplus budget as soon as is economically feasible, and begin repaying our federal debt.
• Advocate proportional representation, and strengthen the powers of the opposition in majority governments.
PLEASE REPLY WITH "SECONDED" TO SECOND THIS APPLICATION. YOU MAY ALSO ASK QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT IN THIS THREAD.
