The Communist Party candidate expected to run in Guelph in the upcoming provincial election says it’s important for working-class people of Ontario to be heard on June 7.
“There are more of us then there are of rich people and corporations. People in power can be challenged and need to be challenged,” said Juanita Burnett, expected to once again be the Guelph candidate for the Communist Party of Canada (Ontario).
Burnett said she is in the process of finalizing her candidacy and expects to be on the debate stage Thursday for Guelph’s first all-candidates debate.
In addition to running for provincial office in 2014, Burnett said she has also run for school board trustee in previous municipal elections, but does not plan to run for that position in 2018.
Burnett currently works in stack maintenance at the University of Guelph Library.
She said she first became politically active when she moved to Guelph as a student with her son, who was four years old at the time.
“It was the Mike Harris days and he was talking about taking away subsidized daycare spaces,” said Burnett.
The first protest she attended was at the office of then-MPP Brenda Elliott, who represented Guelph under the Ontario PC banner from 1995 to 2003.
“We marched down with some of the other parents, teachers and kids to Brenda Elliot’s office to tell her we didn’t want her to do that,” said Burnett.
From there, Burnett said she became involved with the Ontario NDP before eventually joining the Communist Party.
“One thing I really appreciated, when I joined the Communist Party, is there was more discussion on policy and issues from a broader perspective. Maybe it’s because we are smaller than some of the bigger parties, but I think everybody feels like they are a part of the party and has a say, has a voice and is respected,” said Burnett. “I got to hear and get to know a lot of the policies and ideas and people. I found it seemed to fit me better.”
Burnett remains politically active. Last week, she attended the picket lines at York University in support of striking CUPE Local 3903 members and she was involved in the 15 and Fairness campaign to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
“One of the things I like about the 15 and Fairness campaign — we’re not just saying $15 an hour is going to make everything fine. There’s a lot of other things around it. We want to get solid jobs for people,” said Burnett.
She notes, the Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) is advocating for a $20 an hour minimum wage and fewer hours for workers.
“There seems to be a lot of people who either don’t work enough or work overtime instead of making sure everybody has enough,” said Burnett.
The party also wants to see the division between rich and poor eliminated, said Burnett.
“I think (the division) is becoming really obvious in the last little while. It’s scary and frustrating. I do think people are starting to think about it a little more,” she said.
In addition, the party wants to see more socialist policies enacted.
“We want to stick to our socialist roots in Canada — more public health care, one system of education that is public,” said Burnett.
In 1921, the Communist Party of Canada was founded during a secret meeting on Metcalfe Street in Guelph.
“I know there were people before me that did a lot of work here. I feel like we have a tradition to uphold here,” said Burnett.
Among the candidates who have so far committed to running provincially in Guelph next month, only Green Party leader Mike Schreiner and Burnett also ran in the 2014 contest.
Between the six candidates that ran in 2014, Schreiner came in third place behind the Liberals and PC, while Burnett placed fifth, after the fourth-place NDP candidate.
“Last election, people were a little more open to hearing from different perspectives and perspectives that were further left,” said Burnett.
She knows she is a long shot to win the Guelph seat at Queen’s Park, but Burnett notes that — with 178 votes — she didn’t come last in the 2014 contest.
“I love that I beat the Libertarian — I am hoping to do that again this time, if there’s a Libertarian candidate,” said Burnett.
