Tanille Johnston was announced as the New Democratic Party's (NDP) candidate for the North Island-Powell River riding Sep. 1.
She is currently a councillor with the City of Campbell River, the first-ever First Nations person elected in that role.
The Campbell River Mirror asked her a few questions to see where she stands in key positions for the upcoming federal election.
Answers have been edited for clarity, space, context and grammatical errors.
What made you want to run for the election?
Running federally has been something that I had discussed with Rachel (incumbent Rachel Blaney) over the past two years when she announced that she was taking a bit of a leave from politics and was not going to be running in the upcoming 2025 election, I took that as an opportunity to step forward. This territory means a lot to me. Not only is it where I was born and raised and where I chose to birth and raise my children, but it's also my traditional territory, where my family's history is rooted since time immemorial.
Why did you decide to get involved in politics?
I could offer that it started in my Grade 3/4 split elementary school classroom, with my exchange teacher who was from Australia, Mrs. D. She was explaining to us that the USA was planning to build a bridge from the continental United States to Hawaii. My response to this was "Why don't they build us a bridge to Quadra Island and they can have our ferry?", her reply was that if I ever ran for political office, I had her vote. So here we are.
I feel like as a social worker, we're a natural fit in a political space as a lot of politics is policy and advocacy as is social work. I've always had a passion for policy, I did my final practicum for my Social Work degree in the policy department with the Ministry of Children and Families at the Provincial Office, not because that was the natural path, but because I fought the school to make that my path and did the footwork to ensure I had a practicum supervisor within the policy team to enable that opportunity for myself. Bell Hooks said "The personal is political" and I feel that deeply as a Status Indian whose life is very much under the control and maintenance of the Federal Government through the Indian Act.
What are the most pressing issues in the office you are seeking?
The state of our healthcare system is under attack. We're taking leaps and bounds with the new Dental Plan and Pharmacare coming on board, these are things that will work to relieve the burden on our current system and will ultimately provide better health outcomes for persons all across Canada. I'd love to see us wrap around Diabetes and provide more in this area for national coverage. If you want to take a single health complexity that will yield an almost immediate positive health response, Diabetes is one to go after. There is a lot we could do that would give so much back to people living with Diabetes and would also lift a lot off of our current system that is forced to meet the need of neglect when folks don't have the means to access the right support when they need it and where they need it.
What are your top three legislative priorities if elected?
I'd offer that this needs to be realistic. I'm not going to be able to get elected and change the world on day one. I want to ensure that the great work that has been paved by Blaney is sustained. That no loose ends are left loose and that all the balls stay in the air. I would love to be a part of ensuring that our work around federal health care programs like pharmacare and dental care keep rolling forward and I'd be honoured to be any part of supporting the self-determination of nations.
Why should voters cast their ballot for you?
Because I truly believe in accountability to the people. I believe that this role is meant to harness the community voice and carry it forward into the federal government. It's not about my agenda. Although a common question is what 'I' want to do, it's not about me, it's about the individuals that make up the communities within this riding and the priorities that they elevate. Voting for me is a commitment to ensuring your voice is heard by our highest level of government, it's a commitment to hearing back, it's a vote to ensure our rural and remote communities are not left in the dust, under-served, and it's a vote for someone who's here to work for you.
What distinguishes you from other candidates?
I believe that I have much stronger relationships with the nations in our riding and that I have a greater dedication to serving them than the others. I would like to think that my values, honesty, integrity, respect and trust, and my passion and energy for this work distinguish me well.
How do you plan to engage with and be accountable to your constituents while in office?
I'm a big believer in showing up. I want to ensure that I have consistent opportunities for engagement. Whether that's monthly 'Teas with Tanille' at Island Grind, or 'Java's with Johnston' at Java Shack, I want to ensure folks feel like they can reach me. I manage 100+ emails a day with my 'regular' job right now, on top of everything else, so I feel like I can offer that responsiveness, show up, and carry the work in Ottawa.
If elected, how would you support Canadians experiencing the country's mental health crises?
When there aren't enough humans, it's hard to make more humans quickly, but I feel like we need to honour credentials that are coming in with our new immigrants. We have loads of folks coming into Canada with skill sets that we can't harness because we're not accepting certain credentials from other countries. In mental health, we need folks in these positions to be paid for their expertise. Many of these positions are extremely thankless, and challenging, and are paid very poorly. Mental health support workers, mental health clinicians, and mental health rehabilitation workers, all need to be paid for the huge work that they do.
What about affordable housing?
We need it, more of it, and we can't depend on developers to build it at the rates we need and rent it for the rents we need to start to pick away at this housing shortage.
Will you and your party commit to introducing and/or supporting a wealth tax?
NDP is committing to implement a one per cent wealth tax on fortunes over $10 million, make sure big corporations that made record profits off this pandemic are supporting our recovery, and close tax loopholes to ensure everyone is paying their fair share – and we’ll use the revenue to help families with policies like:
- Universal pharmacare
- Real and immediate solutions to the climate crisis
- Building 500,000 affordable homes
- Introducing quality, affordable childcare to get people back to work
- Supports for small businesses so we can recover faster
How will you and your party prepare the country (or prevent) for another pandemic?
I think step one ensures we recover well from the last one. We're still in a place of healing and recovery from 2020. Part of that recovery is looking at better ways to support our health overall. Supporting our health care system to be strong through listening to the guidance of those working on the frontlines within it. Ensuring that sick leave can be paid, so that folks who are ill can take the time they need to recover, not bring their illness back to the job, and still feed their family.
How do you plan to address climate change?
Enabling easier ways to support alternate methods of transportation, working faster at getting to power Canada with net-zero electricity by 2030, and saying bye-bye to single-use plastics, to name a few.
How will the NDP support Indigenous people in Canada if they win the election?
By fully implementing not only the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People but also the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action; not just lip service.
What will you personally do for the Campbell River area's First Nations if you are elected as MP?
Support them where they identify they need the support. Each nation is in its unique position with the federal government, and they know best where they need an added voice and someone that 'knows' this is where I would like to be able to position myself to help.
