Ed. note: here, the Star presents profiles of the territory’s five federal election candidates in alphabetical order. All five candidates’ profiles are available for free to view.

Freshman contestant Joseph Zelezny is running as the Yukon’s first People’s Party of Canada (PPC) candidate on a platform of freedom of speech, deregulation, tax cuts and eliminating foreign spending.

“The absolute fundamental thing is free speech, because if you don’t have that, then you don’t have anything else,” Zelezny told the Star. 

He was attracted to the PPC, newly formed under Maxime Bernier in 2018, because it promised to veer away from the political ecosystem he feels is disenfranchising Canadian voters.

“People are getting more interested in the PPC, especially those who haven’t voted for several decades … because they didn’t feel comfortable voting against a particular party in terms of strategic voting,” he said. 

Zelezny, 32, has committed to eliminating the carbon tax and capital gains, cutting business taxes and personal taxes.

At a number of forums over the election period, Zelezny posted tax cuts as the solution to social justice issues. He argued that when economic prosperity increases on the individual level, citizens are healthier, happier and better able to spend money on private health care. 

He paired advocacy for decreased taxation with arguments for the simplification of the tax code and abolishment of “corporate welfare handouts and subsidies.”

Zelezny argues for the deregulation of government, reduction of bureaucracy and the increase of privatization. 

He has pledged to repeal the Multiculturalism Act and the Canadian Health Care Act. In repealing the Health Care Act, Zelezny said, he would support health care innovation and the growth of traditional medicine practices in the territory by enabling competition. 

He also promised to repeal a number of bills he says are stifling free speech.

In an email to the Star, Zelezny said he would protect firearms rights and co-sponsor the Property and Rural Protections Acts to improve safety.

He would also vote in favour of the pro-life legislation.

“PPC is the only principled party that stands for freedom, responsibility, fairness and respect, for Canadians to enable prosperity and stop the debt-fuelled spending binge that has gone on by the other parties,” Zelezny said.

Zelezny said because his party is based on a platform of free speech and fairness, he would be free in the House of Commons to advocate for Yukon priorities without the pressure of a party whip.

To reduce federal debt levels, Zelezny advocates for an end to foreign spending, refocusing funds toward Canadians.

Zelezny said his party won’t “support or enable” the political correctness or corruption that he says have taken hold of Canadian politics. 

The candidate has called the rippling global-wide declarations of climate emergency a “wealth redistribution scheme” that is needlessly scaring Canada’s youth. 

“Vote for your values, not out of fear,” he urged.

Zelezny noted his party has committed to providing clean water to First Nations communities.

Zelezny, an IT specialist, has worked in a number of computer and networking industries. His parents emigrated from Eastern Europe in the throes of a communist regime, settling in Ontario, where Zelezny grew up.

He holds a certificate of technical studies from the British Columbia Institute of Technology and is in the midst of pursuing a Bachelor degree in Emergency and Security Management Studies from the Justice Institute.

Zelezny has previously worked as a gymnastics coach, as a landscaper and in the oil and gas industry. He has also held positions with Elections BC and Elections Canada. 

He is self-described as fond of nature and technology, and stays active as a soccer and basketball player. He also enjoys swimming, wrestling, mountaineering, biking, skiing and has travelled widely.

Zelezny was attracted to politics in the last few years out of interest in Canada’s changing economic conditions, leading him to seek solutions for country-wide prosperity.

He joined the People’s Party at its inception, initially adopting the role of president of the Yukon Electoral District Association before seeking the party nomination.

“It’s very exciting,” he told the Star. “There’s an opportunity for starting fresh.”

Bernier’s planned visit to Whitehorse during the campaign was cancelled and never rescheduled.