Bryan Paterson wants to address affordability at the federal level.
In the upcoming federal election, Mayor Bryan Paterson, PhD ’06, was named the Conservative candidate for Kingston and the Islands Member of Parliament (MP). With Mark Carney elected as the new Liberal Party leader on March 9, a snap federal election may be called this Sunday, potentially setting the stage for a vote as early as April 28.
After earning a PhD in economics from Queen’s, Paterson began teaching at the Royal Military College. He was first elected Mayor in 2014 and secured a third term in 2022. Paterson credits his tenure as Mayor with providing the experience necessary to represent the riding at the federal level.
“I have a deep knowledge of our community and both the opportunities and challenges we face locally,” Paterson said in a statement to The Journal. “My experience at City Hall has given me the insights and skills to advocate effectively for Kingston and the Islands.”
Some of these challenges include the cost of living in Kingston, Paterson cited wanting to improve the affordability of Kingston as his reasoning for moving his political career to the federal level.
“The biggest challenges we’re facing as a community right now—the high cost of living, unaffordable housing, lack of public safety and the ongoing mental health and addictions crisis—are problems that ultimately cannot be solved at the city level,” Paterson stated.
To address the rising the cost of living, Paterson said the Conservative Party aims to reduce expenses at the federal level by eliminating the carbon tax on industries and general sales tax on new homes. He believes eliminating these barriers will result in more homes being built in Kingston and help lower construction costs.
Paterson believes the elimination of the industrial carbon tax would lower the cost of food in the Kingston area, a key problem he wants to address.
After his appointment, Prime Minister Mark Carney scrapped the consumer carbon tax which taxed fuels such as gasoline but kept the carbon tax on industries which taxes industrial emitters with a carbon footprint. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has vowed to get rid of the carbon tax entirely claiming that the industrial carbon tax has caused the price of goods to rise.
Another key aspect of Paterson’s campaign is his engagement with students, with five to eight joining him each weekday to canvass.
“It’s been amazing to see [the student’s] energy, enthusiasm and dedication as we connect with voters all across Kingston and the Islands,” Paterson said. “I think all our student volunteers would say it’s a great experience all around,”
President of the Queen’s University Conservatives Association Jonathan Doyle, ArtSci ’26, is one of the Queen’s students helping with the campaign. In a statement to The Journal, Doyle said there’s been excellent student turnout so far in Paterson’s Conservative campaign.
“Students are motivated to volunteer for Bryan’s team because we recognize the hard work that he has done as Mayor of Kingston, working closely with the Queen’s community to ensure our educational success,” Doyle said. “[Paterson] always takes the time speak with student-volunteers, whether he’s giving advice, listening to questions or inspiring us on our next leg in life.”
Doyle encourages any student interested in helping during the campaign, even those who may be new to politics, to reach out.
Tags
Bryan Paterson, conservative party, Federal Election, member of parliament
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