“I’m running basically to express my disdain with some of the policies and politics that are going on and how it’s dividing the country” says retired Lambton Centennial principal

Heather Wright/The Independent

Retired Lambton Centennial School principal Tony Mitchell says if you think politics is a joke and Parliament a circus, vote for the clown. But don’t let the red nose fool you.

Mitchell, who still works for the public school board as a substitute principal, is running to be Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong MP under the Rhinoceros Party Of Canada banner. The Rhinoceros Party has a long history of bringing levity to federal politics. Mitchell, in his news release announcing his candidacy says for example, he would reduce hospital wait times by making all hospital clocks run slower than all other clocks.

But Mitchell decision to run is far from light.

Mitchell says he’s become disillusioned with politics in Canada. The federal candidate says he didn’t vote in the 2022 provincial election. “It was the first time that did not vote in a provincial or federal election since I was eligible vote in the 1976,” he says.

“I basically got tired of holding my nose and voting for the least of the worst; but I felt really bad about not voting. So, I’m running basically to express my disdain with some of the policies and politics that are going on and how it’s dividing the country.

“It’s become a blood sport and that has nothing to do about doing better, and what’s best for the country. It’s for what’s doing best for them. And I think that the politicians and politics have completely lost its focus.

“I don’t know whether or not the system is broken and needs fixing, or whether the system isn’t working exactly the way it’s supposed to, but it needs to be broken.”

Mitchell says he simply can’t get behind the main parties; the Conservatives, he says have been trying to bring American style politics. “I don’t trust what they say about defending Canada.”

The Liberals, he says, have been trying to make everyone happy ” but by doing that, they make nobody happy because their policies affect everyone negatively.”

And he says the NDP has been “riding the Liberals’ coattails” for the last five years.

Mitchell doesn’t want to park his vote with the Green Party, saying it is seen as a one-issue party, nor the Peoples’ Party of Canada which he says is “just too far, way out there for me.”

Mitchell hopes to give people who want to vote but haven’t in the past, a place to show they don’t agree with anything that’s going on or they don’t want to vote for anybody. So it’s, it’s basically a none of the above vote.”

Mitchell says he’ll be addressing the issues with his “twisted sense of humour” something his friends are not surprised to see. But they know there is a point behind the satire.

“People say you think and act outside the box; I don’t know there is a box.

Mitchell hasn’t officially registered with Elections Canada yet, however he has been given the nod by the Rhinoceros Party has – not a high bar he contends saying the party accepts “anyone with a pulse.”

The only officially registered candidate in the Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong race is the incumbent, Conservative Marilyn Gladu who is seeking her fourth term.

Lo-Anne Chan is the NDP’s candidate in the race. Brian Everaert is running for the Peoples’ Party of Canada.

The Liberals have yet to nominate a candidate in Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong.