Green Party, Hull-Aylmer

Josée Poirier Defoy

What motivated you to run as a candidate?

I’m running for myself, for the families of Hull-Aylmer and for the planet because we cannot accept the unacceptable anymore! We need concrete actions for the climate right now. I’ve demonstrated in my professional life that it is possible to do things differently and that, I believe, is what we need.

What is your full-time job?

I have been Executive Director of the Gatineau Regroupement of Community Kitchens for 10 years. I would like to point out that this is a nonpartisan organization and that’s why I chose to take time off work during this crucial election campaign.

What are your passions in work and in life?  (Volunteerism, sport, art, etc.)

Throughout and in all aspects of my life, community involvement is my passion. It’s important for me to contribute to the development and growth of my community. 

In the last few years, I’m best known for putting my spirit of enterprise and innovation at the service of the fight against food waste in Hull-Aylmer.

In my spare time, I sit on the boards of three community organizations in the region as well as a national organization. My other passions are sailing, silk painting and gastronomy.

What would your priorities be in the short and long term if you are elected?

The issues that are priorities in our riding are: In the short term (because it’s urgent!): Better protect our citizens against climate disasters. In three years, the citizens of Hull-Aylmer have been hit by three extreme weather events and we are clearly not ready to face the reality of climate change. It is urgent to face this challenge now because the situation will not improve in the coming years.

In the medium term: Better meet the travel needs of workers and other citizens of Hull-Aylmer without jeopardizing the future of our children. There is an urgent need to develop an effective and accessible transportation strategy for Hull-Aylmer residents. There has been a significant population growth in our sector in the last 10 years. But the growth of the number of vehicles on the roads is growing faster than the growth of the population.

When it comes to transportation, we need to rethink our way of doing things by looking decades ahead and always putting people and the environment at the heart of our thinking.

At home, we need ecological, reliable and accessible means of public transportation. The Green Party of Canada is banking on the mass electrification of transportation. The project to build a public transit infrastructure to the west of the city will therefore be a priority for a green government. However, a transportation strategy is more than just a bridge or a light train:  it’s a big project that includes investing in active transportation and electric buses; it is also about teleworking, adapting work schedules and bringing workplaces closer to the living environment for federal employees.

In the medium and long term: improving the living conditions of citizens. To improve the living conditions of citizens, it is necessary to start from where it hurts in the region: the lack of access to healthy food, housing being too expensive and tuition fees being too high. Eating better, having a decent and affordable roof, having high quality training and education accessible to everyone are all matters of dignity. 

The Green Party is not just about the ecological transition, it’s also about social transition for the people that live here.