Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:01 The morning, Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. You've tuned into the Mac city morning show. Uh, my name is Elliot peer, your host as per usual. And we're going to start this episode off the same way we start every episode off with a moment of gratitude. I know you could be doing a million other things with your time. So the fact that you're spending with us truly does mean the world to me. So thank you on that note, Tanner hidden with the intro.
Speaker 1 00:00:22 Oh, she caught me loves you're listening to the next city morning show.
Speaker 0 00:00:31 Okay. And we're back. All right. I'm really excited about this episode because it's timely. Um, we have a upcoming election and this individual has reached out and wanted to talk about his platform. So I'm really excited to hear about him, what he's about and what he's running for as everybody at home knows. I do not introduce my guests because they can do that better themselves. So on that note, sir, can you please tell everybody who you are and what you're about?
Speaker 3 00:00:53 Sure. Thank you again, Elliot. And my name is Sean McDonald and I'm the PPC candidate running into federal election. Um, and, um, that's the people's party of Canada. And by no means I'm a politician, I'm a businessman of 25 years and I never thought I'd be into politics, but I just feel driven to do that now with the way things are going in the country and how we're affected in his writing. Um, I was born and raised in Kikino Mickey settlement. Um, so I walked both sides of the fence, as I say, for indigenous non-indigenous people. So I can represent anybody from minority or not. And, uh, yeah, with, with the recent happenings in our, in our country, I feel deeply effected like I'm president of Raba, which is the resource one Aboriginal business association. And, uh, we formed that back in 2009 and back then we had, uh, issues dealing with oil and gas in our backyard, in our, in our sandbox as I call it, um, not really, uh, letting us bid on work and stuff like that, or retain work with the local Aboriginal businesses.
Speaker 3 00:01:52 So we formed Groba just to kind of build a communication tool and a bridge, as you might say, right within digital oil and gas and indigenous businesses. So it'll help lots. So I'm one of the founding members of that. And, uh, about seven years ago I became president of robot. Okay. And back in 2019, of course, the recession hit and we felt that, and oil and gas come up to meet, uh, one of our members, some of our members of oil and gas home to me in 2019 beginning of and said, Sean, can you do a letter of support of oil and gas and speaking against, uh, the bills, see a 69 and 48? And I said, oh, of course, most definitely I'll do that. So I thought about it for like a week. And then I thought, well, is Trudeau really gonna actually get this letter is going to be thrown in the garbage if he even gets to them.
Speaker 3 00:02:31 Right. So I thought about it. And back then there was a lot of, um, rallies going on and support of oil and gas, right? Nobody, nobody indigenous, no indigenous groups. So, um, I thought about it and I said, well, I want to do that instead. So I started looking around and, um, there was other ones that were way too extreme for my liking, right? I will mention a name or whatever to give them any, any glory, but they didn't side with, with my morals. And my view is enrolled was in our executive and our, I was too hardcore. So, uh, I reached out to rally for resources and we joined forces with them, Columbus county, lack of his chamber of commerce. And we held the first indigenous rally, a truck rally, a, a truck convoy and rally back in February 10th, 2019. And it made international news.
Speaker 3 00:03:17 I was doing interviews right then. And so people knew who I was mobile wasn't and now they knew how much I supported, not only the industry, but the people of this writing and the people of this province. Right. Um, so it hit off very well. And then we were still in the slump with oil and gas or businesses were still hurting, then come the lockdowns lockdowns. And that was detrimental to small businesses. Oil and gas are not indigenous or not. It don't matter. It was just detrimental. Right. And I do believe in, um, COVID I know it's real. I know it's affected people. It kills people. I know that, but the forest vaccine, the mandates and the masking, I think is too extreme. That's taken away our rights of freedom of choice. What was against our charter of rights and our constitution. And to me, that's too much government control.
Speaker 3 00:04:07 It's too much big brother and it's heading more towards socialism. So what I thought, well, I want to take my fight higher than oil and gas. And then what I can achieve with robo Elsa, sit on a national board D IRN indigenous resource network. And it's much like robot, but it's, it's more gain towards all indigenous people throughout the nation. And just trying to help bridges as well and speak for them, be their voice. Right. And, uh, so I was in line to be one of the CPC candidates for this writing. Okay. But, uh, I'm sure you're aware of many people that are listening, what, what happened and it was taken away from us. We didn't get our right to choose our candidate. And I think there was six of us that were wanting to step up to take deposition after, uh, Mr. David <inaudible> took his leave of absence.
Speaker 3 00:04:54 Right, right. Yeah. But to me, they slid in the one they have now, they just appointed her. And we were taken away with our democratic rights to choose that and vote on who he wanted to represent us. So that put a very bad taste in my mouth with the CPC and that door closed for a reason, not only that, but there are really certain degree with lots of what the liberal government's doing with the forest vaccine mandates and the masking and all that. And again, that goes against what I believe in, which is freedom for the people it's too much. Government control is too much top-down. Um, so I did have a discussion with Maverick as well. Um, I was just kind of not really shopping around, but I'd read their platform. I didn't really know much about max or the PPC. Right. So I talked with Mr.
Speaker 3 00:05:37 J hill and it was a good conversation. I really liked their platform as well, but I didn't agree with it fully. It wasn't really fitting to me a hundred percent that didn't feel comfortable enough. And they also have a candidate in the area as well. And I thank him for running as well, but I'm not a separatist. Right. I don't believe in separating Albert. I'm not quite there yet. Of course it crosses your mind and you, you want to throw your hands up in the air. Alberta's always fighting to be recognized. And to me, we support the other problems with equalization system. I personally call it a provincial welfare welfare system. I don't mind helping people out that are in need, but you must support us in return when we ask for it. And that sense of building a national pipeline. So to me, that door was closed as well with, with the metric party.
Speaker 3 00:06:20 So then I learned about max and the PPC, right? So I put in a call to their head office, told them who I was never really given my background just that I was available. And I want to talk to, you know, to somebody higher up. So they did call me back and he asked a couple of questions in that. And they said, he I'm, Delphia interested. He said, well, is there a decision? Yes. I said, no. I said, I'm a businessman. I've been leading people for some time, um, with the association and all that. I want to talk to the horse himself. Okay. I want to talk to max. Right, right. Okay. Well, we'll talk to him. And on my voicemail that says, you know, I live in the Bush, no cell service, the richest province in the country, we got crop cell service, right?
Speaker 3 00:06:59 So it says in my voicemail, if you can't get ahold of my mode of service, please leave a message or shoot me a text if you want your call returned. Right. So lo and behold, I get the service in ding, I get this text, it's from Maxime, Bernier himself. I, Sean, this is max, blah, blah, blah. I'd really love to talk to you, call him back. And we talked for an hour and I had, you know, some minor issues with the platform here and there, because nothing's going to be a hundred percent a perfect fit. That's exactly our from it. Right. It was the best fit for me. And I had a couple of questions on the indigenous issues, their policy, their platform, and we're rectifying that it's just different wording. Right. And unless you're indigenous, you don't really understand fully what the word, the world of indigenous.
Speaker 3 00:07:37 And so just a little wordplay, right. That making better fitting. Right. So they're working with me to do with that, to achieve that. Um, but we talked for an hour and he wanted me over. Yeah. You want me over? He's such a down-to-earth man, very honest and truthful. And he'd tell you if he doesn't know the answer. Right. And he just tells it like, it is much like I am right. Don't beat around the Bush. So I said, max, at the end of the car, I said, max, I said, I'm in a one condition. I said, I got to pass it by my boss, my wife. Right. There you go. So I talked to her and she already knew what I was up to. So she gave me her blessing and said, you know, I believe in you, I trust you. And I know you're going to do it.
Speaker 3 00:08:13 Right. So yeah. I phoned them back and I said, I'm in. And the rest is history. As far, as far as which party I ran with right here we go. And, uh, but all thanks as well. Like I speak of mentors. Like I do mentor some people, myself being, you know, 50 years old in business, how long, but even I at my age have mentors. Right. And one of them was Mr. David, your Degas. He was our current MP. I supported him in all the elections. We're very good friends. We're neighbors for crying out loud, like neighbors, like in the city of block away, but in the country, we're neighbors. Right. And, uh, he's always been there for me with Robin, not every call I made, he answered. If he didn't answer, you call me back right away. Every issue I had he'd address it.
Speaker 3 00:08:52 He was very good for the writing. Right. Um, but the way things happen in that, and to me, it wasn't good with happened with Mr. <inaudible> and, uh, but he has thrown the support behind me, not behind the CPC, uh, candidate. For me, that is huge. When a amount of that stature supports me as an individual. Yes. As an individual and my beliefs and my morals and same with the PPC platform. Right. Because if he didn't believe in the platform that he wouldn't stick his neck out to do so. Right, right. Right. So that's pretty well we're at right now. That's a brutal.
Speaker 0 00:09:23 So how have you found running and traveling and talking to all these individuals? What's your experience been since you decided to run for this platform?
Speaker 3 00:09:32 Um, at first I thought it was kind of overwhelming, but it wasn't, um, being in business for how long and president of Roba that, uh, it's not political because we're nonpartisan. Right. So because of that, I stepped away for my, my position and, uh, just to take a leave of absence while they do this, not to put Robin to bad later or whatever. Right. Um, but I've kind of been conditioned with my past to do this, even though I wasn't a politician. Right. But the ups and downs and a business and that with the slump and that it kind of conditioned me. Uh, so am I ready for it? A hundred percent? No, but I'm willing to learn and willing to try. Yeah. And I tell people, my business is failing because the lockdowns and everything, it's oil and gas. Yeah. So I am technically applying for new jobs to work for the taxpayers. All right. There you go. That's how I swing it as a job resume. Right. If you like my resume, get me in there. If you don't like me well, in four years, you fire me. Pretty simple. Right.
Speaker 0 00:10:24 That's awesome. I like that outlook. So in regards to the company that you do own, like what, what kind of, uh, what kind of organization is this? What do you guys do? What are the services you provide?
Speaker 3 00:10:33 It's oil and gas. Uh, we started off in the, uh, the gas pump world operations. So we had contracts to running different plants with many operators in area. So that's what got, got me started. Um, I started by myself and then we grew it and then I started buying some trucks, some heavy trucks, uh, gravel, hauling water, holding them out. And then when the recession hit and the price of natural gas dropped, um, the, the plants and the Wells started dropping like flies no longer feasible to run them were shut in mothballed or whatever. And we'd lost all of our contracts, you know, in a matter of over a year. Um, so again, more layoffs for my, for my employees and not. Yeah. Um, so I lean more on the trucking side, uh, water hauling, gravel, hauling, like I said, rig moves, stuff like that.
Speaker 3 00:11:17 Freezing the musky cake, whatever. Right. Whatever we can do to, to keep our doors open. Right. But the stumps set in harder, more layoffs and COVID came and then you got to start downsizing. Right? That's right. Getting rid of the debt, getting rid of the new stuff, keep the old stuff kind of thing. And letting people go that really hurt me. Some of them were over 10, 15 years employed by me. Right. So it's not an employee. It's a family. Your family member. No, you no longer have a job. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. Right. That hurts big time. And that's what many Alberta companies are facing. Small businesses are facing them. That's true. The lockdown it's only getting worse. So don't, I don't care what industry it is. We're all affected now. Everybody's affected.
Speaker 0 00:11:57 That's very true. All right. We're at the point of the show called the Mac city minute 10, or has a bunch of questions he's going to ask. Okay. I never know what he's going to ask. Neither do the guests. So I wish you nothing, but the best of luck Tanner hit him with the Mac CD minute, all
Speaker 4 00:12:12 Question. Number one. What is your favorite part of having such a large format and voice
Speaker 3 00:12:21 Freedom of speech? That's the big issue with me, uh, with the build they're trying to push through. We're threatened of losing them. So I believe we should all have our own voice, our own opinion and government should have no control over that. So that's a very big issue with me. It's freedom of speech.
Speaker 4 00:12:37 Question number two. What is one story from meeting a supporter on your campaign that stands out for you?
Speaker 3 00:12:45 I've heard so many and to tell you the truth. Many had brought me to tears. Um, I try not to hide my emotions. I'm a leader, I'm a father of two older boys, they're teenagers, right? So you'd try and keep your strength up as a man leader to family. But there's one story that sticks so big to me. Um, it happened at Edmonton about five, six days ago, um, was with Maxar on tour and he invited his indigenous candidates to attend with him. And there was four of us there. So we did our thing. It was great. And after we were shutting on wrapping up, this lady comes walking up through, she said, Sean, would you mind meeting my mum? She said, Hmm. I said, yeah, of course. So she nodded towards, she come from the crowd and she said, Sean, can I hug you?
Speaker 3 00:13:26 This little woman come up a little short Roman, can I hug you? I said, yeah, of course. You know, I give her a big hug. As soon as I wrapped my arms around her, she started crying. She told me she's a refugee. She was a refugee from Poland, uh, many years ago. And, uh, she seems socialism starting to kick in her country, starting to lose all their rights. All their freedoms was being taken away and she fought against it. And long story short, she ended up in jail for three and a half years in Poland. So she started looking for a way out and back then to her Canada was the freest country in the world. And that was her way. That was her ticket place to go. And she did. She lived there for many, many years. And uh, but now she says, Sean, I get that feel that same sensation coming back that same feeling about a government takeover and losing her freedoms again.
Speaker 3 00:14:13 And she started crying again, telling the story. She says, what do, what do I do? What can we do losing our freedoms again? She says, and it's it's happening all over again. So that story really rang with me and we actually put it on our social media and shared that story with her consent and have a picture with her. Yeah. So that's one, there's many like that believe me, many, a people, what their job was being threatened because of, uh, forced vaccinations, um, medical nurses, doctors, like I heard all these stories, people come talk to me, they phoned me the email telling me all these stories that they're losing their freedoms and they're upset with it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 0 00:14:46 There you go.
Speaker 4 00:14:47 Question number three. What is one past Canadian politician you would like to emulate
Speaker 0 00:14:54 Tanner with the question?
Speaker 3 00:14:55 Oh, there's many, but one of my favorite is Mr. Ralph Klein. He said like, it was, he knew that you had to deal with your debt and not increase it. Um, very direct. And he really does his province. Very, very good, very, very good, you know, between him and Mr. <inaudible> himself. Uh, they're both people that I really respect and, and really look up to and really try to Emily.
Speaker 4 00:15:22 Question number four. What is one thing that shocked you about our city on your last visit to Fort McMurray?
Speaker 3 00:15:29 Nothing really shocked me, I guess. Um, because people think I'm new here, but I'm not. I used to have many of my trucks and people working around here, including myself up in camp. Um, I have family here. My dad was a, uh, a labor for the local union union, 92 labor. He helped, uh, build some, some cruel and Syncrude back in the mid seventies back to the right. So our roots are here. Many of the Aboriginal people have started back then. Um, so, but what really shocked me and I shouldn't say it shocked me, but when I brought max here, uh, back on September 13th, we had a tourist Maxime, Bernier, or lead of the party. We started off in cold lake at noon. We had lock them up at three 30, ended up in McMurray here at seven o'clock. And the venue we had was a great venue and it was packed. It was packed. So the amount of support that we got throughout the writing, um, was unbelievable. And McMurray just felt like I was, I was home. I was home. So, yes.
Speaker 4 00:16:25 And your final question, what is one thing you've seen in Fort McMurray that you haven't found anywhere else on your campaign trail?
Speaker 3 00:16:35 Um, I think it sticks a little more, but as a diversity of the cultures, right. And all the minorities in that, and people just living together, working together, and we have that in our small towns, don't get me wrong, but there's more of a MacMurray and it's, it's very classy. What I see, um, all the love and respect mutual respect, but you know, all the cultures in that and people are just one big family. So I really love that about MacMurray. And
Speaker 4 00:16:58 Those have been your five questions.
Speaker 0 00:16:59 And speaking about family, you got two young boys, what are they getting up to? How do they feel about dad doing this? Your wife gave you the sign off, but one of the kids think
Speaker 3 00:17:08 They're stubborn and tough, like their old man. Right. And they're, they're old school like me as well. They had those little values and, uh, these sometimes get in trouble in school over those old values. So I would've got a call from their principal. Well, your boy did this. Okay. Well what caused that and whatever. Okay. Well the old mountain taught them that for me. So they're quiet. Right. You know, I always tell them, never ever throw the first punch, but you must defend yourself. Throw the last punch. I think, you know, I'm not, I'm not saying violence is the key, but you can't just stand there and take it right. Whether it's arguing or whatever it is, but sound that for what you believe is right. And that was handed down from my father as well. And from his father as well. Yes.
Speaker 0 00:17:46 So they're pretty pumped
Speaker 3 00:17:47 About this. They're pretty pumped about it. One just, and yes. And he's actually, uh, working in an area close to here. And, uh, and he told me just the other day he come out of camp and he said, daddy says, uh, they're talking forced vaccinations. And that he did get one, right. Not the second, but that was his choice up to him. He did it. And he said that if I don't comply, we got to start paying this $40 a day for the rapid testing out of our own pocket. So here's my boy, a young 18 year old boy, his first major job. He worked for me of course, in the shop and all that. But his first major job away from dad and he's faced with this right off the bat. Well, losing his freedom now it's costing him to work every day out of his pocket.
Speaker 3 00:18:27 Right. Right. It just, it blows me away. Yeah. Um, the young ones, uh, like me, he's a loose and fancy free and you never got his vaccination and his choice. Uh, my wife did like in, I'm being pretty open about it. I, myself chose not to. I had two vaccines in my life. Of course, the young ones when we're, you know, for all the young stuff, all the kids stuff. But I had two flu flu shots in my life. And both times ended up in the hospital with pneumonia in very rough shape. So when people ask me, Sean, aren't you a, why aren't you, you threatening your family, leaving your family and dying. If you don't get the vaccination. I said, that is exactly why I'm not getting it right. I don't want to end up in the hospital again and my chance of dying.
Speaker 3 00:19:08 But again, that's my free choice. Right? And same with masks. Uh, I, myself, I'm asthmatic, I have a sleep apnea machine. So I try to respect everybody where I go and wear the mask, but I can only work for so long. And then you just start feeling, we can, you know what I mean? Your, your, your, your blood oxygen drops. Right. And it's, that's not healthy. And to me, for young kids running around in schools, and that that's, that's not healthy. They should be playing, enjoying getting that oxygen and not be eating the same old air over and over. Right. So
Speaker 0 00:19:41 Yeah, there we go. Awesome. Well, my man, thank you very much for coming today. I really do appreciate it before the end of the show, before we cut you loose, though, everybody, everybody gets a shameless shout out or plug. So the camera's on you, the Mike's on you let's hear what you're gonna, what you're gonna talk about.
Speaker 3 00:19:55 Uh, the plug of course is going to be about not only my values and, uh, the party's values. But to me, when I talk about the selection, again, I don't, I never thought it'd be a politician. What, the only reason, the main reason why I'm doing this, because this election is not only about party against party and in this writing candidate against candidate, that's huge right now, but it comes down to our freedoms. We're literally fighting for freedoms. Uh, if we, if we don't pull this off and we get these other bills that are passed and these mandates, and that it's a good step towards socialism. And I'm totally against that. Um, I don't believe where somebody that's sitting on the couch playing video games all day should have equal pay as a guy that's working his butt off for it. A woman that's working their butt off to bring the bread home. It should not be equal. If you want to get off your butt and do it, you should get paid more. Yes.
Speaker 0 00:20:40 There we go. Awesome. Well, once again, thank you very much. The couches are not a couch. It's a seat. The seat is always open for you. So if you want to come back, please feel free to come back again. And again,
Speaker 3 00:20:50 You shouldn't have Elliot. I really think, uh, what you're showing that it's, it's great. Um, I'm not a big believer in mainstream media on that, but I love media such as yourself.
Speaker 0 00:20:58 Well, we are the furthest thing from mainstream media. I can assure you of that. And somebody waving at you. What do you, uh, what do you want them to say? Oh, your Facebook, he got to promote your Facebook. Where can people find you on Facebook?
Speaker 3 00:21:10 Well, our website is, uh, Sean McDonald, PPC that's CA and our Facebook is Sean PPC. Um, I forget, but it's on our face and it's on our website links,
Speaker 0 00:21:20 But okay, go check out the website, go check you out on Facebook, Twitter, Facebook, all of it. I'm assuming you're all over social mean
Speaker 3 00:21:27 All over social media is taken off, but we got a lot of followers and I appreciate that. And, uh, shows such as yourself. It really increases that sweater.
Speaker 0 00:21:34 There you go. You're more than welcome my man. All right, everybody at home. Thank you very much. That's another episode of the Mac city morning show. I really do appreciate you taking the time to watch and, uh, hopefully you're having a great day and we'll see you soon.
Speaker 3 00:21:45 Peace. Thank you.
