By Roy L Hales

Alexandra Morton is now the official Green candidate for North Island. She described her reasons for entering politics, and what needs to be done, in a quick ZOOM interview.

Alexandra Morton . Photo submitted (2014).

Morton: “The reason I’m running is that, over the last twenty years, I’ve seen the politics and policies that are killing off the wild salmon of this coast are also destroying our communities.”

“At this point, I think everyone is very worried as to what we are leaving to our children, the ones who come after us. They aren’t going to get nearly as much as we got. I think it is time to figure out how to do things differently … We need to figure out how we can thrive and the environment around us can thrive. So our kids get a chance.”

“There has to be solutions.”

“Obviously, I am very informed about salmon and I know there is no reason to lose these fish. It is so frustrating to watch the mismanagement just go on and on.”

“In fact, we can have an aquaculture industry. We could have a very successful, cutting edge aquaculture industry. We have people that know how to grow fish, but it has to get out of the ocean and get onto land – like it is elsewhere.”

“Then with the wild salmon, the ones in the ocean, there is some phenomenal science in DFO that can actually read their immune systems. So the fish then start to ‘talk’ to us and tell us what is going on. That is so exiting, it goes back to the legends of the people who were here first. They always said the salmon could talk. Now we get a chance to catch up with them and be able to do that as well. We can ‘hear’ the fish say, ‘this is what is going on with us.’ Then we can try to change our behaviour and go back to the fish and say ‘did we make it better for you or not.”

“Now, I know that salmon aren’t the only issue for the North Island.”

“So I’m going to be on a steep learning curve. I want to hear from people. I don’t really want to complain. We’re past that. I want to know the issues and what people think are the solutions.”

“I’m a hard worker. I’m ready to learn. I have a very open mind.”

“For the people who are worried about splitting the vote, I know, I hear you – I’ve been one of those people.”

“We have seven years to change climate change around. I don’t really know what we are saving ourselves for.”

“As far as I am concerned, the current NDP Government has done some really good things. They’ve taken us through COVID as much as is possible. A lot came at them, things that governments have never faced before. I watched a government actually listen to science, which to me –  was astonishing. I appreciate that they have spoken to us as adults because we are adults. We can take it. Also, the NDP government – when the First Nations in the Broughton Archipelago said salmon farms are going to get out, there is no two ways about it and here is how it is going to work – they went along with it.”

“But on many other issues, I think they need help because if there is one thing I know, it is how hard it is to deal with these big corporations.”

[Corporations] “ … have a model, which is growth. They are based on share price, not even necessarily the sale of the fish, they are based on share price. They simply have to get bigger, and bigger, and bigger – and that is not going to work in the natural world.”

“They just need strict rules from government and I am sure they will comply. They will carry on under new rules that have to do with sustainability – because we are all heading for the cliff.”

“This effort to become MLA of this fabulously rich North Island riding where I have lived for 37 years is very exciting to me.”

“I’m really looking forward to hearing from people.”