About Marc Brandson
When were you born?
Between 1981 and 1996 (Millennial)
Tell our readers a bit about your professional life. What do you do for a living? If you're an incumbent candidate, what did you do before you entered politics?
I am in management in an accredited animal care facility that focuses on conservation, education and long-term financial viability. I have been privileged to work alongside dedicated animal care professionals, researchers and scientists with a wide range of animal species in support of a vision of a sustainable and healthy planet.
In addition, I have a strong belief in volunteerism, and I am a long term volunteer with Winnipeg Folk Fest, a citizen board member on the research board with Department of Fisheries and Oceans, a board member on the heritage board of Grant’s Old Mill, among other volunteer ventures.
What's the highest level of education you've attained?
Bachelor's degree
How long have you lived in the constituency? If you don't currently live there, what led you to run there instead of where you live?
My spouse Faye and I purchased our home in the constituency in 2016. For Faye, it was a homecoming, as she grew up in the constituency and lived there from childhood until University. Our children attend school, play sports and take extra-curricular lessons in the constituency, and we cannot imagine living anywhere else.
What is the biggest challenge facing your constituency, and how would you address it?
Constituents have told me that the biggest challenge they face is the lack of access to healthcare, along with a lack of dignified and accessible supports for seniors.
Healthcare in Manitoba is understaffed and under resourced. If elected, I would work with all members of the Legislative Assembly to ensure that Manitoba is able to recruit and retain qualified health care practitioners by compensating them fairly, and ensuring a safe and respectful working environment.
I would also seek to increase the capacity of our post-secondary institutions to educate more nurses, physician assistants and doctors.
With respect to the health needs of seniors in the constituency, the Manitoba Liberal Party would provide grants for seniors to retrofit their homes to meet their changing accessibility needs, improve staff ratios in Long Term Care Homes, and create an Independent Seniors Advocate to investigate, advocate and provide solutions for government on issues that affect seniors.
If elected, what will be your first priority?
I am a results-oriented problem-solver by nature, and if elected, my priority would be to build non-partisan relationships with other elected representatives to better serve both the constituents of Tuxedo, and Manitobans generally. The constituents I have spoken with have told me that their biggest challenge is access to healthcare, and therefore my first priority would be to identify achievable goals and get to work on making them a reality.
Who are your role models in politics, and why?
My father, and his whole family were very politically engaged, so I grew up around spirited debate, volunteerism, and a sense of civic duty. During the 2019 election, when I went to research the candidates in my riding, I found that there only the Conservative party had a registered candidate in Tuxedo. I knew that my early role models would not abide such an erosion of the democratic process, and I felt personally responsible to live up to the ideals they had instilled in me.
Since that time, I have been fortunate enough to be mentored by Dr. Jon Gerrard, the MLA for River Heights. Jon’s tenacity, commitment to positive politics, and dedicated service to the community is what inspired me to run again this election year.
Tell us something about yourself that voters might find surprising.
My wife and I eloped in Paris. I highly recommend it.
Other candidates in constituency:
Heather Stefanson (Progressive Conservative)
Larissa Ashdown (New Democratic Party)