Through her election campaign, Perth-Wellington Green Party candidate, Lisa Olsen, wants to bring the topic of climate change back into the realm of political discourse.

“I believe that the environment really needs more attention than it’s getting, and I don’t think it can wait another four years… I really want to talk about climate change because it is happening, and it’s happening right now – and rural Ontario is going to be hit the hardest,” Olsen said, citing recent severe weather events such as ice and wind storms, and flooding.

Olsen, a Wellington County native who has worked alongside people with disabilities, the homeless, and children for the past two decades, and has written about social issues in publications such as the Waterloo Region Record, The Guelph Mercury, ParentsCanada Magazine, Grand Magazine, and 570 News, sees her career and volunteer work as an advocate for those in need as a good precursor to taking on the responsibilities of an MPP.

“I’m a professional advocate – that’s my job – and I think that really works in politics,” Olsen said, “especially when you’re representing a community in Ontario.”

Besides her environmental concerns and pledging, if she’s elected, to help farmers in Perth-Wellington transition to more environmentally sustainable operations, Olsen is also addressing the need for bolstered mental health support, additional low income housing, and alternatives to long term care — such as improved home-care options — through her campaign.

“The main benefit for electing a Green Party candidate would be that the other parties would recognize that the issues we’re bringing forward actually matter because they would be losing votes to it,” Olsen said. “…So even voting for us actually gives more advantage to the environment, and to these social issues that we’re facing.

“The environment didn’t even come up once in last Monday’s (party leaders) debate. And that shouldn’t be happening in 2018 – there’s no way that should be happening – because that’s our livelihood… Everything we do relies on whether we leave a planet behind for humans.”

gsimmons@postmedia.com