Liberal Grant Gordon
[attach]5535[/attach]The motto of Toronto-Danforth Liberal candidate Grant Gordon’s company, Key Gordon Communications, is ‘branding the good guys.’
After creating advertising campaigns for clients such as Greenpeace and Doctors Without Borders, Gordon is now hoping to brand himself as the riding’s new MP.
“Through my work I’m trying to change behaviour in a large-scale way and I guess you could say that the campaign to be elected is the same thing,” said the first-time candidate. “I’m trying to change people’s behaviour from voting for the NDP to bring it back to the Liberal Party.”
Gordon, who lives in the riding with his wife and three kids, said he threw his hat into the race in hopes of continuing the work he has already been doing.
“I’ve been working on mostly social change projects through my company,” he said. “I have a sense that I might be able to make more of an impact inside government as opposed to advocating from the outside.”
He said his political campaign will focus on the three P’s: people, planet and profits.
“I think that whatever it is we’re doing we have to make sure it’s helping people, it’s helping the planet and it’s economically sustainable,” he said.
[attach]5536[/attach]His campaign website states that part of the reason the house league hockey coach is working to combat global warming is because it poses a threat to shinny hockey. Gordon described the statement as a light-hearted anecdote about a serious issue.
“It’s very hard to change our behaviour,” he explained. “So when you can’t have a backyard rink anymore, I think that’s a very powerful indicator to people.
“It’s sad that we need it, but it’s a powerful indicator that the planet is warming.”
This Family Day, faced with above-seasonal temperatures, Gordon engaged in a game a ball hockey with local children and former Liberal leader Stephane Dion while announcing that he had formed a panel of environmental advisors.
“We just wanted to show how many really knowledgeable environmentalists are standing behind me and encouraging me,” said Gordon of the announcement.
The relatively warm temperatures of late have likely made canvassing easier for Gordon and his team.
“One issue that I’m hearing over and over and over again, and it’s coming from moms, they’re talking about their children having asthma,” he said. “They’re talking about air quality and they’re very concerned.”
If elected, Gordon said he intends to investigate emissions from smokestacks located at Logan and Carlaw avenues.
He said he also plans to address the concerns of struggling small businesses and one way to do that would be to encourage them to go green.
“I think that being green as much as possible, it pays off in the end and it will make us money in the end or at least save us money,” he said. “Even retail stores that change all their light bulbs and become as energy efficient as possible will save down the road for sure.”