Strait Talk Episode 30

NDP Candidate Marc Currie Discusses His Bid for Richmond Riding

Marc Currie, the NDP candidate for Richmond, recently sat down with Civic Journalist Jake Boudrot to share his thoughts ahead of the Nova Scotia election on Nov. 26.

Currie, 62, has a diverse background, having lived in Quebec, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia. Born in Montreal, he brings experience from various roles, including serving as a union steward during his time working in water and sewage treatment plants.

“You get used to organizing and talking to people and having negotiations with bosses that have a different point-of-view, of course,” Currie explained, highlighting how his union experience shaped his ability to advocate and engage with diverse perspectives.

Currie describes himself as a “boring” person, a trait he believes works to his advantage.

“A lot of the things that I think will make me good (as an MLA) is really because I’m really not all that exciting,” he said. “I read things through. I make my own judgments on them, which is one of the reasons I decided to run.”

When asked why he chose to run for office, Currie pointed to what he sees as a troubling lack of transparency in the current Progressive Conservative government.

“When the NDP was in power, I would write letters to the MLA or ministers about issues that I wanted to point out, and I would always get a response back which would be dated and signed,” he recalled. “The Liberal government, again, I did the same thing—wrote them letters through Canada Post—and the responses would be coming back dated and signed.”

Currie noted a stark contrast with the current government. “The last couple of letters that I wrote to this current government, I did get a response, but they were not dated and signed, which means in today’s world of computerized printers and everything, there’s no way I could show it to anyone and say, ‘this was an official government response.’ That raised one of my alarm flags.”

With a focus on integrity, accountability, and attention to detail, Currie aims to bring a steady, thoughtful approach to the legislature if elected.