Retired dentist Andrew Maxwell learned the value of universal healthcare early in life because, at the time, Canada didn’t have it. Two years before public healthcare became available to his family, his mother passed away, an event Maxwell says nearly bankrupted his father. Though his early years took him briefly to the United States and back to his birthplace of England, Maxwell eventually returned to Canada as an adult and has called Swan River home since 1978.

While the NDP has never formed a federal government, Maxwell says the efforts of Tommy Douglas and the party have profoundly shaped Canadian society. More recently, he points to the NDP’s collaboration with the current Liberal government as having laid the groundwork for a national pharmacare program.

Healthcare remains a cornerstone of Maxwell’s platform, but he also identifies affordability and tariffs as critical issues. “Tariffs beget tariffs,” he says, noting how protectionist measures can worsen the cost of living for everyday Canadians. Maxwell also reflects on the lessons of the pandemic, when society came to better recognize the importance of essential workers like grocery clerks, truck drivers, and healthcare professionals. He believes that every worker deserves a living wage.

On the topic of tax cuts—often a campaign promise across the political spectrum—Maxwell is cautious. “When I hear someone promoting tax cuts, I think, ‘So what services are you going to cut, too?’” he says. While he doesn’t anticipate a return to the much higher marginal tax rates of the mid-20th century, he warns that chronic underfunding of public services due to tax cuts serves no one.

Maxwell also highlights housing affordability as a major concern. He advocates for more government support, but also for building more reasonably sized homes and investing in energy-efficient systems to help keep costs down in the long term.

On rural crime, Maxwell argues that simply increasing policing isn’t the answer. Instead, he calls for a deeper focus on social work and community support services, addressing the root causes of crime rather than just its symptoms.