Karl Ivan MacKinnon is the Libertarian Party of Canada’s candidate for Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry in the upcoming federal election, bringing a platform focused on fiscal restraint, transparency, and reducing government overreach.
A longtime resident of North Glengarry, MacKinnon says his candidacy is rooted in public service—so much so, he’s pledged to decline a salary if elected.
“I’m happy to do this as a public service,” said MacKinnon. “The average guy has to put his tools down and deal with these kinds of problems—they’re very serious. That’s my commitment to the constituents of SDG—I’ll do it for free.”
MacKinnon, who studied marine engineering and instrumentation at St. Lawrence College and spent most of his career in Western Canada, working as an instrument mechanic, and later as a professor at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary, now works at a local dairy, and resides in Dalkeith. He emphasized the need to address government inefficiency and corruption, calling for spending reforms and greater public input on large expenditures.
“I think any government project over $40 million (a ballpark figure, open to debate) should go to public discussion or plebiscite,” MacKinnon said. “They’re shoveling money out the door to parties unknown, and nothing gets finished. That’s a problem.”
He proposes recall legislation to hold elected officials accountable, particularly in cases of scandal. “We need a formal process for removing bad actors from Parliament. If there’s merit to a scandal, the MP should face a by-election or resign.”
MacKinnon also criticized federal spending on foreign aid and large-scale infrastructure projects, arguing they often lack oversight and deliver little value. “I’d really love to know where all that money went,” he said. “There’s a lot of waste we can eliminate before touching any supports for vulnerable people.”
On housing, a major issue in SDG, MacKinnon said the crisis stems from “bad government policy” and market interference. “They brought in 5 million people and created a problem. The market can take care of itself—if it’s allowed to be free,” he said, pointing to municipal development fees and federal “pet projects” as barriers to affordability.
MacKinnon draws a clear line between Libertarian and Conservative values. “Libertarianism descends from the Age of Enlightenment. It believes that more government is a bad thing, unless it’s absolutely necessary. We need to stop expecting the government to do everything for us.”
Election Day is April 28. Voters can cast ballots early at their local Elections Canada office until April 22 at 6 p.m.
