Renée Miller knows what it’s like to fight long odds.
As a criminal defence lawyer who works exclusively with legal aid cases, she’s had more than her share of uphill battles.
Similarly, both of her parents were committed Conservatives but she became a member of the Liberal Party at age 18 — in the Tory heartland of Calgary, Alberta.
Maybe it’s because of this background of stubbornly sticking to her principles against all odds that makes the Victoria and Port Alberni resident so bright-eyed and enthusiastic at the prospect of taking on the James Lunney juggernaut, which flattened the previous Liberal candidate, confining him to just under 10 per cent of the popular vote.
“We have a lot of ground to recover, but I’m not afraid of long odds,” she said.
One of the reasons Miller said she wants to be the MP for Nanaimo-Alberni is to increase the representation of women in Canadian politics.
“I am committed to seeing more women represented in the House of Commons,” she said. “Women make up more than half of the population, but 22 per cent of MPs.”
As well, the 35-year-old wants to see more younger people getting involved in politics at all levels — including in Ottawa.
“It’s important to engage young people in politics and I hope to bridge some of those gaps,” she said.
This is the first time Miller has run for political office, but her candidacy for the Liberals comes as no surprise — even if the timing does.
“It’s my very first foray,” she said. “I always planned to get into it but thought it would come a little later.”
What motivated her to run however, was what she sees as the erosion of Canadian democracy under the Harper Conservatives — an erosion she fears will only accelerate if he is able to win a majority government.
“Democracy gets me fired up,” she said. “Knowing the Harper government is the only one in the history of the Commonwealth to be held in contempt of Parliament really bothers me.”
Miller, who earned her law degree from the University of Alberta in 2005, as well as a Masters’ degree in English from the same institution in 2006, said the Conservatives have shown misplaced priorities with taxpayers’ dollars.
“Conservatives are committed to tax cuts for corporations while Liberals have demonstrated a commitment to comprehensive childcare plans and education,” she said. “Education is a priority for Liberals, but not a priority for Conservatives.”
When asked about whether she feels her candidacy could split the progressive vote and allow Lunney to win yet another term as MP, she laughs.
“If you vote NDP in this election, you’re voting for Harper,” she said. “As a young, female candidate I am well positioned to appeal to the NDP. I’m a criminal defence lawyer, working exclusively with legal aid, working with disadvantaged people and I’m committed to social justice, so that should appeal to NDP voters as well.”
An avid kayaker, cyclist, skier and hiker, Miller said she plans to use her physical fitness to pound some serious pavement over the course of the month-long campaign.
“I’m an endurance athlete and you will see enthusiasm on my face until the end,” she said.
“I’m devoting as many hours of every day to make sure we are as successful as possible in this campaign.”