• York–Durham Green Party candidate Matt Pearce is running his first campaign for public office, bringing a lengthy background in small business and deep family ties to the region.
  • Pearce supports cutting income tax on earnings up to $40,000 and investing heavily in infrastructure to tackle affordability and boost long-term economic health.
  • On housing, he backs bans on corporate purchases of single-family homes and calls for public housing covenants that ensure lasting affordability.
  • Pearce rejects the idea that immigration is worsening the housing crisis, blaming speculation instead and supporting stronger regulations to support new homebuyers.
  • His climate platform focuses on major infrastructure investments, including a national energy grid, retrofitting programs, and green tech innovation.
  • Pearce backs better compensation for healthcare workers, Indigenous-led health services, and rural and mobile care to address system pressures.

 

Matt Pearce of the Green Party of Canada is a first-time candidate who lives on the York–Durham border. He spends much of his free time in the riding and brings decades of experience in the automotive, manufacturing, and service sectors to the ballot.

“I have deep familial roots throughout the region, and I’ve spent the past 20 years—my entire working life—in small business,” Pearce said. He noted his successes in leading several companies through periods of rapid growth.

Bullet Point News asked the five registered York–Durham candidates to respond to a series of questions on key federal issues. Focusing on their platforms and how they would affect the riding, each candidate’s responses are being shared in the order received.

At the time of publishing, responses were received from three York-Durham candidates: Robert Grossi (Liberal), Matt Pearce (Green), and Patricia Conlin (PPC). NDP candidate Justin Graham has indicated an intention to participate, and no response has been received from Conservative candidate Jacob Mantle or his campaign.

 

Party Leadership

Q: While Bullet Point News tends to focus on policy, we know there is a large percentage of voters who make their voting decision based on party leaders. What’s your pitch for yours?

“The Green Party is doing something unique to Canadian politics with co-leadership. Elizabeth May is the experienced old guard, a practical legend in Canadian politics as the first ever elected Green MP.

Jonathan Pedneault is someone who puts his values, even if it disregards his personal safety, first. He believes in a politics rooted in integrity, bold action, and genuine connection with people. From the frontlines of global conflicts to the frontlines of Canada’s most pressing challenges, he has never shied away from standing up for what’s right.”

Tariffs & Trade

Q: How would your party deal with President Trump and his tariffs and economic threats, and what policies will you pursue to provide relief should the worst economic outcomes be realized?

“The United States has gone past economic threats to an economic attack. The hard reality is that Canada simply isn’t doing enough value add at home. We should be doing more processing and finishing in this country, and finding new trading partners worldwide for those products.

The Green Party’s tax plan to eliminate income tax up to $40,000 is relief for those most hurt. Building a strategic reserve for critical supplies will help businesses have predictable and stable input pricing.”

The Economy & Job Growth 

Q: With new economic challenges stemming from the US, what is your vision for developing Canada’s economy, and how would your party’s policies support job creation and innovation while ensuring benefits are distributed equitably across regions and demographics?

“With the new reality of our relationship with the US, Canada has to diversify. We’ve been sending raw materials, crude oil, and unprocessed agricultural products south of the border for too long. It’s time to do value add here.

We also need to significantly improve infrastructure at all levels, locally and across the nation, to trade with each other.”

Affordability & Inflation

Q: What specific policies would your party implement to help address affordability issues and provide relief while also addressing long-term fiscal and economic stability?

“Cutting income tax for earnings up to $40,000 is going to help those most in need immediately, and these are the people most affected by cost of living increases.

Infrastructure investment is critical to the overall health of the nation and it hasn’t been focused on in over a decade. Great, future-proof infrastructure helps build the overall economy, and while it is expensive to build, it’s an investment that pays dividends for centuries if done correctly.”

The Housing Crisis

Q: What combination of federal policies are you and your party proposing to address both housing affordability and the need for supply in such a challenging macroeconomic environment?

“We will stop corporations from purchasing single family homes and use covenants to make sure housing built with public money stays affordable forever. We also need to address the labour shortage, financing constraints, and attitudes towards medium density housing.”

Supporting Municipalities

Q: What will your government do to support municipalities and ensure growth-related costs are not put onto existing property taxpayers?

“Infrastructure is the most critical way the federal government can help ease the burden on municipalities. Federal investments into local infrastructure projects can ease the major costs associated with even small projects.”

The Pickering Airport Lands

Q: What is your and your party’s position on the decision to cancel the Pickering Airport and move a majority of the lands into the Rouge National Urban Park? If elected, would that direction change?

“The Green Party fully supports the land being a part of the Rouge National Urban Park.”

Immigration

Q: High immigration rates have played a role in the intensification of Canada’s housing crisis, however it is well recognized that immigration is crucial to our long-term economic outlook and desired growth trajectory. What would a Green government’s immigration policy look like, and how will those concerns be balanced?

“As an employer, I can say that the myth of excess immigration is completely false. Canadians simply don’t have enough children to consider our current levels of immigration as excessive.

The housing affordability crisis isn’t due to lack of supply, there are lots of empty condos across the GTA. Speculative corporations using single family homes as investments has to end, and the Green Party will do that.”

Climate Change

Q: With the consumer carbon tax now removed, what climate policies would you and your party champion that will drive down emissions without excess economic consequences?

“This is, again, an infrastructure question. We need to build and invest in a green economy.

It isn’t an overnight solution. It’s a long term plan to set Canada up for the future and includes a national energy grid, clean power projects, national retrofit projects for commercial and residential buildings, and research into clean technologies.”

Healthcare

Q: What concrete steps would your party take to strengthen Ontario’s healthcare system while respecting provincial jurisdiction, and how would your government make sure funding gets to where it is needed most to ensure improvements?

“This is a national issue for all Canadians, and it starts with fair compensation for our overworked healthcare professionals, streamlining credential recognition for internationally trained professionals, and improving working conditions.

At the base it’s not a funding issue, it’s how we’re using that funding to reach the maximum number of patients. We will have a strong focus on underserved and rural areas, pledging stable funding for Indigenous-led health services, mobile health clinics, and expanded telemedicine.”