Before the Ballot- with Ward 6 Councillor Candidate Peter Werhun

Welcome to this instalment of Before the Ballot, with Ward 6 Councillor Candidate Peter Werhun.

What motivated you to run for council, and why do you believe now is the right time for new leadership in your ward?

The world and Canada are going through a pivotal moment right now. Hamilton sits at the crossroads of Southern Ontario - between the financial and services juggernaut of the GTA and the manufacturing and agri-food heartland of the Southwest. As one of the top-10 largest cities in Canada, we have a crucial voice at the table of the future of this country. But we can't play that vitally important role if our local region and its institutions continue to be dysfunctional. Ward 6 is, in many ways, a microcosm of Hamilton - demographically, culturally, economically, and politically. We are a diverse tapestry of people and interests and it is important for us to have strong, adaptable, innovative, and ethical leadership at the table now more than ever if we are going to come together and fight for a City we believe in.

The time is now for fresh leadership. I respect Councillor Jackson and his decades of service to our City in what is often a thankless job. But I want there to be a real alternative in this race, because the problems of 1988 are not the problems of today. I parallel this with my own experiences in international trade law. A fair number of the leaders in that field are at the tail end of their careers, having started as fresh lawyers at the dawn of the free trade era. But I believe we are now in the early days of a new era, one where rules and norms are more fragile than they have been for some time. I think it will take a new generation of leaders across all aspects of Canadian life to step up and take risks to lead in this brave new world we find ourselves in, and it starts by enabling our communities to fully function at the local, municipal level again.

Every ward has its own unique challenges. What do you believe are the top three issues facing residents in your ward today, and how would you address them?

The three biggest problems Ward 6 residents face are getting in, going out, and getting ahead. Getting into Ward 6 is not as easy as it was when my family moved here in the 1990s. Housing prices have quadrupled since 1990 while wages before inflation have only doubled. In relative terms, trying to find somewhere to live in Ward 6 is literally twice as hard as it used to be. And that kind of logic extends to renters as well, many of whom are young people trying to get on the property ladder or were left behind when the boom train left the station. I strongly believe that non-market housing has to fill the gap for three reasons: it makes economic sense right now, it makes economic sense for the future, and it is the right thing to do. It makes sense for our building trades, it makes sense for owners, and it makes sense for those with little to no housing options.

Getting out and across Ward 6 is an exercise in watching urban decay in real time. I try to avoid it, but with the Sherman Cut closed down I have had to use Kenilworth Access more often and let me tell you that the Reddit stories about people losing hubcaps are not an exaggeration. And the transit system is struggling to keep up (especially east-west), which probably explains why 90% of our Ward 6 residents commute to work by car every day. We absolutely have to handle Hamilton's massive infrastructure deficit, but we need to be honest with people and take our position as stewards of the public trust seriously. The contractor's job is to make sure that pipes don't leak our water; our job is to make sure that the project doesn't leak your money.

Getting ahead means making sure that Ward 6 residents are able to access services that they can rely on and that support them as they build families, businesses, and community. In my line of work, we hear about the big businesses and their problems a lot. But it's easy to miss out on how devastating some changes have been for small businesses. If there are ways that we can make life better for residents with little cost (like keeping around public blue box service for small businesses), then I am going to advocate for those. City government should be about doing big things responsibly and having the trust of the community to try out the "little things" to make things better - because they might have outsized benefits.

Municipal government often requires balancing competing interests and difficult budget decisions. How would you approach making tough decisions at City Hall?

I will take the same approach I take in my business and the same approach I advise my clients to take - proportionality and effective cost/benefit risk analysis. I have been faced with many situations where my back (or my client's back) is up against the wall and the most important thing is to stop and focus on what can be changed, what can't be changed, and what the chances of success are for a given course of action compared to the anticipated benefit. If you have a 10% chance of saving $50,000, then it probably doesn't make sense to spend more than $5,000 on trying to find a solution. Things aren't always that simple, especially when we are dealing with municipal government, but I believe proportionality can often help us when we are stuck spinning our wheels.

For example, I don't need or want a free lunch as a Councillor and would have followed the councillors who voluntarily opted out of the program. But how much breath has been spent on the City getting rid of free lunch for councillors and senior staff? For something that, at $26,000 a year, you couldn't find in the City budget with a jeweller's eye. I get that the story is something that people can sink their teeth into, but the main value of that kind of story should be if it is an example of bigger problems. In that case, we really need to be better at doing the follow up, because in the next term of Council is going to require all of us (Mayor, Council, staff, media, civil society, and citizens) to move mountains, not molehills.

What experience, skills, or perspective do you bring that distinguishes you from other candidates seeking the same council seat?

I am young, hungry for change, but also experienced and grounded. My education in law and science has provided me with the critical thinking skills and practical experience needed to navigate being on Hamilton's "Board of Directors". My experience in international trade law is a particular asset - not just because of the perspective it gives me on how Hamilton fits into the bigger story happening around us, but because of my own unique path in that field. Representing unions and workers' interests alongside business is almost unheard of, but trade is an area where co-operation not only often makes sense - it is often vital to advancing the interests of both workers and commerce. I will always keep our Ward 6 working class front of mind, but my strong sense of ethics and experience as a bridge-builder puts me in a great position to connect people with different points-of-view - and to use that reputation to find common-ground solutions that are principled but rooted in the need to achieve practical results rather than score political points.

What is the best way for voters to contact you and/or learn more about you? 

Please reach out to me and my campaign at contact@pete46.ca or visit our website pete46.ca and follow us on social media. I will appreciate any help I can get - whether that's in the form of engagement and learning about our residents' concerns, or whether it's coming out to door-knock, signing up for a sign, or donating to help push our message forward. I'm always happy to chat in person and signing up for the email list on our website is the best way to make sure you are up-to-date on where I am going to be in the community!

Peter Werhun
Candidate for Hamilton's Ward 6
pete46.ca

Thank-you Peter for engaging with Hamiltonians on The Hamiltonian!