An Algonquin instructor is bringing her knack for business and the environment into the world of politics.

Jen Hunter is the federal candidate for the Green Party of Canada in the Ottawa-Centre riding.

“To run for an organization that believes in things that fit my heart and my value system, and that I believe are part of illuminating a path forward for Canada, it just seemed to make sense,” said Hunter of her decision to run.

Hunter hopes to make a change and stands for a “sustainable Canada that prospers in the future.”

She feels strongly about implementing the carbon tax as a way of holding industries and people accountable for their byproducts. She also has a strong view on immigration policy.

“We have a negative growth rate in this country, which means over time there will be a depletion of the population,” she said. “So we’re actually growing by immigration.

“Get people that are coming to this country with credentials – academic, professional, work experiences – to be attributed for the experiences they’re bringing, so they’re not coming here and being pushed down to the lowest capable contribution they could make.

“We’re not recognizing the skills they’re bringing.”

Hunter’s entrance into politics came after her involvement in Equal Voice, an organization working towards getting more women elected.

“I was in this constant conversation of how it’s difficult and we’ve never broken the barrier of 22 per cent in the last 10 years in federal politics; that was the trigger for me.”

Hunter said she has always been passionate about politics.

“To me it holds a lot of hope and possibility. The idea of having more women elected generally is very attractive to me.”

But her passion for the environment occurred much earlier in her life.

“I grew up outdoors,” she said. “I grew up in London, Ontario, so our place went down to the river and we were always outdoors and biking around. My mom in particular was very oriented towards nature.”

From spending a lot of her time outside as a child, Hunter became a camp councilor, and eventually a tree planter while attending Queen’s University.

Eight years ago, she worked as a technology executive.

“Our company was going more and more towards just technological solutions, and it seemed to me like it was leaving out the people.”

Hunter opened the Learning Catalyst to address their needs, working to get people together and host experiences and events with “meaningful and productive results.”

With experience as a business owner and a strong passion for environmental issues, Hunter was approached by Adrienne Armstrong, the owner of Arbour Environmental Shoppe on Bank Street to become an instructor for a new program beginning at Algonquin called green business management.

The program is currently in its second year and focuses on building, maintaining, and turning small to medium-sized businesses green.

The co-ordinator of the program, Claude Lloyd, said Hunter’s value as an instructor stems both from her political and business background.

“She comes across as being energetic,” said Lloyd. “She has such a broad network in the environmental and social arena, so that you can touch on a subject and there’s a good chance that she has a good understanding of it, but also has a network that she can connect you with,”  

Hunter hopes to bring a different perspective into parliament.

“Some of the questions that need to be asked in government aren’t being asked,” she said. “I would be a voice of opposition. So what opposition members are designed to do is look at what the government is proposing and put forward questions to hold them to account for a different way.”