Damian MacInnis; photo courtesy of Nova Scotia Liberal Party
The provincial Liberal candidate, Damian MacInnis, says it was the housing sector that drove him to politics.
“My passion is for the people here,” he told The Hawk in a telephone interview “Anybody that knows me knows I love this place more than anybody I know. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that everybody’s voice is heard.”
Housing and jobs are top of mind for him, like many people he’s spoken to in the riding, says MacInnis.
“We need more jobs,” he says. “And in order to get jobs, [people] need housing. These are the two factors right now that I’m going to focus on and I really believe that there’s opportunities on the horizon, that we’re going to see that.”
Prior to being acclaimed, MacInnis worked as a developer – a role he’s since stepped back from.
MacInnis has also served Executive Director of the Strait Area Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Officer for Inverness County.
His company, Colindale Business Solutions helps businesses with startup, operations and expansion. He also founded the Rural Cape Breton Living Society, a non-profit social enterprise which focuses on developing affordable, sustainable housing.
He says his experience as an entrepreneur would serve him well if elected, highlighting the need for creative solutions to the housing crisis.
When asked how he would improve access to housing in the riding, MacInnis cited the actionable items outlined in the Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission’s final report which came out this spring.
“The goal would be to follow what those actionable items are,” he says. “However, there’s still a number of ways we can look at either re-jigging the existing programs that are out there or look at other avenues for p3 partnerships or anything like that.”
MacInnis, who’s a resident of Inverness, says he’s excited to work for the people of the riding, should he be elected.
