Michelle Lashbrook never imagined a few years ago that she would consider getting into politics.
"At one time I thought I did not want to be the front person in politics but I know I would not mind being behind the scenes because when you are the front person you can garner a lot of heat."
But this is 2022 and as we know a lot has changed.
Lashbrook, a resident of Callander, has no previous political experience but with the events over the past couple of years, she felt compelled to put her hat into the political rink as the Libertarian candidate for Nipissing.
"I was just really tired of the way things were going," admitted Lashbrook.
"But at this time I thought people have to start speaking up louder. I just thought of giving different options to people and to get people looking at things differently," said Lashbrook.
See related: Libertarian candidate enters Nipissing election race
Lashbrook has spent her entire life living in northern Ontario.
She and her partner Pat have five children and six grandchildren between them and run a small business out of their home.
She says many things attracted her to the Libertarian Party.
"Many things attracted me like freedom of choice, and personal responsibility," she said.
"I think there has been a trend for dependence from people on government and we need to get away from that.
"There are not many people in government that are ever held accountable for their actions, and I think people are getting tired of it," she said.
The Ontario Libertarian Party outlines what it is all about on its website.
"Libertarianism challenges the basic premise behind this trend - this view that what the state perceives as 'the common good' should be forced on the individual - and it challenges the idea on two fronts. In the civil area, Libertarianism supports all civil liberties and opposes all attempts by government to reshape its citizens' lives. In the economic area, Libertarianism challenges the right of government to restrict trade in any way, or to force citizens to support through taxes projects they will not willingly support on the free market," the site states.
Lashbrook believes her supporters need to stop going to the government for all the solutions.
"I think there has been a trend for dependence from people on government and we need to get away from that," she said.
"There are not many people in government that are ever held accountable for their actions, and I think people are getting tired of it."
Lashbrook says she is frustrated by the opioid crisis, the challenges in education and health care.
"The only thing that does not lose money is government," said Lashbrook.
"It does not matter to them because they never lose a paycheque right.
"Let's look at having less government and taking more personal responsibility and keeping more tax dollars in our pocket so we can make decisions for our families and our communities and change things because their models have obviously failed miserably."
Lashbrook believes she is a real person who is bilingual, with an English, French and First Nation background.
"I have the ability to interact with different groups of people I would work for what is best for the community and not what's best for me. I can take myself out of the equation and take a look at things from different points of view."
