A MacEwan University professor has thrown his hat in the ring for the federal election.
Greg Springate, a chartered professional accountant by trade, who is now a professor at MacEwan, is hoping to win over voters while representing the Liberal Party for the St. Albert-Edmonton riding.
Springate is passionate about federal politics and has experience working federally with the Auditor General of Canada.
“I used to audit a whole series of federal government departments and so I have some understanding about how the federal government works,” Springate said.
The Edmonton resident said he audited departments like Service Canada and the Department of National Defence.
“Are they working with due regard to economy efficiency and effectiveness?” Springate said.
Springate's job took him across Canada, and he has spent time living in Vancouver and Newfoundland. In Newfoundland, he spent time auditing offshore oil platforms.
After wrapping up auditing for the government in 2004, he moved to Edmonton be closer to family. Springate got a job as a senior manager with KRP LLP, where he would perform audits, reviews, compilations and did personal and corporate tax returns.
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In 2007, the prof, who has an MBA, started working casually at MacEwan University teaching and eventually transitioned to become a full-time professor teaching accounting, auditing, tax, finance and information systems.
“I just started teaching on the side ... and I was doing this because I would actually be nervous in front of people. And so I thought if I stand up in front of a class of 40 people, and you know, the next day have to make a presentation in front of some customers I would be golden,” Springate said.
But what started as a practice in public speaking turned into a passion after he saw how he could help his students learn and improve.
Springate is ready to jump from teaching into politics because he feels like he can have a wider impact.
“I've got a wealth of experience,” Springate said.
One of his big concerns involves the financial viability of social programs.
“My real concern is that there are a whole series of social programs in Canada but the question is, will we be able to afford them all going forward?”
“I would like to continue to have good social programs, and people seem to like the Canada Child Benefit, people like old age security, they like the transfers that go from the federal government to the provinces for healthcare and I would like to see that continue. And I think we need good financial management to make sure that happens.”
Springate is running for the Liberal Party because he says the party's values balance social sustainability, economic sustainability and environmental sustainability.
The professor said some of the biggest issues facing the riding are jobs, the economy, pipelines and tax reform.
