Kwantlen policy student runs for Green Party MP

Former KSA exec, KPIRG director, Board of Governors member looking at Ottawa

Richard Hosein felt discontent in his proving days at KPU.

Calling himself an observer, Hosein has always thought that many things could be made better. He says he’s been privileged to grow up in a racially and politically diverse family and it resulted in a “broad perspective” of the world he lived in. That attitude got him involved at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. He joined clubs, started some, ran for the students of colour representative on KSA council, served two-terms on the KPU board of governors—and when I met him in 2013, he shook my hand as someone running for the B.C. Green party as an MLA.

Now he’s running to represent the riding of Fleetwood-Port Kells on the federal level. He says his time at KPU helped him get there.

“I used to be an electrician prior to 2011,” says Hosein. “I had little experience with political engagement. I’ve had some. I’ve had friends and romantic partners that have gotten me involved in politics at various levels. I had limited exposure before. I think coming back to school and seeing the faith that my fellow students had in me representing them kind of ignited me and it was reciprocal to the way a lot of community members saw me as a community leader.”

Regarding his political career at KPU, he began by co-chairing a student leadership conference, and after Hosein began joining and founding clubs, he had the opportunity to share his politics with other students.

The principles of anarchism, Hosein says, are at his “core values for an ideal society.”

“Hopefully we can be in  a society where we don’t need a government,” he adds.

“I guess the best way to describe it in any contemporary context is the world of Star Trek,” says Hosein. “It’s a very inclusive, kind of, highly-developed world. It’s progressive, and maybe we can get to something like that, where we’re not fighting wars, extracting resources at an alarming rate, and where we’re not polluting our air and water.”

Does he think it’s possible?

“Anything’s possible,” he says. “I could sit here and dwell on all the bad things in the world … but as long as I have the privilege to have the possibility to make change, I’m going to engage in it.”

Hosein is the co-founder of the Kwantlen Public Interest Research Group, which has a mandate focused on social and environmental justice. He says his time there hasn’t necessarily fit into his decision to run, conceding that it does, “cross over in the realm of public policy and the things Canadians care about.” But it’s ultimately the content of the work he did there—he’s trying to transition out of KPIRG now—that influenced what he’ll be engaged in as a candidate anyway.

His policy studies influenced his choice to join the Greens, specifically because of his sustainability policy niche. He attended NDP pipeline discussion forums and Green party forums, eventually joining the Young Greens—a faction of the Green party that serves Green Party members under the age of 30—in 2012. He says he’s even developed policy adopted by the Greens.

“After getting involved and realizing what the capacity and potential of running in a high profile political position, I realize that I can work within the system to hopefully change it for the better,” he says.

Hosein encourages students to do their research on their candidates, what they care about and how they plan to be a representative.

“And make a decision based on your values,” he adds.

Hosein says he believes in “good public policy,” which can come from any party; be it Conservative, NDP, Green or independents.