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When Rob Wagner found he didn't like any of his voting options, he decided to do something about it.

"Rather than complain, I got involved," said the Oakville resident and New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate for Halton Riding.

Now, he's doing his best to convince voters that he has what it takes to represent them in the federal government.

"A new optimism and fresh ideas" are what Wagner said he and the NDP have to offer in a political climate that's been dominated by two parties, the Conservatives and the Liberals, for the past quarter-century.

"I think it's time for a bit of change," he said in an interview.

Wagner is no stranger to politics, having missed being elected to Oakville town council in 2003 by less than 1,000 votes.

He said he's the only "left of centre" candidate in the Halton Riding.

Canada is currently in an economic situation that resembles the recession of the early '90s, Wager said, and it's hitting the majority of Canadians hard.

The NDP is on the side of those Canadians, he said.

"(We're) more concerned with everyday Canadians rather than tax cuts to oil and banks," said Wagner, a parks co-ordinator with the City of Hamilton and operator of an online media advertising business.

Wagner said that in the midst of 500 jobs being cut at the Ford plant in Oakville, NDP leader Jack Layton announced an $8 billion plan over four years to train displaced workers, re-tool automotive plants so they can produce more environmentally-friendly vehicles and fund research and development for more environmentally-friendly manufacturing.

"It's a fact that people buy less SUVs and big cars. So why not give incentives for companies to switch to what people want?" Wagner said.

To address skyrocketing gas prices, Wager said Layton has pledged to institute an ombudsman to look into the situation.

"It really is a fraudulent cartel that needs to be exposed. This is strictly price-gouging," he said.

While the Conservatives have their controversial Green Shift plan, Wagner said the NDP's cap-and-trade system puts the onus on big polluters to pay the consequences, rather than on regular Canadians.

With the cap-and-trade system, pollution is lowered by law, with a cap placed on emissions. Industry is allowed to buy and sell pollution credits as they reduce their own emissions, says an NDP press release, resulting in a decrease in greenhouse-gas emissions of 80 per cent by 2050.

The money from polluters then goes to fund the aforementioned $8 million plan, Wagner said.

"A balance needs to be found between profitability and sustainability."

In Halton, childcare is an extremely important topic, with long wait lists for spaces.

Wagner said it's crucial that it be affordable for everyone.

"Research shows that for every $1 invested in high-quality childcare, it's returned to the economy two-fold," he said.

The Conservatives' $1,200 per year Universal Child Care Benefit "isn't even close to cutting it," he said.

Wagner said the federal government must train more workers and provide funding for more spaces.

With such huge issues as health and childcare on our plates, Wagner said there are much better uses for the money the government is spending on the war in Afghanistan.

"As a country, shouldn't we have our own house in order?" he asked.

He said he believes the mission should either end now or be solely for peacekeeping.

Something that needs more federal funding is infrastructure, which Wagner said has been unfairly downloaded to municipalities -- while some areas, like Halton, face huge growing pains, yet is being neglected.

Wager said we should be promoting ourselves more aggressively.

"We should be fighting to lure good jobs and investment into the community," he said.

Another area that's lacking funds is community services and that leads to problems like homelessness, Wagner said.

A cash investment into those vital services will help ensure people aren't living on the street, he said.

Canada is often lauded for its health care system, Wagner said, but too many people can't afford expensive medications they're prescribed.

That, he said, is something the NDP would address by helping make cheaper, generic drugs available to the public sooner.

There are also too many doctors leaving the country to practice, resulting in a shortage of family doctors, Wagner said.

The NDP would institute a program where doctors and nurses who practice family medicine for 10 years have their debts forgiven, Wagner said.