Carleton student and political pirate Mike Bleskie is hoping to capture the Pirate Party of Canada’s (PPCA) first seat during the May 2 federal election.

The first-year enriched service program student and director-at-large of the PPCA, a newly formed, anti-copyright political party, is running to be an MP in Ottawa South.

Although repealing copyright laws and improving technological freedom is his main goal, like all candidates from the PPCA, he said he has an individual platform customized to the needs of the residents of Ottawa South.

“We set a policy which was to have . . . locally oriented platform[s],” Bleskie said. “That way the interests of the community are addressed in [a] person’s campaign rather than the candidate running purely on ideology.”

Mikkel Paulson, leader of the PPCA, said individualized platforms are a major selling point for potential voters.

“People are tired of the bickering in mainstream parties,” Paulson said. “People are ready to vote for alternative parties because they know something is wrong and they know it’s up to politicians to fix it.”

Originally a party from Sweden, PPCA has now turned into a worldwide movement against censorship and copyright with chapters in almost every European and North American country, according to Bleskie.

The term “pirate” has generated some snickers, he said, yet the majority of people are supportive of their platform.

The term “pirate” is in fact helpful when getting people’s attention and drawing people in, Paulson said.

Although the public may be supportive, Bleskie said he’s had a very negative reaction from his grandfather.

“He doesn’t believe that what I do is real politics. But the rest of my family is remaining supportive and encouraging,” he said.

The majority of the campaign will be done through online social media, Bleskie said.

Political science professor Peter Atack said this level of youth involvement in politics is inspiring and that more youth should get involved in the political process.

“One the great human rights revolutions was the Gutenberg revolution with the invention of print media and now, with social media, anyone can let their voice be heard,” Atack said.