Each week, the Powell River Peak, Whistler Question, Squamish Chief and Coast Reporter are asking candidates running in West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding in the May 2 federal election a question and reporting on their replies.
The first question is: If elected, what issues concerning the riding would you take to Ottawa?
Terry Platt, New Democratic Party: So many people who live in the riding are dealing with unemployment and sky high housing costs. The riding has some of the highest housing costs in Canada. A large percentage of residents have to commute daily to Vancouver, often by ferry. And those who live up the coast find that they can not find local employment and are often forced to move to the Vancouver area. I would bring these concerns to Ottawa and work at bringing the attention onto local jobs and industries while promoting environmental protection. Affordable housing and increased CPP (Canada Pension Plan) is also an issue that I would bring up. I know of seniors who are forced to sell their homes and move to different communities so that they can afford to live comfortably. While this riding has one of the richest postal codes in Canada, there are a heck of a lot of low income people living here too.
Brennan Wauters, Green Party: Forestry as our greatest natural resource and its management is ripe for transformation to a sustainable and innovation-filled future providing new jobs and infrastructure. This transformation will preserve old growth forests and ensure the rejuvenation of an industry which is in need of attention. Investment in value-added infrastructure ensures that the resources we exploit are put to best use and benefit to all. The same transformation awaiting the forestry sector can be applied to the energy sector; continued focus on the export of dirty fossil fuels can be easily forgone by allowing BC to become a global source of clean energy technology particularly in tidal power generation, wind turbine manufacturing, and advanced clean energy transportation systems. There is no need to continue the destruction of precious and fragile environments in BC, nor any need to place the ecology of the West Coast in jeopardy from oil tankers.
John Weston, Conservative Party: If re-elected, I would build on the momentum created by our government nationally and by me personally in our riding, in conjunction with the vast team of mayors, councillors, aboriginal leaders, business leaders, and others who have created over 100 projects in our riding, attracting over $240 million. Many of these projects are just now being completed; others need to be pushed over the finish line. The projects were created under Canada’s Economic Action Plan, which launched over 26,000 projects nation-wide, timely, targeted investments that bolstered infrastructure, stimulated the economy, and created over 480,000 jobs since July 2009. An unnecessary election has intervened; we must resume the momentum as soon as possible.
I’d also like to expand on the momentum created by my Private Member’s Bill, C-475, which attracted widespread public and parliamentary support in battling Crystal Meth and Ecstasy. I foresee other initiatives that will build on this consensus.
(Editor’s note: The Peak did not receive a submission from Liberal candidate Dan Veniez.)
