Skip to content

We asked our riding's candidates islanders' questions, here are their answers

The Undercurrent asked all of the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country candidates a selection of submitted and reporter questions. Here is what they had to say. They are listed here in random order.
Pexels

With the election less than a week away, here's what West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country candidates had to say. General election day is Oct. 21. 

Terry Grimwood

Terry Grimwood
Terry Grimwood - Courtesy of Terry Grimwood

Party: Independent (Canada Fresh Party)

Age: 67

Occupation: Yacht Designer & Builder

Residence: Sechelt, Sunshine Coast

Website: canadafreshparty.com

What do you see as the most pressing issue facing Bowen Islanders and what will you do to address it? Having a mix of housing for all people in the community. I have been designing and building housing on the Sunshine Coast for 12 years. I was a licenced builder for 10 of those 12 years. I have four years experience in municipal government, I was elected twice to the North Vancouver City Council when I was 20 years old studying at UBC. I know the solution and I know how to get funding.

What will your party do to address climate change? Promote a floating bridge to Bowen Island and the Sunshine Coast. Canada's bridges impact energy. P.E.I.'s 13-kilometer Confederation Bridge every year replaces the ferry service that would cause the equivalent of 16 million litres of fuel and the release of 44 thousand tons of carbon dioxide. Convert pleasure boats to electric/hydrogen fuels. Airplanes converted to electric. Support local foods/farms. Support a TerraPower program in rural Canada. 

How will your party address housing affordability? Encourage Canada's Pension Funds to provide mortgage money to build Housing for seniors, students, families. We have the talented Builders. We have the land, we have the Architects. Lets invest our Pension funds in our communities. 89% of Canada's Pension Funds are invested off shore. Canada first, bring some of our pension funds home.

What is your party's stance on the tension between federal and provincial health care funding? Canada needs a level playing field. The same services for all Canadians. The federal Government needs to help fund it. Use Canadian Pension Funds to build more Hospitals and Senior facilities. Where do you and your party stand on LNG? We need it. Howe Sound is not the right fit.

Will your party make adjustments to the B-20 stress test and/or allow longer amortizations on insured mortgages? Allow longer amortizations. Support Bank of Canada's Governors ideas.

What are your thoughts on banning assault weapons and restricting handguns? We have no need for either. Ban Them.

If elected, how will you resolve differences of opinion between your constituents and party? Through Education/discussion and compromise.

How has your personal and professional experience prepared you for being this riding's MP? Elected twice to municipal government in North Vancouver City when I was a 20 years old and a student at UBC. I built the first commercial racquetball/squash (international) indoor tennis, ice rink, 25 meter pool facilites in North Vancouver. I also design and build yachts (sail & power). In my lifetime I have employed hundreds of people and am very much aware of their needs and the needs of their families. I have been working for two years to start a new political party called Canada Fresh. I ran in the Burnaby South by-election in February of this year.

Who is your favourite past Prime Minister and why? Pearson. I wanted to be a diplomat and that is why I ran for Municipal Government Office. They wanted me to have experience in Government at one level or another. Pearson's accomplishments speak for themselves.

 

Judith Wilson

Judith Wilson
Judith Wilson - Courtesy of Judith Wilson

Party: New Democratic Party

Occupation: Lawyer

Residence: Sunshine Coast near Langdale

Twitter: judithwilsonBC

Facebook: judithwilsonBC

Website: judithwilson.ndp.ca

What do you see as the most pressing issue facing Bowen Islanders and what will you do to address it? The key issues throughout this riding are climate change and affordability of life. The NDP has a job-rich climate change plan to take us into a green economy and eventually to a net zero emissions world. In the meantime we will address the urgent needs for affordability with a housing strategy to build rental accomodation, to provide rental subsidies while we get the homes built and put in place pharmacare and dental care and universal child care. We will cap cell phone and internet fees and get rid of interest on student loans. We will put $30 million into BC Ferries to help lower fares. We will also put in a foreign buyers tax on property purchases and aggressively seek the billions of dollars in tax revenues currently lost to offshore tax havens to fund the programs that are needed

What will your party do to address climate change? The climate change strategy involves immediate declaration of climate emergency and legislate science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets to be net zero by 2030. We will continue carbon pricing and stop subsidies to oil and gas and provide investment funding for solar and wind power. There will be a Canadian climate bank to boost investment in renewable energy and support inter-connected power grids and smart grid technology. We will help citizens lower their footprint by improving transit in both rural and urban areas and by investing in manufacturing of electric cars and infrastructure bring down their cost and help homeowners purchase plug-in chargers. Cycling will also be promoted. We will also provide low-cost loans for homeowner retrofits and fund retrofits of government buildings. Government will become a trailblazer for change in energy efficiency, clean technologies and renewable energy use and will conserve 30% of our land and water. 

How will your party address housing affordability? The NDP will build 500,000 new affordable rental units to directly provide housing and to impact pricing in the rental market. As these will take time to come on stream in the meantime the NDP will provide rental subsidies to individuals who pay more than 30% of their gross income on rent of up to $5000. We will also put in place a national tax on property purchases by foreign owners and  nationally address money laundering and the role it plays in driving up prices in the housing market. 

What is your party's stance on the tension between federal and provincial health care funding? A provincial government would not be doing its job if it were not continually advocating for additional funding to bring down wait times and improving services to our changing population.  The NDP will fund dental care for persons earning under $70K per year and work with the provinces towards the kind of medical coverage as originally envisioned by Tommy Douglas. I doubt that tension will ever be entirely eliminated but its time to change the conversation to the steps needed to get us to "head to toe" medical coverage including proactive preventative health programs.

Where do you and your party stand on LNG? Woodfibre represents a substantial economic benefit to the  Squamish Peoples who are partners in the project. As is has been approved the role of the federal government will be to ensure adherence to strict environmental standards.

Will your party make adjustments to the B-20 stress test and/or allow longer amortizations on insured mortgages? The NDP would review the B-2- stress test and would allow longer amortizations on insured mortgages.

What are your thoughts on banning assault weapons and restricting handguns? I believe in banning assault weapons. I also support the NDP call  for cities to be given the power to ban handguns and the NDP $100 million program to prevent young people from getting involved in gangs and violence. I also want a crackdown on illegal guns and smuggling.

If elected, how will you resolve differences of opinion between your constituents and party? Differences of opinion are the hallmark of a democracy.  Respect for differing opinions and a willingness to listen will be my approach. 

How has your personal and professional experience prepared you for being this riding's MP?  I bring a personal life-long commitment to working for the twin goals of social justice and an environmentally sustainable economy. As a family law lawyer I have seen the generational impact of residential schools, the impact on children and families of poverty and lack of affordable housing. As a lawyer I am a professional advocate and have learned to look for shared values and goals to bring people together to move forward in difficult circumstances.  We all need action on climate change, and all of our families are facing the affordability crunch. We can only make change working together.

Who is your favourite past Prime Minister and why? Pierre Elliott Trudeau, for passing the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. For this immensely important legacy he can be forgiven for following the Liberal electoral tradition of running on NDP social policy and then ruling instead on policies designed to meet the needs of the privileged and wealthy.

 

Gabrielle Loren

Gabrielle Loren
Gabrielle Loren - Courtesy of Gabrielle Loren

Party: Conservative Party of Canada

Website: votegabrielleloren.ca

What do you see as the most pressing issue facing Bowen Islanders and what will you do to address it? A health care centre is needed. With the closest hospital being Lions Gate, anyone requiring immediate trauma care is in danger. I will advocate for funding for this much needed centre. The Conservative Plan is based on the belief every Canadian should have reasonable access to the health care they need. In terms of overall healthcare, a Conservative government will maintain and increase the Canada Health Transfer and Canada Social Transfer to provide for stable and predictable funding to the province; invest in new life-saving technology and devices; pledge $1.5 billion to replace antiquated MRI and CT machine to reduce wait times for scans; and streamline services and continual operation of services.

What will your party do to address climate change? The Conservatives’ multi-faceted, global Real Plan for the Environment is based on technology, not taxes. It is economic and environmental. We will: incentivize development and application of green tech to reduce carbon emissions, build green infrastructure for the unique needs of the region; remove the carbon tax, where emitters who exceed carbon emission limits must invest in technology that will lower emissions; implement green tech investment and construction; incentivize energy-saving performance contracting for building green homes; proceed with the National Energy Corridor, minimizing environmental impact as clean energy is distributed while providing jobs; and provide tax credits for families (green home, green public transit). Speaking to the global nature of this issue, we will incentivize the development and exportation of Canadian green tech to other countries, which provides economic benefits while lowering emissions globally. 

How will your party address housing affordability? The Conservative plan focuses on housing shortages and the need to create a workable plan among all levels of government. Our strategy is based on a four-pronged approach: (1) We will promote the use of surplus federal lands to build a variety of housing––multi-use, rental, single-family. (2) We will fix the mortgage stress test to ensure that first-time homebuyers aren’t unnecessarily prevented from accessing mortgages. (3) We will launch an inquiry into money laundering and corrupt practices that inflate housing prices. And (4) we will increase the amortization period from 25 years to 30 years for first-time homebuyers. Additionally, I will advocate for the government to work with provinces and municipalities to remove regulatory barriers in order to increase new home construction.

What is your party's stance on the tension between federal and provincial healthcare funding? As a former Board Member for the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation, I am well aware of this matter. We have to work together for the betterment of Canada, and that includes all levels of government; people, not politics, have to come first. The Conservative plan increases the Canada Health Transfer to provide for stable and predictable funding to the provinces; invests in new life-saving technology and devices; and pledges $1.5 billion to replace antiquated MRI and CT machines to reduce wait times for life-saving scans.  Both levels of government need to work together to provide exemplary healthcare.

Where do you and your party stand on LNG? We support all forms of energy.  Energy projects, like LNG, can be used to replace dirtier energy sources such as coal as it is cleaner, thus more environmentally friendly.  We can export it to nations that still burn coal, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions locally and globally.

Will your party make adjustments to the B-20 stress test and/or allow longer amortizations on insured mortgages? The Conservative plan is to fix the mortgage stress test to make it easier for first-time homebuyers to access mortgages; remove the stress test from mortgage renewals; and increase amortization periods on insured mortgages to 30 years for first-time homebuyers.

What are your thoughts on banning assault weapons and restricting handguns? I would advocate for banning assault weapons, and restricting handguns. Criminals violating gun laws - smuggling, illegally selling guns, or selling guns to prohibited users - should face severe penalties, including federal prison time. Violent and gang criminals should face a life-time firearms ban.

If elected, how will you resolve differences of opinion between your constituents and party? I am elected by the constituents, not the party. I am accountable to you, and only you. This riding includes many voices that differ on almost all issues. Thus, I will hear all sides of an issue from all constituents before I make a decision. 

How has your personal and professional experience prepared you for being this riding's MP? I am an accountant, small business owner, and financial literacy and tax instructor. I have a strong fiscal foundation and understand the issues businesses face. I’ve taken action when poor decisions, regulations, and taxes have adversely affected people, businesses and organizations and have achieved results for those people. I am approachable, compassionate, and collaborative, and I can see more than one side of an issue. These experiences and characteristics make me an asset in government as we work together to make the best decisions for our community and Canada. 

Who is your favourite past Prime Minister and why? Prime Ministers all contribute to Canada: Diefenbaker’s Bill of Rights led to Trudeau’s CCRF. My favourite is Jean Chretien, a fiscally conservative Liberal who balanced the demands for a robust economy with our social concerns, proving collaboration across party lines to produce policy in Canadians’ best interests is possible.

 

Gordon Jeffrey

Gordon Jeffrey
Gordon Jeffrey - Courtesy of Gordon Jeffrey

Party: Rhinoceros Party

Age: 32

Occupation: Waiter

Residence: Whistler

Facebook: facebook.com/BCRhinoParty

What do you see as the most pressing issue facing Bowen Islanders and what will you do to address it? Availability of emergency services. The issues with the fire department have highlighted this recently. I support workers’ rights to strike, but we need a plan B when it comes to things as critical as fire rescue. I think we need to embrace fellow candidate Terry Grimwood’s idea to cross-train our armed forces to be available to assist with emergency services in times of great emergency and times when regular emergency workers are unavailable. Additionally, along with investment in water bombers, they could help out considerably with wildfires in our province.

What will your party do to address climate change? I propose a review and overhaul of recycling programs to ensure waste isn’t just being shipped overseas for incineration. Packaging regulations must be tightened to prevent unnecessary waste from over-packaging, as well as to drive innovation for eco-friendly packaging. I will also introduce a tax rebate for large garden plots to reduce the amount of our food (currently over 80%!) coming from overseas. Additionally, I will push for opportunity for Canadian food distribution systems rather than our current U.S.-based distribution systems that favour U.S. products. Finally, I would increase illegal dumping fines tenfold.

How will your party address housing affordability? I support a first-time home buyer’s tax rebate, and providing more incentive for developers to build more affordable housing. I also support a steep increase to the foreign-buyer’s tax so fewer homes sit empty as foreign investments or sinks for money laundering.

What is your party's stance on the tension between federal and provincial healthcare funding? Duct tape fixes everything. But seriously, the federal government has a history of offloading healthcare costs to the provinces, whereas the provinces have a history of downloading increasing costs to municipal government. The provinces need to get more funding from the federal government for essential services such as healthcare.

Where do you and your party stand on LNG? We support all forms of energy In general, we are of the opinion that pipelines are best suited for water, and we vastly prefer clean energy to natural gas and other fossil fuels.

Will your party make adjustments to the B-20 stress test and/or allow longer amortizations on insured mortgages? We will be making adjustments to the B-20 stress test, as it targets first-time home buyers unfairly. We will allow longer amortizations on insured mortgages to help those first-time home buyers.

What are your thoughts on banning assault weapons and restricting handguns? Assault weapons are already banned, and sidearms are already restricted. Politicians need to stop targeting law-abiding citizens in an effort to pander to people’s fears and start focusing on stopping the flow of illegal firearms of all types from the US.

If elected, how will you resolve differences of opinion between your constituents and party? My party is apolitical, and I am only with them because they allow me to do what I want. What I want to do is represent my constituents completely, bring accountability back to government, and restore people’s faith in our democracy.

How has your personal and professional experience prepared you for being this riding's MP? Every job I’ve had, from my first job providing technical support until now, has been helping and serving people. I’m certainly at least as qualified as our current Prime Minister! I am a well-spoken, compelling speaker and am excellent at establishing rapport with people quickly. I have utmost integrity and refuse to compromise my morals (perhaps more qualified than our current PM?) I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I’ve had to earn every dollar I’ve made. As a result, I’ve always been responsible with finances. I think this will translate very well on a larger scale.

Who is your favourite past Prime Minister and why? I admire Wilfred Laurier. While not perfect, he was a dedicated champion of personal liberty and a proud Canadian patriot. He was renowned for his ability to broker compromise and his efforts to make Canada more independent from the British Empire.

 

Robert Bebb

Robert Bebb
Robert Bebb - Courtesy of Robert Bebb

Party: People's Party of Canada

Age: 62

Occupation: Professional Engineer, MBA

Residence: Whistler

Twitter: @DougBebb

Facebook: facebook.com/robert.bebb.7359

Website: bebb2019ppc.ca

What do you see as the most pressing issue facing Bowen Islanders and what will you do to address it? The rights of Canadians to freely hold and express beliefs are being eroded at an alarming speed under the Trudeau government. Some of its recent decisions even require that Canadians renounce their most deeply held moral convictions and express opinions they disagree with. A People’s Party government will ensure that Canadians can exercise their freedom of conscience to its fullest extent as it is intended under the Charter and are not discriminated against because of their moral convictions.  We will repeal any existing legislation or regulation curtailing free speech on the internet and prevent the reinstatement of section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act.

What will your party do to address climate change? The People’s Party will withdraw from the Paris Accord and abandon unrealistic greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. We will stop sending billions of dollars to developing countries to help them reduce their emissions, and abolish the Liberal government’s carbon tax and leave it to provincial governments to adopt programs to reduce emissions if they want to.

How will your party address housing affordability? The People’s Party will reduce demand pressure on housing by limiting immigration to 150,000 or less per year. We will also take action against the offshore use of Canadian housing for speculative investment and money laundering, the result of which is many empty homes, at a time when Canadians are experiencing great difficulty in finding affordable accommodation. After achieving a balanced budget in two years, the PPC will reduce taxes for all Canadians.  Leaving more money in the pockets of Canadian taxpayers will increase affordability of all goods.

What is your party's stance on the tension between federal and provincial healthcare funding? The People's Party will create the conditions for provincial and territorial governments to innovate. Provinces will be fully responsible for health care funding and management, and fully accountable to their citizens for the results, while Ottawa will respect the Constitution and stop meddling.  We will replace the Canada Health Transfer cash payments with a permanent transfer of tax points of equivalent value to the provinces and territories, to give them a stable source of revenue. In practice, Ottawa will give up its Goods and Services Tax (GST), and let provincial and territorial governments occupy this fiscal room. In 2019-20.

Where do you and your party stand on LNG? We support LNG projects in every case where those in close proximity to the facilities and pipelines consent to its development.

Will your party make adjustments to the B-20 stress test and/or allow longer amortizations on insured mortgages? As of today, we have no official policy on this matter.

What are your thoughts on banning assault weapons and restricting handguns? We need to respect legal firearms owners and target criminals instead. Require that all firearms categories be based on function, not on looks or arbitrary political whims, and remove ineffective restrictions which unfairly target sport shooters, but have no deterrent effect on criminals.

If elected, how will you resolve differences of opinion between your constituents and party? We will institute and expanded program of private members bills and provide quarterly updates to constituents.

How has your personal and professional experience prepared you for being this riding's MP? As a professional engineer and MBA, I have I have solid understanding of many technical and business matters.  I am a life-long learner with wide generalist knowledge in many other fields. I am an excellent problem solver with a knack for getting to the crux of whatever problem is at hand.  I will apply these skills to fixing what is wrong in Ottawa.

Who is your favourite past Prime Minister and why? John Diefenbaker, because of his statement,  "I am Canadian, a free Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship God in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, free to choose those who govern my country. ...."

 

Patrick Weiler

Patrick Weiler
Patrick Weiler - Courtesy of Patrick Weiler

Party: Liberal Party of Canada

Age: 33

Occupation:  Lawyer

Residence: West Vancouver

Twitter: @PatrickBWeiler

Facebook: PatrickBWeiler

Website: patrickweiler.ca

What do you see as the most pressing issue facing Bowen Islanders and what will you do to address it? I see the most pressing issues for Bowen Island residents as affordability and climate change.  As housing prices continue to increase across this riding, it is important that any potential developments on community lands are supported by the federal government so that our seniors and families have access to more housing options. I recognize that there is a need for more rental options in particular on Bowen, and if elected, I would advocate for federal funding to support this.  As the seasons change we’re reminded of how much energy our homes use. That’s why I’ll make sure Bowen Island residents have access to $40,000 interest-free loans to retrofit their homes to make them more energy efficient.

What will your party do to address climate change? We have done more to address climate change over the last four years than any other government in Canadian history. The Liberal government negotiated a groundbreaking plan with the provinces and territories. This is a world-leading response for a natural resource-based country like Canada––including putting a price on carbon, massive investments in zero emissions vehicles, buildings, technology and public transit, phasing out coal-fired electricity and fossil fuel subsidies and restricting methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.  Going forward, we will exceed our 2030 targets and hit net-zero by 2050 by legislating five-year targets. We’ll also capitalize on the $2.5 trillion cleantech economy by lowering taxes on companies that produce net-zero technologies and renewables so those companies get established and stay in Canada. As an environmental lawyer, I worked on climate policy for Tides Canada and know this is the only plan that is ambitious and viable.

How will your party address housing affordability? This is a complex problem that requires collaboration, and a federal government that is going to step up to play an important role in ensuring people have a home. That’s why the Liberal government introduced the first-ever National Housing Strategy, which will reduce homelessness and ensure more people have a place to call home. We’ve moved forward on initiatives such as the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive, which gives up to 10 per cent off the purchase price of a first home. We’ll increase the qualifying value to nearly $800,000 for this, helping more people get into the housing market. If elected, I will work with the Bowen municipality, community, the province, and other partners, such as Vancity, to find creative solutions to address housing needs and leverage the $55 billion national housing strategy funds to make housing more affordable.

What is your party's stance on the tension between federal and provincial healthcare funding? I believe in having a collaborative relationship with the provinces and territories. Our healthcare system is a source of pride, but we know there is more to do. In the last four years we have helped more people access home care and mental health care through new agreements with the provinces and territories, allocating $11 billion in new funding.  Going forward, we’ll implement pharmacare, which will require collaborating with the province. We’ll also invest an additional $6 billion to support stronger public health care, ensure everyone has access to a family doctor, and increased access to mental health services.

Where do you and your party stand on LNG? LNG can help decrease global emissions by displacing other energy sources that create more pollution, such as coal. It’s important that we electrify this as much as possible so that it lowers life cycle emissions, and ensures renewable energy isn’t displaced. Investments in powering these operations by hydroelectricity is critical.

Will your party make adjustments to the B-20 stress test and/or allow longer amortizations on insured mortgages? The focus needs to be on creating more affordable housing and helping Canadians enter the market in a way that won’t put them or the market at financial risk. For example, the First Time Home Buyers Incentive helps people lower their monthly mortgage payments without increasing their down payment.

What are your thoughts on banning assault weapons and restricting handguns? My thoughts are that thoughts and prayers aren’t enough when it comes to tackling gun violence. That’s why we will ban military-style assault weapons, including the AR-15. We’re also going to work with the provinces and territories to give municipalities the ability to restrict or ban handguns.

If elected, how will you resolve differences of opinion between your constituents and party? If elected, I will work with all our communities to ensure they are represented by a strong voice for our coast in Ottawa, and do what is in the best interests of the whole community. First and foremost I’m running to be your public servant. I take that responsibility seriously.

How has your personal and professional experience prepared you for being this riding's MP? My roots are deep here. I was raised between West Vancouver and Sechelt. I have family in Squamish and worked as a youth in Whistler where my family also ran a business. As a lawyer specializing in environmental and aboriginal law, I have significant policy and legislative experience from my work with governments, the United Nations and international development organizations on sustainable resource management and smart growth. I have worked for and in countries around the world and helped advance progressive action, and intend to do the same at home.

Who is your favourite past Prime Minister and why? William Lyon Mackenzie King. He lead us through some of the most difficult periods in our country's history, including the Second World War. He was able to find broker important compromises and his longevity as the longest serving PM speaks to that.

 

Dana Taylor

Dana Taylor
Dana Taylor - Courtesy of Dana Taylor

Party: Green Party

Age: 69

Occupation: Retired recently

Residence: West Vancouver

Twitter: Danataylor4mp

Facebook: DanataylorGreen

Website: Danataylor.ca

What do you see as the most pressing issue facing Bowen Islanders and what will you do to address it? Most pressing issues locally where federal decisions can make a difference: definitely housing affordability and stimulating the building rental housing on the island. Housing has to meet the needs of people. Tents are up on Bowen too. People are priced out of the market for renting and buying; numerous businesses are unable to hire people because housing is not available. This is not unique to Bowen; I see it in every community in our riding. As a former trades executive, I know housing is not build overnight, so a large federal investment is needed very quickly where it has been lacking for so decades under Liberal and Conservative governments. We need social market rentals and find solutions promptly until that supply is built. We cannot leave people out in the cold.

What will your party do to address climate change? The Green Party will work to cut climate changing emissions by 60% below 2005 levels by 2030 and to net-zero by 2050. The difference between our platform and that of other the parties’ is the pace of greening our society and economy. Canada is warming faster than other countries, especially in the Arctic.  My experience as past chair of the Industry Training Authority Commission helps. Skills used in the oil and gas sector are needed to build an Eas-West electrical grid, build our renewable energy generating capacity as a country. Others can jump in after retraining. To wait is also to fall behind as other countries are heavily investing in transition away from fossil fuels. Canada will afford the transition by eliminating subsidies for the oil and gas industries, raising taxes for large corporations and the 1%. Close tax loop holes, taxing money in tax havens and commercial banks. 

How will your party address housing affordability? Consistent with the Green Party national platform, I will work to increase the National Housing Co-Investment Fund for “new-builds’,” and the Canada Housing Benefit, which currently offers rent assistance to 125,000 households country-wide; each of these is targeted $750 million. As well, I intend to up-date the mechanisms for financing co-op housing.

What is your party's stance on the tension between federal and provincial healthcare funding? The ability of provinces to deliver on their healthcare mandates as set in the Canada Health Act depends on Federal health funding transfers. These have not kept pace with the rapidly changing demographics and the emerging crises of mental illness and addiction, while private healthclinics represent a creeping two-tiered system, eroding the universal primary health care model. We are committed to the Canada Health Act, supporting innovation in service delivery, bringing prescription drugs into the Canada Health Act through Universal Pharmacare, providing for the same quality of care for Indigenous peoples as we expect to be delivered to all Canadians.

Where do you and your party stand on LNG? As a past board member of the Save Howe Sound Society, I pushed for the cleaning up of Howe Sound.  Today we enjoy the return of marine life. Besides the shortsightedness of building this plant, what Howe Sound needs is more protection, not renewed industrialization.

Will your party make adjustments to the B-20 stress test and/or allow longer amortizations on insured mortgages? We must ensure that everyone has access to safe, affordable housing, and Canadians do not take on any more household debt, as this already high. Culturally people are pushed towards home ownership. In other countries rental serves the needs of individuals and families successfully. That could work in Canada too.

What are your thoughts on banning assault weapons and restricting handguns? There is absolutely no place for assault weapons within a civil society. We must ensure illegal handguns are intercepted and kept out of our cities. Launch a confidential buyback program for handguns and assault weapons. Redirect Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) resources to weapons smuggling.

If elected, how will you resolve differences of opinion between your constituents and party? The Green Party does not ‘whip’ its MPs. That gives me the opportunity to represent our riding properly. I will put my experience at work to bridge differences, work from what we have in common wherever that is possible. 

How has your personal and professional experience prepared you for being this riding's MP? I think it has. I took my two terms as North Vancouver City councillor, Save Howe Sound Society board member into a career as executive for the Mechanical Contractors Association, Public Construction Council of BC, Industry Training Authority Commission. I was able to combine with a wide range of volunteer community leadership and environmental activism positions, and raise a family. I ran in the Provincial 2017 election in which I was trusted with 29% of the vote.  I feel strongly that at right now we need people who bring experience, can build bridges and know how to get things done.

Who is your favourite past Prime Minister and why? The Liberal minority Government of Lester Pearson in the 1960s. With the support of the party that later became the NDP, he established universal health care, the Canada Pension Plan, and unemployment insurance. The Green Party hopes for a minority government to tackle the issues we are facing successfully.