Two of the three candidates running in the provincial election in the Powell River-Sunshine Coast constituency do not believe an election is necessary at this time.
Kim Darwin, BC Green Party candidate, and Sandra Stoddart-Hansen, BC Liberals candidate, have said now is not the time for a provincial election, which will be held on October 24.
Incumbent Nicholas Simons, the NDP candidate, however, defended premier John Horgan’s election call.
Darwin said she did not think there were many candidates who wanted to run in a pandemic election.
“It is absolutely not an ideal time,” said Darwin. “If we really care about democracy and the voters and the people of British Columbia, that is really clear from all of the discussions that I’ve been having.
“There is no need for an election at this time, regardless of what the NDP are saying. It is, for lack of a better word, a falsehood that they require an election for stability. The BC Greens have given them stability. Sonia Furstenau, when she was recently elected as leader of the BC Greens, sat in premier John Horgan’s office and confirmed there would continue to be stability under her leadership. There was absolutely zero reason whatsoever and they can make up what they want, but it’s false.”
Darwin said it’s an affront to democracy when people are dealing with a pandemic.
“People are worried,” she said. “To throw an election on people who are worried about their physical health, their mental health and financial health is egregious.”
Stoddart-Hansen said she sees this as a completely unnecessary election.
“It’s a grab for power; when the premier sees he’s riding high in the polls because of COVID-19, he decided to call an election,” said Stoddart-Hansen. “There are two things that really bother me about it. One is COVID-19. My view is that it puts people at unnecessary risk, with people having to vote, and people working with Elections BC. I know it’s been approved by Dr. Bonnie Henry but I still think that anything that we do, now that we are facing the second wave, is an unnecessary risk.
“The other aspect is the issue of the power-sharing agreement that premier Horgan had with the Green party. He basically ripped that agreement up, which I find kind of reprehensible. The agreement was apparently to continue on until the end of the term to the ordinarily scheduled election. He just kind of disposed of that. I found that a very untrustworthy thing to do.”
In a Coast Reporter story last week, Simons said he thinks party leader John Horgan has “made a pretty good case” for an early election call.
“[The premier] spoke to the need for stability as we engage as a province in the recovery plan,” said Simons. “He pointed quite clearly to the likelihood of the BC Liberals to continue calling us an illegitimate government, continuing to question our approach, as we support British Columbians, and it’ll be a year of campaigning and negativity and what we want to see is the public having a mandate to choose a government that will carry them through this challenging period ahead.”
Simons said he’s confident he’ll be able to defend the need for an election now when he gets questioned by voters.
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot and there are many sides to this particular issue, but ultimately we’re asking for a mandate from the people of British Columbia in a situation where things are obviously very different,” he added.
In terms of their backgrounds, Simons will be trying for a fifth term in Powell River-Sunshine Coast, after being acclaimed as the party’s candidate on September 8.
Darwin, a recent candidate for the BC Greens’ leadership, had originally said she would not run for the provincial election, but was convinced to do so when she received overwhelming support.
When asked by the Peak if economics and green practices are mutually exclusive, Darwin said it was the exact opposite.
“You see it in jurisdictions all over the world, especially in Europe,” said Darwin. “We are much further behind with seeing they are not disconnected and I think British Columbia could be a North American leader in the clean and green economy.”
Stoddart-Hansen said she is seeking office because the constituency has had an MLA who has served it during the past three years and she hasn’t seen some of the major issues that are facing the region being appropriately addressed.
She said while she does not have experience as a politician, she has a huge amount of experience in government and in business.
“I thought I could be a strong voice in Victoria,” said Stoddart-Hansen. “I would really like to see our riding get some attention in Victoria. That’s why I decided to run in this election.”
Simons said he expects campaigning will look very different during the 2020 election.
“All candidates are likely going to be using new tools, different tools, as they try to make sure that their record and their commitments are clearly expressed,” he said. “We’ll be using a lot of media, social media and there might be unique events that take place online or in the open.”
The Elections BC nomination deadline for candidates is 1 pm on October 2.
