We have asked the candidates running in West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country a series of key questions about how their parties would govern and what impact they could have on the community. Their responses are posted below in alphabetical order.
West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country
People’s Party
Name: Doug Bebb
Age: 64
Do you live in the riding? For how long?
Yes. 8 years
How will your party fight climate change?
We will withdraw from the Paris Accord and defund climate alarmism
What is your plan for housing affordability?
We will reduce immigration to sustainable levels and tackle looming inflation by instituting sound money policies.
What is your plan to advance reconciliation with Indigenous people?
We will replace the paternalistic Indian Act with a new legal framework that guarantees equal rights and responsibilities to indigenous people as Canadians.
What is your plan to help the country resolve COVID-19?
We will honour the Canadian charter of rights an freedoms and rescind all COVID-19 lockdown and vaccine mandates
How will you strengthen the economy and the country's finances?
We will balance the budget in a single term and return to a sound money policy with a zero percent inflation target for the Bank of Canada
Find out more about Doug Bebb here, or on Twitter.
Independent
Name: Terry Grimwood
Age: 69
Do you live in the riding? For how long?
Yes. 20 years
How will your party fight climate change?
We need a new division of our Armed Forces to fight climate change issues. Forest fire suppression needs Federal Government funding in every Province. Our Air Force needs thousands of new waterbombers and helicopters.
What is your plan for housing affordability?
All levels of Government need to make land available for housing. Affordability starts with land. Stop taxing housing. Use our Pension funds to finance housing.
What is your plan to advance reconciliation with Indigenous people?
Reconciliation will only happen when we make information available to all Canadians. We also need to assimilate all ethnic groups along with educational programs.
What is your plan to help the country resolve COVID-19?
Canada is #1 in the world in Education: We need to do a better job of providing the needed information that Canadians can trust.
How will you strengthen the economy and the country's finances?
Canadians need to insist that more of our pension funds be invested in Canada. Use the Armed Forces for civil work to get us back on track.
Rhinoceros Party
Name: Gordon Jeffrey
Age: 34
Do you live in the riding? For how long?
Yes, for 12 years.
How will your party fight climate change?
Remove all oil subsidies, review and overhaul recycling programs, phase out single use plastics, and tax rebates for home gardens to reduce impacts of goods transportation.
What is your plan for housing affordability?
Increased foreign buyers taxes, introduce a 1st-time buyers tax credit, and change the taxation structure that discourages developers to build affordable homes.
What is your plan to advance reconciliation with Indigenous people?
Improve living conditions and supply clean drinking water for all, pursue justice for residential school survivors, and formally separate from the British Empire.
What is your plan to help the country resolve COVID-19?
Our current government is pushing a plan based on herd immunity that many experts say is not possible with variants, so we need to look for other answers.
How will you strengthen the economy and the country's finances?
By encouraging Canadians to get back to work. Raising the currently low bar for employment insurance payouts and lifting lock-downs.
NDP
Name: Avi Lewis
Age: 54
Do you live in the riding? For how long?
I do. Full-time since June 2020. Part-time since 2005.
How will your party fight climate change?
Create good local jobs to retrofit homes & schools, electrify highways & transit, and restore damaged ecosystems. We’ll protect workers & retirees (instead of big banks & billionaires) during the transition off fossil fuels
What is your plan for housing affordability?
Use federal lands & money to build cooperative, nonmarket, & social housing while cracking down on speculators. Eliminate GST when constructing affordable rentals.
What is your plan to advance reconciliation with Indigenous people?
The NDP will appoint a special prosecutor to pursue those who harmed Indigenous children. Indigenous rights are at the heart of our climate crisis plans.
What is your plan to help the country resolve COVID-19?
Expand sickness benefits from 15 to 50 weeks. Expand employment insurance, funded by taxing multi-millionaires & corporations taking excess profits during COVID.
How will you strengthen the economy and the country's finances?
End corporate welfare for fossil polluters, big banks, & multi-millionaires. Create millions of good jobs caring for seniors, kids, our infrastructure, & the planet.
Find out more about Avi Lewis here, on Facebook or on Twitter.
Independent
Name: Chris MacGregor
Age: 62
Do you live in the riding? For how long?
28 years
How will your party fight climate change?
I would look at alternative solutions to the oil and gas industry. 1 ton of hemp reduces 1.67 tonnes of carbon dioxide which is more efficient than trees, therefore growing hemp could save our forests too and enrich the soil
What is your plan for housing affordability?
work with existing agencies like habitat for humanity and require each multi unit new build to be required to have 20 percent affordable housing
What is your plan to advance reconciliation with Indigenous people?
this is simple. just listen to our Indigenous brothers they will provide the answers and healing
What is your plan to help the country resolve COVID-19?
more transperancy from pharmaceutical companies stop all lockdowns and mandatory jabs. Stop the fear campaign and try to heal the division in this country
How will you strengthen the economy and the country's finances?
look at alternative industries like Hemp as a wood alternative, clothing, oils, food source
Green Party
Name: Mike Simpson
Age: 56
Do you live in the riding? For how long?
Yes. For 9 years.
How will your party fight climate change?
To cut 60% of carbon emissions by 2030, we will end fossil fuel subsidies, cancel the Trans Mountain pipeline, make electric vehicles affordable, renew the national forest strategy, and invest in clean energy infrastructure.
What is your plan for housing affordability?
We will invest in co-ops, rentals, social housing and supportive housing to build and restore quality, energy efficient housing in collaboration with provinces.
What is your plan to advance reconciliation with Indigenous people?
We will honour treaties, implement land claims agreements, respect the inherent right to self-government, and build a genuine nation-to-nation relationship.
What is your plan to help the country resolve COVID-19?
We need to follow the science: vaccines are safe, effective and save lives. This is our best tool to stop the pandemic.
How will you strengthen the economy and the country's finances?
Only a healthy planet ensures prosperity. Transitioning to a green economy is the only way to provide economic returns for generations to come.
Learn more about Mike Simpson here, on Facebook or on Twitter.
Liberal (incumbent)
Name: Patrick Weiler
Age: 35
Do you live in the riding? For how long?
Yes, for the vast majority of my life.
How will your party fight climate change?
With the world’s most comprehensive climate plan, we’ll reduce emissions by 45% by 2030, as the law now requires. Former BC Green Party leader/IPCC scientist Andrew Weaver called it this election’s only “credible” plan.
What is your plan for housing affordability?
Building 1.4 million more homes, incentivizing municipalities to build, grants & TFSAs to make homes more affordable and banning inflationary practices like blind bidding.
What is your plan to advance reconciliation with Indigenous people?
Building on trusted relationships to accelerate self government agreements and Indigenous-led service delivery, while closing infrastructure and service gaps.
What is your plan to help the country resolve COVID-19?
Playing a leadership role in getting Canada to herd immunity by requiring federally-regulated workers and interprovincial train and air travelers be vaccinated.
How will you strengthen the economy and the country's finances?
Employment is higher in B.C. than before the pandemic. We’ll continue to strengthen the economy with programs in growth areas like digital, bio and cleantech.
Find out more about Patrick Weiler here, on Facebook or on Twitter.
Conservative
Name: John Weston
Age: 63
Do you live in the riding? For how long?
Yes, lived in our beautiful riding for over 23 years.
How will your party fight climate change?
Meet our Paris Accord commitments by putting a price on carbon, empowering individuals through our Low Carbon Personal Savings Account; curb industrial emissions; increase zero emissions vehicles; stand up to major polluters.
What is your plan for housing affordability?
Reject Liberals’ plan to tax capital gains on principal residences; create 1M new houses within 3 years; ease mortgage constraints; ban foreign speculation on homes.
What is your plan to advance reconciliation with Indigenous people?
Real action, not just words; specific funding, timelines on missing children; tackle homelessness in communities; restore 1M jobs in first year for all Canadians.
What is your plan to help the country resolve COVID-19?
Our plan includes measures to face future pandemics; promote vaccinations while ensuring everyone's right to own health choices; & stand with frontline workers.
How will you strengthen the economy and the country's finances?
We will Secure the Future by restoring one million jobs; helping businesses rehire staff; changing course from the reckless Liberal plan, supported by NDP, Greens.
Find out more about John Weston here, on Facebook or on Twitter.
