16 candidates have submitted their statements
Roxanne Helme
I graduated from Oak Bay High School and studied Economics at UVic. I have been in the private practice of law for over 30 years. I represent people from all walks of life, not governments. I served on the Coalition to End Homelessness, the Police Board, the Board of the Inter Cultural Association (Chair) and the Canadian College of Performing Arts. I have been elected to represent my legal colleagues locally, nationally and internationally. I have lectured university law students both locally and in Europe.
I am not a career politician and am not interested in becoming one. I am in this race for good strategic governance not politics.
Stephanie Hendy
I pledge to work with the government to ensure more funding is given to students demonstrating financial need. While student loans are a matter for federal government, provincial government can freeze tuition (as they did in the 90s) or do other things to help students.
The BC Greens have not yet released their platform, so I cannot comment on what they would do, I can only comment on things I would like to champion.
One thing I would like to do is have tuition fees waived for those who have applied for and have been accepted into the federal student loans program. Loans are insufficient to cover tuition and the cost of living, nor does it make going to post-secondary education equitable for those from lower socioeconomic levels. Having been someone who is still paying off their student loans as well as having declared bankruptcy 5 years ago, it is the responsibility of elected officials to use their privilege and lived experiences to make life better for the generations which follow.
George Heyman
George Heyman is a strong advocate for affordable housing, quality education, climate action and support for families. Since he was elected to represent Vancouver-Fairview in 2013, he worked hard to address the needs of our community, including rental affordability and safe, quality child care spaces. His door is open to constituents with concerns. He advocates for investment in health care, schools, transit and active transportation. George’s focus on climate change and his environmental stewardship have made the BC NDP's CleanBC the leading climate strategy in North America. George was the executive director of Sierra Club BC, one of British Columbia’s oldest environmental groups. He also served three terms as president of the BC Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU). Respected and incredibly hard working, George is ready to build on the progress we have made together towards a sustainable, modern and diverse economy and cleaner, brighter future.
Dan Hines
I am profoundly concerned about our public investment in education. We need a larger investment in public education, at all levels from early childhood to graduate studies, to provide lower costs for students to succeed in their training and studies. We have an opportunity to be a world-leader in the quality and accessibility of our educational opportunities.
About Dan:
Born and raised on the traditional and unceded territory of the Secwépemc people, I have raised my two daughters in Kamloops. I am an international leadership consultant and have traveled extensively around the world teaching leadership workshops. For the past two years, I have been living and teaching leaders in Beijing, China. I am a founding member of the RareBirds Housing Co-operative: an innovative sustainable community project. My professional background includes a diverse set of skills ranging from a background in small business ownership, contracting, management, university instruction, and serving as an Anglican priest in Kamloops and area. I have served on boards for local social agencies and I'm a well-known and trusted leader in the community. I love Kamloops!
Anne Kang
Some highlights of our platform include:
- Tying the minimum wage to inflation
- Providing a one-time direct deposit of $500 for single people earning less than $62,000 annually, with a sliding scale up to $87,000 annually; and up to $1000 for families
- Free contraception for anyone who wants it
- Freezing rent until end of 2021, and limiting all increases to inflation after that
- An income-tested renter’s rebate of $400/yr
- Expanding public transit around Surrey, Langley and the North Shore
- Modernizing the Police Act
- Investing more in mental health and social services
- Ensuring every new building is net-zero ready by 2032
- Legislating net-zero carbon emissions by 2050
- Implementing a new Anti-Racism Act
- Continuing to move towards long-term agreements that support reconciliation with, and self-determination of Indigenous peoples
The platform is built upon 4 pillars: fighting the pandemic, better healthcare, affordability and security in your community, and good jobs in a clean-energy future.
These pillars work for everyday British Columbians, not the ultra wealthy. The BC NDP is working for you.
Sheila Malcolmson
I was so proud that some of the first moves when the BC NDP became government were to eliminate fees for ABE and ESL and then create the provincial tuition waiver program for former youth in care - the first of it's kind in the country. Since then, we have removed interest on student loans, built thousands of new student residence units, and created hundred of new seats for in-demand programs such as healthcare, tech, engineering and the trades. My riding is home to VIU so I hear from students a lot. I know that the recently announced BC Access Grant is something that students have been calling for ever since it was cancelled by the previous BC Liberal government almost two decades ago. It's a good example of what can happen when a government cares about education and listens to students - and that's the kind of government I want to continue to have in our province.
Thomas Martin
"I work in forestry and I want a better future for our natural resource sector. I believe we can build a resource sector that strengthens rural communities through economic development, makes evidence-based ecologically-sound decisions, and strives for reconciliation and collaboration with Indigenous peoples.
I also believe that provincial politics can address issues like housing affordability, the opioid crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finally, climate change is the defining issue of my generation. I believe that we need urgent action to address the unfolding climate emergency."
Until recently, BC's COVID response was arguably the most effective in all of North America, largely due to BC's minority government forcing the parties to work together for all our benefit. Now the NDP have thrown that cooperation away as they gamble on a majority, counting on the approval gained from the very same collaborative approach they're now running away from! Don't reward the NDP for this costly and unnecessary election, instead vote Green for our best chance at another strong and productive minority no matter which party wins!
Think a few Green MLAs can't make a difference? Think again!
- Campaign finance reform got big money out of politics
- Only the Greens ran on eliminating monthly MSP payments
- Confidence and Supply Agreement gave us 3 years of stability (could've been 4!)
- Greens force parties to keep their own promises
Majority government is worse government, vote Green for an even stronger balance of power!
Erik Minty
I'm a middle-aged white man. I am the definition of privilege. That I can't do anything about, but what I CAN control is how I choose to use it. I'm offering to put aside my professional career in the tech sector to use that position of privilege, to fight for a better world.
Because I'm also a dad. And I can't look my kids in the eye and tell them with a straight face that everything is going to be OK. It isn't. Maybe I didn't create the problem but I didn't do enough to change it when I had the chance. And I CAN do everything in my power to change it now, before it's too late.
You can read the Green platform and it's all brilliant. I support all of it. It's aspirational in some respects and in others it doesn't go far enough. That's OK. Green MLAs aren't whipped, so we have a lot of latitude. It's a strongly principles-based party. Trust is at the core.
I can tell you about all my community volunteer activities but just go to my website voteErikMinty.com or find me on social media if you want to know more.
To be effective as your MLA I am going to need to put all of my skills and knowledge to use. That spans well beyond my job titles as engineer and project manager, or my experience as an entrepreneur. Above all, success in any field is about the relationships you build with people. I believe that and live it every day.
To summarize the Greens strategy for governance, it is to build a stronger, more resilient future based not on the broken ideologies of 19th century stuffy old white men, but on millennia of thought from across the world, compiled into internationally renowned principles, bonded with the glue of unwavering integrity and a commitment to leadership and responsible governance.
That's what this world needs more of, and fast. I will offer what I can and hope it's enough.
Adam Olsen
I fully support lifelong learning from early childhood to end of post-secondary and re-training and skills upgrading programs for people in career transitions. I believe the provincial government needs to invest more in post-secondary to lower the cost of tuition so graduates can enter the workforce, establish life and their careers without the burden of massive debt. The post-secondary students in British Columbia have my pledge to do everything I can within the BC Green Party and the government of our province to achieve this vision.
Anton Shendryk
School in Ukraine and ½ year in university in Kiev. Came to Canada in 1996. Went to high school to basically learn English then Brock University for a computer science degree. Dealt with student loans, paid for my residence, and had jobs while at school. My mother tried to give me money sometimes, but I refused. I wanted to support myself 100% and not hoping for free money including the government giveaways. I have been a student in 2 countries with 2 completely different systems of education. I’ve been young just like you and it gave me energy to get things done. With time my choices are simply more refined. I’ve seen brainwashing on practice in Ukraine by the USSR way and in the rest of the World and that is why I stopped watching the news. Believe me. Nobody can escape brainwashing. I’m no exception. This can be clearly noticed if you study this topic.
You have the power to influence your life now and in the future. Participating in elections is a critical part of it. I am not promising to give you something in particular as an MLA. Everybody wants something. Usually free stuff. Be responsible for your choices and I will be responsible for my promises. I promise to be transparent. I promise to work on cold hard facts that we need to eat and live in a good country. I promise to work with everybody in parliament including the city and communities to bring choices to them and support the best choice chosen by majority for practical benefits without political interest. I promise you to support research and development in Canada and take realistic steps towards a “green” future without losing sight of the reality. After all you don’t want a failed economy and crumpling infrastructure while everybody is driving a Tesla. I promise to keep free services that make sense like police, fire and healthcare. I promise to make education less of the “expensive daycare” and more of the practical institutions that are open to more students that want to learn. And I promise to host meetings while I’m serving as an MLA where anybody can ask me a question and expect a direct answer. I also want to try bringing real questions that I have and ask for solutions form students, business owners and other willing to participate.
I’m not a political entity. I’m a human that wants to live happy. Party is just a sticker. People with courage are the drivers regardless of the sticker.
Devyani Singh
I am Dr. Devyani Singh, a proud resident of Vancouver - Point Grey, and if you want more honesty, science, and transparency in the legislature, then give me a chance as your future MLA.
I have a Ph.D. [Energy and Climate Policy] from the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia. Prior to this, I obtained an M.B.A. [Finance] and M.Sc. [Environmental Science] in The United States. Consequently, my expertise is in energy and climate policy, oil and gas emissions, household energy, and environmental finance.
Our path to recovery from COVID-19 should prioritize people over corporations. I believe that BC can be a world leader in a Just and Green recovery from the pandemic. Instead of wasting tax-payer money to make fracking cheaper for already profitable corporations, I will push to invest in local businesses and help those most impacted by COVID-19.
The pandemic has exposed societal inequalities and its disproportionate impact on marginalized communities – BIPOC, LGBTQ2+, seniors, poor, and those with disabilities. As an immigrant and woman of colour, I will ensure that your voice is heard, and be a strong advocate for social, racial, and environmental justice.
I believe in an accessible and affordable healthcare system for all, especially for seniors and the marginalized. Parents, more importantly women whose productivity is most impacted working from home, should have access to affordable childcare. I will help create a better plan for a safe return to schools with improved and closer testing facilities. I will increase support for local businesses being pushed out due to high rental fees. I will also push for increased funding for Provincial parks and protect our Old Growth forests.
We need a party that makes decisions based on scientific evidence. One that puts people before power. As a scientist, and your future MLA, I will promote the inclusion of science in decision-making across all sectors of the government. The time to act is now.
Kelly Tatham
At this point, students and young people are tired of hearing about how they are underrepresented in politics, and as the amazing young people running for the Green Party this election show, that is simply not true. Young people are politically engaged in all the ways that matter, advocating for themselves when it comes to paying the same (or more) tuition for lower quality education, standing up for others when it comes to racial or other injustice, and standing up against a system that sees students as merely a means of making money rather than a community of intelligent and passionate people who need more support from their government. Tuition is far too expensive, and this is largely because funding from the province for universities has not increased adequately in many years. If elected, I will advocate for increased funding to pass that on in tuition savings, but so it can be used for increased mental and physical health support for students. I look forward to working with students for better, quick solutions, and would invite those with ideas to please reach out to me at [email protected].
Lia Versaevel
Keli Westgate
Jennifer Whiteside
The BC NDP has a vision for how we will get through this pandemic together. With our plan, we will continue to reverse 16 years of BC Liberal neglect. We will build a BC where quality public services are always there when we need them, where workers and small businesses are at the centre of our economic recovery, and where we take concrete action on the climate crisis.
The BC NDP plan has three top priorities: better health care for you and your family; affordability and security in your home and community; and good jobs in a clean-energy future.
A BC NDP government will provide direct pandemic support to British Columbians with a one-time $1,000 recovery benefit for families, or $500 for individuals. We will improve health care with a new medical school as well as a 10 year cancer plan. We will make life more affordable for renters by freezing rents until the end of 2021 and capping increases after that.
The BC NDP’s record on post-secondary education is strong already, with the elimination of interest on student loans, eliminating tuition fees for adult basic education, and the tuition fee waiver program for former youth in care. This Spring we introduced the BC Access Grant, and our plan is to continue to expand it so more people can access post-secondary education.
I look forward to being a voice for New Westminster as a part of a BC NDP government that is working to make life better for everyone.
Cheryl Wiens
I pledge to represent and give voice to young people when I'm elected to the BC Legislature. I will work to reduce the burden of student debt and make sure young people find relevant and meaningful work in their field of expertise. I pledge to give young people a bigger voice at the ballot box by fighting to lower the voting age and to provide youth with a more promising future that doesn't involve living in a climate change-induced hellscape.
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