The withdrawal of BC United has left many supporters of their supporters as well as undecided voters who hover in the middle of the road uncertain about how to cast their vote in this polarized atmosphere. How will you encourage these voters to cast their ballots for you?
I think it's important that people know that I'll continue to work hard, that one of the benefits that has, I've found on the doorstep, is that people have been far more willing to share important solutions to some of our most significant challenges, and I'm going to use health care as a perfect example.
I've been meeting with nurses and doctors about what the challenges are, and solutions to how we can move forward and improve our local health care, and I think that has been critically important. I'm sure I'll be asked that question later on, so I can go into greater detail on what has been shared with me.
The other important thing that I share with people, as an independent incumbent, I have the experience within the legislature. I will continue to have opportunities for question period, to present private members bills, to debate bills, all of the same opportunities I had as an opposition MLA, I have as an independent, and actually this time I think our voices, Prince George North Caribou, has the potential to hold far greater ability to move a legislation that matters to our riding forward, because I believe that we'll hold the balance of power.
So I'm encouraging people to trust the fact that I'm a qualified candidate, that I have experience, and I'm confident that my legislative experience will enable the voices of Prince George North Caribou to be brought forward.
Moccasin Flats is a stark example of the addiction, mental health and poverty issues affecting Prince George. What would you do to address these issues?
One of the most important things, and I talk with a lot of families throughout the riding, is that we just don't have alternative levels of support in the region. For example, I looked into Baldy Hughes, the therapeutic community. I know many people have benefited from the services of the therapeutic community.
I also went online and looked for opportunities for somebody that is looking for that continuum of care in our region, and we just do not have those services. So the first thing I would do is deliver a very strong message to Victoria that we need equitable services in Prince George and our region to support people in need. The second thing is it is a dangerous situation, and I am concerned about the people that both live around the area as well as the residents that are in Moccasin Flats.
I don't think it's a safe situation. We need to find homes for people, and I just do not support heading into winter that we continue to see the challenges both with the public of Moccasin Flats and the residents.
This part of BC has always relied on the resource sector for good jobs but changes like Canfor's latest closure announcement put these jobs at risk. What will you do to advocate for new resource sector jobs in Prince George?
Modernizing and expediting permitting is critical for our region and for British Columbia in general.
There is so much opportunity when you look at the critical minerals capacity, especially for this region and for projects to move forward. The most recent estimate it could drive $36 billion in new investment, create 300,000 person years of employment, and generate $11 billion in tax revenue that we could then use towards health care and housing.
We have to do a better job as government in allowing natural resource projects to move forward, and my experience as the minister responsible for reducing red tape right across ministries, I feel confident that that experience will help drive the next government on how you can streamline, ensure that all of the, that you still have all of those safety measures are in place, but we have created such a large bureaucracy with so much red tape that it's impacting us, especially in the north, and we need those major projects to move forward, not only for an energy transition green, or energy transition opportunity, we need these jobs.
Forestry is going to remain a critical component to the housing supply, so we need to be supporting our forest sector, ensuring that we continue to see a vibrant forest sector in our region.
The relationship between the provincial government and BC’s Indigenous people is evolving. If elected, what approach do you plan to bring to your work with area First Nations, including the Lheidli T’enneh?
The first thing that is critically important is that you need to build relationships, you need to build respect, and that takes time, and my approach has been, with all of the Indigenous peoples in our region, is to make sure that we are taking the adequate time to get to know them, to get to know the people, to get to know the elders, to listen, to understand their concerns.
I will say, having met with Chief Logan, I will be a strong advocate on their need for critical infrastructure, such as the bridge connecting the two parts of their community. I did that work when I was the minister of local government, working with the federal government to ensure that infrastructure projects that mattered to Indigenous communities were also included in programs such as Build Canada, critical infrastructure programs for both local governments and how we can equally support our Indigenous communities. I was successful in our riding and getting a bridge for Lhoosku’uz Dene.
I also was successful in supporting ?Esdilagh First Nation with critical road infrastructure. The West Fraser Road was critical to that community, and I advocated for two years and were successful at $104 million for that road. So again, I will continue to work closely with our Indigenous communities, listen to their needs, and advocate on their behalf.
I've had some significant success in moving those projects forward in our riding.
Our area's population is aging. What is your top priority when it comes to addressing the issues facing seniors and why?
Again, we do not have the same level of services as our urban counterparts do. And I think it is critical that we start addressing the inequity that people living in northern and rural communities are experiencing. So some of the solutions I've heard on the doorstep include a need for mixed housing options in the region.
So that is one of the things that has been brought forward. Another, of course, home support has to be reviewed because it's not meeting the needs of rural people and we just do not have the services. And finally, health care.
The fact that our health care is in such a dire crisis, the people that are most impacted by that is our seniors. And I've certainly heard some solutions on how we address our health care system and I hope I get asked that at a later date. Thank you.
Some MLAs excel in the Legislature while others become known for their constituency work. In a huge riding with this mix of urban and rural communities what kind of MLA do you think you're going to be?
I continue to be focused on ensuring our constituents are supported. I think that I am proud of the team I built around me that have created a responsive, supportive approach to supporting our constituents because they're, again, with inequity of services, whoever the next MLA will be for this riding, there are challenges that are new that I didn't experience in 2013. And going back to case in point around health care, I cannot believe the amount of health care files that I have had to address as an MLA.
The concern is that these are life and death challenges for so many of the constituents that come to our offices. And the bureaucracy has become so challenging, so few services that it is critically important that you have an MLA that is able to confidently navigate that very complex system to get services for our constituents. The second piece, I'm very confident in the legislature.
I think that people, again, can trust the fact that the years of experience that I've had have enabled me to be able to proficiently do my job in the legislature to debate bills. I encourage you to go on my YouTube channel to review a lot of the debates I've had in the House on important issues such as public safety, on health care, on labour shortages, all of those things critical to small business and how we can better support our small businesses. I'm confident that I'm able to do the job both in the legislature and be responsive to constituents.
And I will say that technology has certainly improved that ability.
