What skills, professional experience, and personal attributes make you an effective representative for your riding in the Legislature?
I’ve served in elected office for the past 12 years, first as mayor of Tofino then as an MLA and Cabinet Minister, and every single day I reflect on the privilege it is to represent people and the trust that has been placed in me.

I love working with people. I’m curious and interested in listening to what’s most important to people, and what is happening in their lives.

My experiences working in First Nations communities, in the non-profit sector, and as an elected leader at the municipal, regional, and provincial level have taught me that sound, responsible decision-making requires leaders to seek diverse perspectives and bring people of different backgrounds and experiences.

Empathy, integrity, and the value of public service are core values I bring to my work – and whether at a board table, council table, or the Cabinet table, I am known for my collaborative, approachable and forward-thinking leadership to government.

I’ve got the work ethic, strong communication skills, strategic mindset and determination required to be an effective MLA and community leader, and I believe my track record of successful outcomes for people and communities is a testament to my ability to succeed as your MLA.

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Cost of living challenges continue to mount, with everyday items and activities becoming increasingly unaffordable. What specific examples of this have you seen in the riding, and what areas would you advocate for to bring relief to residents?
I hear from people every day how the cost of inflation and high interest rates has impacted their household budgets, how stressful that is and the hard family decisions they’re facing.

Everyone is feeling the pinch of the cost of groceries, housing, and other essentials. That’s why people need a government that has their backs and takes action every way possible to make life more affordable.

Since Day 1, the BC NDP has done just that, helping families save thousands of dollars a year by eliminating MSP premiums, expanding affordable childcare, raising minimum wage, raising the BC Family Benefit, making transit free for kids <12 , and keeping BC Hydro rate increases below inflation.

We’ve put money back into people’s pockets with ICBC and BC Hydro rebates, we are finally seeing the impacts of cracking down on housing speculators and regulating short-term rentals with rents beginning to come down, and we’re committed to continuing to protect affordable rentals and build more affordable homes.

We cannot afford a Rustad government that will undo all of our hard work on housing and keeping BC Hydro and ICBC rates low.  

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The need for additional housing stock in the region is widely recognized, with various approaches proposed or underway to build more homes, faster, which in turn should reduce costs for renters and home buyers. What specific housing needs have you identified in the riding, and how would you address those needs as the riding’s MLA?
Our housing challenges demand strong collaboration and willing partners at all levels of government, and as former Tofino mayor and chair of the Tofino Housing Corporation, I have first-hand experience building those partnerships and successfully advocating for the necessary support and financing.

While every community in Mid Island-Pacific Rim is experiencing housing challenges, the needs are unique in different areas, like student housing in Bamfield, seniors housing on Denman Island and in Bowser, low to no barrier housing in Port Alberni, staff housing in Tofino and Ucluelet – and affordable housing for low and middle income families everywhere.

I’m proud of the success we’ve seen with major investments building hundreds of homes in Tofino, Port Alberni, Hornby Island and Bowser.

We need more, and working with partners to deliver more affordable housing – particularly in rural communities – remains one of my top priorities. . 

The BC NDP’s actions are working: curbing speculators, protecting rental buildings, regulating short-term rentals, enabling small-scale multiunit housing across all local governments, and proposing innovative new ways to build faster like modular homes.

BC is building the most affordable homes per capita in Canada, but John Rustad will undo all our progress. 

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Local advocacy groups are calling for immediate investment in primary healthcare services across the central and northern Island regions, including additional capital investments for Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. What steps will you take to improve access to healthcare in the riding, particularly with regard to primary care physicians and access to specialists?
People need to know that our public healthcare system is there for them when they need it, and that means investing in new hospitals and facilities, attracting and retaining more physicians and health care professionals, and expanding access to health care services.

That’s exactly what the BC NDP has been focused on, and it’s making a difference with a record number of new family doctors on Vancouver Island, an expanded ER in Port Alberni, a new UPCC in Comox Valley, supporting Primary Care Networks, a new clinic in Cumberland and clinics soon in Coombs and Ucluelet, and more.

We can’t move backwards on our work to strengthen the health care system.

If re-elected, a BC NDP government will expand the Travel Assistance Program for rural residents, build a new patient care tower at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, and a new BC Cancer centre in Nanaimo.

My focus as MLA will also remain on the critical need for new facilities on the West Coast (e.g. Tofino hospital replacement), better supports for residents and additional healthcare staff in rural communities like Hornby and Denman Islands, and building resiliency with recruitment and retention of physicians, specialists and staff in the Alberni Valley.

Editor’s note: Candidate responses were limited to 200 words. Any responses exceeding this limit are trimmed as noted. Answers are published otherwise unedited by NanaimoNewsNOW, with the exception of paragraph spacing to aid readability.