Special Features - 2015 All Candidates Meeting

ALL CANDIDATES MEETING

1 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2015 CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR

Tidemark Theatre, Campbell River

October 8th, 2015 Thursday, 5:30pm-7:30pm NORTH ISLAND-POWELL RIVER RIDING CANDIDATES

BRENDA SAYERS GREEN

PETER SCHWARZHOFF

RACHEL BLANEY

LIBERAL

NDP

LAURA SMITH CONSERVATIVE

Please join the Campbell River Chamber, Campbell River Mirror and Moderator Cheryl O’Connell for our

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We hope you’ll take the opportunity of this free community event to get to know your candidates.

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for North Island—Powell River

for change.

250-914-1190 | RachelBlaney.ndp.ca Paid for and authorized by the official agent of the candidate. cope:225-md

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2 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2015 CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR

The candidates introduce themselves Rachel Blaney, NDP

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achel Blaney is an award-winning non-profit professional who’s ready to deliver results as the next Member of Parliament for North Island—Powell River.

Rachel has lived and worked on the Island for over 20 years. Here in the riding, she has worked as an employment officer for the Homalco First Nation and now as Executive Director of the Immigrant Welcome Centre. The Centre has grown seven-fold under her leadership, expanding services throughout the

North Island—and twice winning the Chamber of Commerce’s Not-for-Profit of the Year award. Rachel is constantly seeking new ways to help make Island communities stronger and more welcoming. Highlights include her work on the Conference Board of Canada’s Leadership Roundtable on Immigration and on the Campbell River Social Planning Committee. Rachel is a passionate advocate for responsible development that helps smaller communities thrive.

She believes we can build a stronger

Brenda Sayers, Green Party

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renda Sayers is a member of the Hupacasath First Nation, one of the fourteen Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation tribes that extend across North Vancouver Island.

She was born and raised in her territory along with her two sisters and two brothers.

After helping to raise three of her nine nieces and nephews, Brenda now resides with her 87 year old father. Descending from a long line of hereditary Chiefs, Brenda has strong ties to the land, is deeply rooted in

cultural values, and possesses inherent leadership skills.

As the Financial Administrator of Haahuupayak School, an independent school teaching Nuu-chah-nulth language and culture to indigenous children, Brenda has a profound respect for First Nations education.

In 2012, following a ten year struggle, Brenda and her colleagues finally achieved full funding for their cherished school.

Brenda has been involved in her First Nation by serving

on committees, and served one term on the Council of Hupacasath. Brenda also served as Director of the Nuu-chahnulth Tribal Council where she helped address the larger issues facing First Nations. Building bridges into the larger community. Brenda also serves on the Crime Stoppers Board.

Brenda has had many experiences through her life, including as an entrepreneur, activist and community leader. She was appointed by the Premier to the BC Transit Board for a

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local economy by supporting small business, protecting our environment and engaging in meaningful dialogue with First Nations.

After a decade of Stephen Harper, we know our region and this country deserve better. That’s why Rachel is ready to work with Tom Mulcair’s New Democrat team to: build nation-tonation relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples; defend public health care and reverse Harper’s $36-billion funding cut; launch Mulcair’s plan

for affordable childcare – where families would pay no more than $15/day; and take back our coast by stopping Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline.

Rachel’s husband is a former Chief and current Council member of the Homalco First Nation. Together, they are the proud parents of three children.

With two beautiful grandchildren, and a third on the way, they are committed to building a Canada we can be proud to leave to the next generation.

From: rachelblaney.ndp.ca/

China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA). She started this portfolio while serving on the Council of Hupacasath and continues working on it.

Brenda was deeply concerned about the implications of the FIPA on Hupacasath rights and on the rights and freedoms of all Canadians. She got involved in a big way and raised awareness across Canada on the dangers of six year term, and went beyond the agreement, and was instruher duties by touring mainmental in the Hupacasath led land facilities and meeting the legal challenge against FIPA. people on the front lines of our Brenda worked to bring together public transit. a wide-range of stakeholders Brenda is the Hupacasath’s so they could work collectively portfolio holder for the Canada on the issue. Brenda’s work

on the FIPA legal challenge included organizing: strategy, communications, press releases, public awareness documents and videos, public speaking engagements, fundraising and media interviews, as well as liaising with the legal team.

Brenda’s experiences have given her the skills to continue to work for the people of Canada.

She brings energy, innovation, loyalty and commitment to everything she gets involved in.

The Green Party of Canada is excited to have Brenda Sayers as our candidate in the riding of North Island—Powell River.

From: greenparty.ca/en/riding/2013-59037

Peter Schwarzhoff, Liberal Party

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eter Schwarzhoff is a atmospheric scientist who has recently retired after 30 years of service to Canadians with Environment Canada. An advocate of evidence-based policy making, Peter has worked to protect citizens from weather hazards and poor air quality, improve environmental policy and protect the environment through sound science.

He has also been a strong advocate for sustainable development and a balanced approach to both economic growth and environmental preservation. Peter graduated with distinction from the University of Alberta and was awarded the James Percy award for excellence in synoptic meteorology from Environment Canada.

During his time leading research with Environment Canada he was told to stop

working on climate change, became “gagged” and saw the scope of federal environmental assessments dramatically reduced. Soon after leaving, he watched in disbelief as most federal protection for fresh water was removed.

Peter was commissioned as an officer in the Canadian Air Force where he served as a weather forecaster in Baden Soellingen, Germany. He continues his relationship with the military family through

his activities with the Royal Canadian Legion where he is a member of the colour party.

Having grown up in Campbell River in a Pulp and Paper family, Peter moved back to his hometown four years ago. He has since become an extremely active member of his community; he volunteers as an instructor at Elder College, is the host of Philosophers’ Café, an ESL tutor for the Campbell Literacy Association and a member of Greenways Land Trust. Peter currently serves as Director of the Campbell River and District Association for Community Living and previously served as a Leader with Scouts Canada.

Peter has two sons and Loretta is Peter’s wife of 32 years. She has been a medical imaging technologist and a book seller.

From: peterschwarzhoff.liberal.ca

3 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2015 CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR

Laura Smith, Conservative Party

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aura Smith is the clearest choice to be our next Member of Parliament because of her intimate understanding about the diversity between communities in North Island – Powell River, and her record of delivering results for coastal communities during her time as a Senior Policy Advisor in Ottawa.

Laura stands up for the environment and economy: she has extensive experience protecting our natural environment and responsibly developing nature resources. Laura worked in forest stewardship for 14 years, ensuring that public values were protected within British Columbia’s working forests.

Laura has both private and public sector experience. Her career in forestry taught her that it is entrepreneurs who grow our economy, and that the appropriate role of government is to protect the public’s interest without stifling the innovation of entrepreneurs.

Laura knows how Ottawa works – she has worked for Minister John Duncan as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development and the Office of the Chief Government Whip.

Laura has worked directly on a number of initiatives and policies that impact coastal communities, and that responded to concerns raised directly by constituents.

Laura thrives under pressure: calling on her experience as a skydiving instructor and search and rescue volunteer, Laura was

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able to adapt to and perform well in the fast paced Ottawa environment. Laura continues to dedicate much of her spare time to volunteering for Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue (SAR), and has been an active with SAR volunteer since 2007.

Laura was born on Vancouver Island and has spent much of her life here. From time spent living on Gilford Island as a teenager and attending North Island Secondary School, to time spent living in Campbell River and the Comox Valley, to time spent doing forestry work in small, remote camps and communities, Laura has a solid grasp of the challenges and opportunities faced by the communities of North Island – Powell River.

Laura currently lives in Campbell River where her parents, aunt and brother also reside.

From: northislandpowellriver. conservative.ca/

We asked the candidates...

What are the issues uppermost on people’s minds?

RACHEL BLANEY: Jobs, the environment and health care are the top issues NDP candidate Rachel Blaney hears on the campaign trail.

“For me, what I am hearing the most from people is job security is a huge issue, just wanting to see more jobs in our area and more focus on what works in our area,” Blaney said.

“The other one is the environment; hearing a lot about the changes.

“And a lot of young people talking about the environment and wanting to see a green economy growing and thinking that that was really important and concern about the future and what they’re going to have to deal with. They want to see a government take some leadership now so that when it becomes their turn it’s not so overwhelming.”

The third big issue Blaney hears about is health care.

People are concerned about cuts and are concerned about the move towards privatization.

Blaney has heard seniors talk about saving for retirement but are worried that their plan didn’t include having to pay for medical costs.

“And then the same thing for young people, saying, you know, I have always sort of

increases, what does that look like for us in the future,” she said.

Blaney tells voters that she understands what they’re saying about jobs. She has lived in the community for more than 27 years and has seen its ups and downs. In addition, she grew up in a resource community and saw its ups and downs and was directly impacted by that.

“So I agree that we need more stability. We need to have a government interested in working as a key partner in making sure that stability is reality and that we have commitments toward infrastructure,” Blaney said.

Government also needs to be a bigger partner fighting for small businesses, reflecting a recognition that 80 per cent of jobs come from small business.

“And really fighting for those secondary resource positions,” Blaney said.

The local economy has lost a lot of jobs because we send a lot of our resources away. The NDP thinks it is important that the focus be on what the government can do to help secondary resource development, forestry, for example.

“What are those great ideas?

How can government partner with that?” Blaney said.

On the environment, Blaney

mental assessment processes, that the coastal environment needs greater protection and there needs to be greater investment in the green economy which would allow Canada to keep up with other countries in that sector.

“Other countries have shown that there are a lot of good paying jobs and a lot of opportunity there and we just want to become a world leader in that,” she said.

In traditional industry, Canada has lost a lot of manufacturing jobs – 400,000 in the 10 years. Government needs to be looking at where is the innovation.

“Things have changed, we understand that but we want to work with industry to find out where those opportunities are and stop shipping all of our raw resources away,” Blaney said.

Exporting raw resources is a reality, the NDP understands that, but where are other opportunities that we’re not taking advantage of, she said.

In health care, the Conservatives have committed to cutting $36 billion while the NDP has committed to returning that $36 billion to health care.

“We understand that health care is key to the stability of our country,” Blaney said.

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We asked the candidates...

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broadens the authority of Canadian government agencies to share information about individuals easily. It also expanded the mandate of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Focused on terrorism, people fear it could be used to prevent protests over the environment or First Nations issues or any form of protest.

The Conservatives say the bill is designed to combat terrorism but it is so ambiguous, Sayers said.

But besides changing the electoral system, people also have other issues on their minds.

“Health care seems to be an issue for people,” Sayers said.

People are concerned about how their health services are delivered and the current government’s impact on the delivery of those services. People are also worried about the trend towards privatization and people want the health care system to be more accessible to more people.

Sayers has recently spent time with street people and they raise concerns about the lack of housing.

“People die from pneumonia and exposure,” Sayers said.

It’s difficult to hear about these things, she said, but it does give you a different perspective.

The topical news stories impact what people talk about on the doorsteps of the riding and trade agreements have risen to the fore for some people.

“Trade agreements became an issue because of the recent news about the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP),” Sayers said.

The TPP would create a free trade zone among 12 countries around the Pacific. The Green Party and other critics fear the foreign investment protection provisions and their dispute clauses that over ride the rights of Canadians.

Sayers said there is a mood of desperation among some of the voters she talks to.

“I don’t think I have talked to one person who has been supportive of (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper,” Sayers said.

People tell her that they don’t recognize the country any more.

“It’s not the Canada they once knew,” she said.

People want the integrity of the nation restored. Canada used to be one of the top peacekeepers in the world, now we’re 67th.

How we treat our veterans, doorto-door postal delivery, CBC funding, “all those things we’re so proud of as Canadians, have changed so rapidly,” Sayers said

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a future for you and your family,” she said.

This is especially true for the smaller communities of the North Island. The community sustainability issue is huge for them. It’s a matter of both preserving the economic opportunities that continue to survive as well as find new economic activity.

“People are coming to realize that the days when our communities will be sustained by the one big employer or the one big industry are gone,” she said. “We need to diversify, we need to be looking to the future and what opportunities there are to use what we have.”

Realizing that this is a beautiful place and that people want to come here, how do we provide an environment that gives them opportunities to either get jobs or build something here?

And depending on where you are in the riding, that will look different.

“We have a lot of advantages here in Campbell River because we have a lot of the sort of community infrastructure and there’s more diverse opportunities,” Smith said.

But what you sometimes have in the smaller communities is a good job but the person looking at that job also is thinking of their spouse

and their spouse needs an opportunity to work as well.

That’s less of an issue in a bigger centre like Campbell River.

Smaller communities end up with a lot commuting back and forth.

Campbell River is a hub for these communities and we need them to be prosperous in order for us to build our prosperity, Smith said.

Campbell River has the advantage of having a “critical mass” of population and a lot of people want access to the large retail outlets. Those are issues that people consider when they move to a community.

“We just need to create an environment in which communities of all sizes can thrive,” Smith said.

And a big part in Smith’s mind too, is engaging First Nations.

“If the First Nation community is prospering, then everybody is prospering,” Smith said.

There’s a lot of things the Conservatives have brought in to get through some of the barriers created by the Indian Act. “We’ve been working to break down those barriers,” Smith said.

In Campbell River, you see a lot of good models of how First Nations are developing their businesses and there’s a lot more entrepreneurship than there used to be and that’s helping communities.

BRENDA SAYERS: reen Party candidate Brenda Sayers says people have voting on their minds when she talks to people on the campaign trail.

“What I have been hearing as the Green Party candidate is about proportional representation,” Sayers said. “That seems to be in the forefront of people’s minds.”

Sayers is happy to hear that people are thinking about our voting system and are willing to see it changed from our first-past-thepost system where the candidate with the most votes is selected as the representative. Proportional representation determines the make up of parliament by allocating seats based on the number of votes a party receives. The Greens, the NDP and Liberals are in favour of this and that’s “good to see,” Sayers said.

People are also worried about our democratic system, Sayers said. People ask what the Greens are going to do to make changes in the country.

“Every time we look around, there is something else that has been changed,” Sayers said people tell her. “Our rights have been undermined.”

Such legislation as Bill C51

LAURA SMITH: hen Conservative candidate Laura Smith is asked what issues are uppermost in people’s minds she replies, “Well, aside from boundary changes?”

In the Comox Valley portion of the North Island-Powell River riding, people are unclear where the riding boundaries are.

“When I’m down in the Comox Valley that’s actually the number one question. Nobody knows where the boundaries are because there’s signs for everybody everywhere,” Smith said.

The southern portion of the former Vancouver Island North riding has been chopped off to create a new riding, Courtenay-Alberni.

It divides the Comox Valley into two ridings and so there appears to be some confusion of where the boundary is.

But boundary questions aside, the number one issue in peoples minds is pretty clear to Smith.

“Definitely, it’s all about the economy,” she said. “People want to have sustainable communities.

They want to know there are going to be jobs here for them.”

The North Island-Powell River riding is a great place to live but it needs jobs.

“You want to know that there is

4 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2015 CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR

What are the issues uppermost on people’s minds?

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PETER SCHWARZHOFF: s befits a diverse riding, Peter Schwarzhoff finds that what people consider the top issue depends on where you are.

In Comox, it’s seniors, veterans and health care concerns that people talk about. Although seniors and health care issues are raised by everybody, the uppermost topics vary.

“When you get north of Campbell River, all of a sudden, it’s all about jobs; what is the future,” Schwarzhoff said.

“In Campbell River, it seems to be a mixture. People are concerned about the economic future of the area, where will the jobs come from; but also health care,” Schwarzhoff said.

Schwarzhoff said that now’s the time for the federal government to give the economy the kick start that will lead to jobs now and a healthy economy later.

That kick start has three components. The first will see the Liberals investing in traditional infrastructure projects – roads, sewers, etc. The second component will be investing in “social infrastructure,” Schwarzhoff said. Social infrastructure includes things like seniors facilities and educational facilities.

“And the final one for me is what we’re calling the clean tech sector in infrastructure,” Schwarzhoff said. “This is where we hope the jobs of the future come from.

Whole new opportunities are opening up around the world for people that are involved in clean tech.”

And that includes forestry, he said. There are firms in Campbell River involved in sustainable forestry and their services could be in demand around the world.

“So I am very hopeful we will be able to take advantage of the investments we have to build us a whole new economic sector,” Schwarzhoff said. A secondary aspect of developing clean technologies is to move away from a reliance on fossil fuels and towards a less carbon-intensive energy sector. This would involve alternative energy sources like wind, solar, tidal and geothermal.

“When people talk about jobs and the economy I immediately talk about all the opportunities that we’re going to be taking forward from our infrastructure investments,” Schwarzhoff said.

The Liberals have a plan to pay for it and it involves running three consecutive deficits before bringing the economy into the black, Schwarzhoff said. He expected

a negative reaction from people at the door after that announcement. But it turned out to not be the case. People got it.

“They understand the difference between debt and investment,” Schwarzhoff said.

People get that and they don’t want to wait.

“People don’t want to wait they want some action now,” Schwarzhoff said.

Schwarzhoff said that he has been canvassing since January and people have been interested in discussing the issues even back then.

What has changed in recent weeks is that more people have made up their minds.

He has been greeted with some cynicism and there is a general lack of trust in the political system. The Liberals plan to restore democracy.

Another big issue on peoples minds is health care and the fact that people are concerned that were won’t be enough money in the system to do the job.

The Liberal plan is to get away from the old acute care model where the focus is on facilities and hospitals. The Liberals’ plan focusses on keeping people healthy and allowing them to be treated at home where it is cheaper and more effective to deliver care.

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