The final opportunity for Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee candidates to introduce themselves and their policies to the public took place on Tuesday, April 22.

Lumby's White Valley Community Centre hosted the all-candidates forum, organized by the Lumby Chamber of Commerce.

Conservative candidate Scott Anderson, Liberal candidate Anna Warwick Sears, Green candidate Blair Visccher and NDP candidate Leah Main were all present.

Following five-minute introductions from each candidate, audience members posed a range of questions on topics including housing, transportation, the Gaza-Israel conflict, trade, and freedom of expression.

Housing crisis

The first question was on the and how that would be achieved.

"It's ambitious, but a big part of that plan is to lean into building pre-fabricated homes, which can be put together much more quickly using skilled tradespeople," said Warwick Sears, who touted her experience in the home-building business. "We are going to train more tradespeople like carpenters, and break down inter-provincial trade barriers."

Main said that the liberal proposal is a very good response to the problem of affordable housing, and the NDP would look to add on to that. 

"We would free up federally-owned lands to be either donated or leased to communities/societies/groups to build on using pre-fab and other approaches," said Main. "Yes, we do need to train more tradespeople and we need to look at various ways of financing, like through co-ops and a plethora of other approaches to do this. But we can do it."

Anderson said that the Conservatives "actually have a plan to do it."

"We will not only fund it, but create the professionals who can do it," said Anderson. "We would axe the sales tax on new homes, bring 350,000 positions to trade schools open and we will sell federal buildings to free up land. We are not searching for a plan, we actually have a plan."

Visscher responded critically, stressing that all the plans heard "could have been implemented long ago."

"The housing crisis that we are in right now has been a crisis in the making for longer than the past 10 years," she said. "The housing crisis has been caused by private investment, as housing is seen as an investment and not a human right. We have heard all of these promises before but housing continues to go up and people can't afford to own or rent anymore. Everyone keeps throwing around the term affordable housing but I have yet to hear a definition. So we need definitions on what we even mean when we are talking."

Israel-Gaza crisis

Next was a question directed to Warwick Sears and Anderson on whether they would commit to opposing the Israel-Gaza genocide and fully fund humanitarian efforts.

"No," said Anderson, who declined to elaborate.

Warwick-Sears responded that a Liberal government would call for a ceasefire and full resumption of humanitarian aid immediately, and support a  

"The NDP already proposed such legislation, calling for a ceasefire for a two-way arms embargo," said Main. "That resolution was chipped away at by other parties, but the NDP holds unequivocally that a two-way arms embargo and unmitigated ceasefire and full humanitarian aid should be done immediately."

Visscher stated that the Green Party "fully supports all of those motions."

"I am frankly a little surprised to hear no other response from our Conservative colleague."

Transportation issues

Transportation was another issue that was brought up, as an audience member asked what each individual would do to improve the transportation system.

Warwick Sears thought that the most important thing for transportation is the revival of regional bus services. 

"Buses are low cost, we just have to want to do it and I think it is reasonable to ask the federal government to contribute to it," said Warwick-Sears. "I am all for regional transportation in whatever form it takes."

Main said that there are a number of different aspects to transportation and regional transportation is a provincial jurisdiction. She referenced a 2017 resolution that she brought to the Board of the Canadian Municipalities to ask to engage the federal government in talks about replacing Greyhound.

"Those talks were initiated and ongoing until the dissolution of the Trudeau government, and I am waiting to see if the Carney government will pick that up," Main said. "The transportation piece in Canada is very interestingly complex and work has begun on it."

Visscher said that Canada needs high-speed rail and effective public transportation that is "better than driving a car."

"The idea that changing to clean-sustainable energy and not relying on the fossil fuel industry, which is shedding jobs regardless of the 20-plus billion dollars it was subsidized for, is that people have options and the options aren't buying an electric car," Visscher said.

"I can't afford an electric car. I can't afford to charge an electric car, and I don't know many who can, regardless of rebates. The option has to be effective public transit. We have to make a public transportation system that is so robust that it is actually favoured by most people."

Anderson then responded, pointing out that the oil and gas industry is shedding jobs because the government is shutting it down, "not because there is a lack of jobs there."

"We should be able to do a lot of things, like travel to the other side of the country but we have to live in reality," said Anderson.

"It is not financially reasonable to have high-speed rail in every town in the country. We don't have the money and if we want to have the money to do things like that, we need to supercharge our economy. We have the means and we can open it up, but the Liberals want to keep the resources in the ground. That is why all these ideas are great ideas and not reality."

Visccher rebutted a point Anderson made regarding opening up Canada's resources. 

"The idea that we need to let large corporate business owners buy parts of Canada with no permitting and no Indigenous consultation is illegal and extremely detrimental for all of us who live here."

Freedom of expression

Candidates were asked next on the topic of the and freedom of expression, and how they would protect the rights of Canadians to engage in peaceful advocacy without fear of repercussion.

"To be in support of Palestinian autonomy and survival is not anti-Semitic. To be opposed to the militaristic Zionism of Israel as a state is not anti-Semitic," said Main. "To criticize the action of a state is entirely different than criticizing the actions and beliefs of a religion."

Warwick Sears then explained that the basis of decisions being made should be done through Canada's Human Rights Code.

"Canada is based on very strong founding principles, including a constitution that protects people and protects speech," she said. "We need to go back to that."

Visscher agreed that all citizens "have the right to peaceful protest and it should not be limited."

"When we start saying that certain people are not allowed to stand up and say what they believe peacefully, we are no longer a democratic Canada," said Visscher. "We need to use caution when we say everyone can speak except for those people. At what point do we draw the line."

Anderson agreed.

"I am a strong advocate for freedom of speech, and the question as posed is completely reasonable," said Anderson. "Criticizing a country for something is not racist or insulting for anyone but the leaders of the country.

"What I have a problem with though, is why Palestine is singled out for this sort of thing because that speaks to something else. No one else is criticizing Russia with the same vigour and degree despite the fact that the cities on the Eastern Front are being indiscriminately bombed. I just wonder why all the focus is on Israel in particular. The amount of input on what is going into this is out of proportion to the actions of Israel itself."

Final words

After questions, candidates had another chance to wrap up thoughts and deliver their pitches into why they should vote for one another. 

Anderson and Warwick Sears both touted their party platforms, while Visscher and Main leaned into eliminating the idea of strategic voting and vote splitting. 

"My role is to listen to you, and all parts of the community and take your voices back to Ottawa," said Warwick Sears.

"This is the most important election in a generation, and it may be the most important one ever," said Anderson. "I almost wonder when we will see another because that's the situation that the Liberals are producing. I urge you, for the future and for your kids' future in order for them to ever have a chance to buy a house, to vote for the Conservatives so that we have a future. "

"It is time to vote for what actually matters and to believe that change is possible," Visscher said. "I am committed to change for our area and for Canada. I am not going anywhere." 

"I feel it is very important to maintain Canada's multi-party system and not just have credence given to the Liberals and Conservatives," said Main. "The NDP and the Greens have a very important voice to raise in governing this large country."

The federal election takes place Monday, April 28.