With the provincial election a little over a week away, residents are eager to hear from candidates about issues that matter to them before casting their votes.
And so too are social service organizations in the Okanagan, who put their heads together to come up with a list of 16 questions which were posed to all candidates in the Vernon-Lumby and 琉璃神社-Lake Country-Coldstream ridings.
The questions were crafted by the Family Resource Centre, NexusBC Community Resource Centre, Archway Society for Domestic Peace, Turning Points Collaborative, Vernon and District Immigrant and Community Services Society, and the Canadian Mental Health Association Vernon and District.
Only four of the eight candidates responded by the deadline. The NDP and independent candidates in both ridings answered the questions, while the two BC Conservative candidates, one BC Green (Andrew Rose of 琉璃神社-Lake Country-Coldstream) and one BC Libertarian (Robert Johnson of Vernon-Lumby) did not.
The candidates that responded were:
Vernon-Lumby
鈥� Harwinder Sandhu, NDP
鈥� Kevin Acton, independent
琉璃神社-Lake Country-Coldstream
鈥� Anna Warwick Sears, NDP
鈥� Kevin Kraft, independent
Note: Warwick Sear provided identical answers to Sandhu. As such, her answers have not been included to avoid duplication.
Without further ado, here are the questions and answers from each of the responding candidates.
1. Will your party maintain, increase, or decrease the current level of funding provided to the non-profit housing sector?
Acton: I would work to maintain or, if government finances allow, increase the funding to the nonprofit housing sector because private and nonprofit organization can often be more efficient than government with building projects due to their ability to leverage from other entities that are looking to support their initiatives.
Sandhu: The BC NDP government has a strong record of working with local partners (like nonprofit housing providers) to address the housing crunch. If re-elected we will continue to work shoulder to shoulder with local communities, invest in more housing and ensure British Columbians have affordable, safe places to call home. We have currently delivered hundreds of affordable housing units to many people in partnership with many of our local non-profit organizations, because we value their partnership and appreciate their work.
Kraft: I will advocate for maintaining the funding and look at projects to stretch that budget for the areas of greatest need. As an independent I would be at the will of the governing party but have the opportunity to influence policy to help benefit all. The systemic increases in costs and affordability is a widespread issue and deeply complicated with ties to taxes, industry, inflation, and material costs. Recognizing that the dollar can鈥檛 stretch as far as it used to we need to dial in on programs and services that give us the best results.
2. What housing policies are you proposing to increase the inventory of safe and affordable units in our ridings, and to address the housing crisis in B.C.?
Acton: To increase housing in our riding and address the housing crisis in B.C.:
鈥� Reduce unnecessary, overlapping, or duplicating government regulation.
鈥� Work with local governments to ensure land is ready for development, or there is a process in place to ensure the land can be made ready for development quickly.
鈥� Incentivize density and smaller lots with smaller homes.
鈥� Create an environment where investors feel secure to develop housing stock.
Sandhu: We know that too many British Columbians are struggling to find a home. We鈥檙e proud of the work we鈥檝e done so far. In the Vernon area alone we鈥檝e added over 1,000 new units of housing targeted at specifically vulnerable groups; seniors, people with disabilities, families, those requiring supportive housing, Indigenous peoples, students and those with low incomes. We have also built Vernon鈥檚 first ever 101 student housing units at the Okanagan College with 44 childcare spaces onsite. We will continue to build on that progress.
Kraft: I am not a housing or economic expert, but I do know that infill initiatives and densification are impacting those in rural and smaller communities. We need balance in growth and development in all forms of housing to increase diverse inventory and availability of various housing models to accommodate different needs.
3. Many newcomers to Canada do not qualify for rental subsidy programs. How would you and your party create a more accessible rental subsidy program?
Acton: There is insufficient detail to answer this question. Who are the 鈥渘ewcomers to Canada鈥� that are referred to, and what has brought them to our Province? Are they fleeing persecution? Are they temporary foreign workers? Undocumented immigrants? Document/legal immigrant?
Sandhu: I know how daunting it can be to build your life in a new country. The BC NDP recognizes the unique challenges faced by newcomers as well as their valuable contributions to our province. That鈥檚 why we鈥檝e quadrupled grants to our community partners who provide settlement services and other support to newcomers. We will keep working with our community partners and newcomer groups to make sure folks have the resources they need to not only get by but get ahead.
Kraft: As an independent this will also be an item that rests with the governing party. The real power as an independent is that we can advocate for policy or changes that are more regionally focused and we can assure that the constituents regardless of class and status can be represented fairly.
4. We continue to lose community members at an alarming rate to toxic drugs. What approach do you have to address the full spectrum of need for addiction treatment and recovery?
Acton: This question is of such magnitude that to unpack and fully respond would requires several pages, however I鈥檓 going to be much more brief. The Province needs to build mental health facilities, and separate (where appropriate) drug addition from other mental health issues/crisis. Both drug addiction and other mental health issues require care there are different needs and levels of vulnerability. We need to stop using terms like 鈥渟afe supply鈥� or 鈥渟afe injection sites鈥� which are misleading and can downplay the inherent, life-threatening repercussions that come from using illicit drugs. Narcotics need to be/remain criminalized and fulsome treatment programs, including sober living and continued care, need to be available for periods of at least two years. During recovery, education and basic life skills needs to be taught and reinforced.
Sandhu: The toxic drug crisis is heartbreaking and devastating. It touches so many families in Vernon-Lumby and we need to do everything we can to stop this devastating crisis to save lives. Having worked as a registered nurse for over 20 years, I know that we need to continue to increase services that meet people where they are at. That means increasing prevention efforts, such as building the new Foundry Centre for youth in Vernon so that young people get help and support before they go down a terrible path. That means increasing the outreach and capacity of our system, such as the 19 outreach and treatment workers we recently hired through Interior Health and expanding the Healthcare Access Program to get people in Vernon-Lumby trained and employed to do this work. That means increasing treatment options for people in our community such as the public beds we opened in Lumby with the Red Road Recovery Society with the support of First Nations, the work we鈥檙e doing with Turning Points Collaborative Society, we have funded some treatment beds at Bill鈥檚 place, and the new, state-of-the-art in-patient psychiatric unit being built at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. This means keeping people with addictions alive so that we can connect them to care, such as expanding harm reduction and substance use intervention services at the mental health and substance use clinic which is helping to save many lives and connecting people with the resources they need. Some politicians try to claim that these are simple problems and that we only need to focus on one aspect of this continuum. But addictions and mental health are complex - and we need equally comprehensive responses to deal with these challenges.
Kraft: I am not supportive of the current systems around clean supply, free paraphernalia handouts, and the distribution of services throughout different communities. We need to centralize services in municipalities to help reduce community safety concerns but also can better serve those in need of help and support.
5. Private addiction and recovery programs can be expensive. What is your position on government鈥檚 responsibility to offer publicly funded treatment and recovery? What would you offer by way of publicly funded spaces?
Acton: As previously mentioned, when possible, mental health should be separated from addiction. This will reduce the number of people being treated for addiction and this can still be government funded through non-profit organizations. People with a repeat criminal background can be helped as part of the judicial system where we could offer treatment versus confinement. Treatment needs to be for an adequate period of time with a sober living opportunity post treatment.
Sandhu: When someone is ready to take that brave step towards treatment and recovery, public services need to be there to meet them. The BC NDP fundamentally recognizes that mental health and addictions care is part of healthcare and therefore should not depend on how much you have in your bank account. One of the ways that we have expanded this public system is by partnering with the CMHA-BC who have helped us find the best local organizations in communities across BC that can open new beds or completely new facilities - all of which are entirely free for people who need them. Our plan is to continue to open more of these public beds so that we can bring down wait times and ensure that everyone can get the quality, accessible care that they need and deserve. This summer, we have also launched a new province-wide phone number, the Opioid Treatment Access Line 1-833-804-8111 for people anywhere in BC to get connected to same day assessments and be directly connected to regional health-care teams for ongoing treatment and support within their community. Dedicated nurses will help make sure people are getting the longer-term care they need. I'm worried that the proposed cuts to healthcare from the BC Conservatives would mean that BC would end this progress. We need to do more, not less, for people in their time of need.
Kraft: Similar answer to #4. Programs are costly but there is a point to be made regarding the costs and cost savings in both prevention and early treatment vs the current services and programs.
6. Are you supportive of regulating private treatment and recovery centres?
Acton: I do not support regulation of private treatment, many people find help in many ways and all options need to be available.
Sandhu: Absolutely. One of the first things that the former government did, which BC Conservative leader John Rustad was a part of, was completely deregulate private treatment and recovery centres. This meant that anyone could call themselves a treatment centre and charge people to get treatment under their care. This led to dangerous and unethical practices and fly-by-night operations that did not help people - and often did real harm. The BC NDP has already completed a first round of regulations for private care systems that have established baselines for care and services - and have hired investigators that can check on client complaints. However, this does not go far enough and we have a plan to bring private treatment and recovery up to the highest standards in a second round of regulations - which we know would not happen under a Conservative government. One of the other things we have done to bring up the standard of care is increasing the daily rate that treatment and recovery centres receive in order to support people who are on income assistance or disability to get into care. The former government didn't increase these rates in over 10 years. I am proud to say that the BC NDP government has already increased them twice - over doubling what they had been.
Kraft: I am not sure if regulation of treatment is going to accomplish desired outcomes. I think every journey is different and different methods and approaches are needed when seeking help to become clean or influence their choices moving forward in life.
7. Crisis lines in BC have been severely underfunded for a long time, despite being able to resolve upwards of 90% of calls over the phone. Are you supportive of increasing funding to crisis lines?
Acton: I absolutely support an increase in funding to crisis lines.
Sandhu: Crisis lines in BC are the backbone of our crisis response system. Nowhere in Canada do we have as many dedicated organizations coordinating in such an important way. They need our support. Unfortunately, the former government ignored them for too long. I was happy to be part of the government that in 2022 established the Crisis Line Enhancement Project with an additional $2.35 million in annual funding for crisis lines, which nearly doubled the investment in this critical service. More than $1.6 million in additional one-time funding was also provided to crisis line centres in 2020 to help crisis lines improve their call capacity during the pandemic. However, I recognize that even with that increased support, the need for these services is still rising. I am committed to continuing to be an advocate for crisis lines in BC and ensuring that they are adequately supported.
Kraft: Crisis lines, 811, and updated 911 programs are critical when helping those in crisis. I would be supportive of initiatives to increase communication opportunities.
8 In Canada/B.C., we have universal health care, but this does not include mental health care. If elected, would you and your party commit to working towards universal access to mental health care so that everyone who needs help can get it?
Acton: This question requires further clarification, as 鈥渦niversal healthcare鈥� certainly does not include all forms of healthcare. There are health services I would like to see added/covered that are not, some of which would be considered mental health services.
Sandhu: The BC NDP believes that mental health is health and it needs to be treated that way in our system. Some of that support needs to be within health care settings - such as the in-patient psychiatric unit being built at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. Some of that needs to be community settings, such as in the new Foundry Centre for Youth that BC is building with the local CMHA-Vernon branch, which will provide physical and mental healthcare for youth and young people. For youth, I am also proud to say that the BC NDP has committed to provide funding to every school to have a mental health counsellor, which would be a huge help for kids and their families. The BC NDP has also funded 29 community organizations to provide free counselling, with a focus on marginalized people and those who have faced barriers accessing the support they need. This has been such a success that we have committed another $50 million to massively increase this program in order to provide mental health care to even more people in BC. I know there is even more that we need to do, and I will continue to work hard to expand mental health care and services for people in Vernon-Lumby.
Kraft: Yes, we need to include mental health as an important part of health care. I am also an advocate for increased funding for our education system to support the development of children and youth both physically and mentally. Graduating young adults who are aware of their physical health, nutritional health, and mental health will significantly decrease the systemic pressures we are facing in health care. This is long term planning but as a young candidate I am tired of 4 year at a time fixes and approaches.
9. Quest Outreach Society recently found that many B.C. households are spending an average of 40 percent of their income on food. How would you address food insecurity?
Acton: Food prices are directly related to the cost of production. The cost of fuel and Eby/Trudeau carbon tax is harmful and unsustainable. Fuel taxes and carbon tax are buried into many aspects of food production. Farmers and local food producers are all dealing with the rising prices of water, fuel, land and labour. We need to be more creative in the government burdens and taxation of goods that are deemed a necessity of life, such as food, water and shelter.
Sandhu: Too many British Columbians are going hungry. While working to address cost of living concerns holistically (like reducing utility and ICBC rates) we鈥檝e been tackling food security head on in the Okanagen. In Vernon Lumby alone, we鈥檝e provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations focused on providing food to people in need. Local school districts received over $1 million from the Feeding Futures Fund. We鈥檒l continue to invest in school nutrition programs, affordable housing and low-cost childcare.
Kraft: Agriculture, food security, freshwater management, and wildlife management are passions of mine. The increase costs to put food on the table and forcing homes and families to pit shelter and food against each other is terrible. Focusing on a support local approach, activating and incentivising our large and small agricultural producers and ensuring their commitment to supporting community food bank and food programs would be a huge step. There is still a significant amount of waste out there and there are communities, families, and programs in need. When we as a community are more connected to our food and where it comes from, I believe we respect and appreciate it more.
10. How would you create more daycare spaces for 0 to three-year-olds in our area?
Acton: Allow a family to be financially assisted, similar to the financial assistance provided to a licensed daycare. When possible, and if it makes sense for a family, it would make sense to keep young children with a parent or other family member. Compensating a parent or family member, similar to a daycare, would reduce the need for daycare spaces. With part-time work options and remote work / work-for-home arrangements, it鈥檚 possible there are other arrangements that would work for families that also see them able to care for their child instead of sending them to daycare facilities.
Sandhu: We鈥檙e committed to expanding the $ 10-a-day model to keep expanding access to affordable child care. As we continue to expand the $10-a-day child care model over the coming years we have lowered fees for families who are not in $10-a-day spaces 鈥� saving families up to $10,800 a year per child. We are making new commitments to add tens of thousands more desperately needed accessible and affordable child care spaces, initiating a long-term capital plan that will be built with input from families, providers, school districts, municipalities, sector experts and more. We鈥檒l also keep building on our investments in the ECE workforce to train and recruit more people to the sector and improve working conditions. We value our ECEs and therefore we have increased their wages by $6/hour, and added more training seats. Due to our record and historic investments in affordable childcare, parents in our communities have saved approx $21 million from our childcare fees reductions.
Kraft: Collaboration between all levels of government and places of employment is crucial to increase spaces. The efforts at the airport servicing both employees and community members with young families is so great work and a great example. The metrics on population growth in the Okanagan has been no secret and we need to increase our childcare and educational spaces and services.
11. How would you reduce political polarization? What steps would you take to implement this?
Acton: There needs to be more independents running for office, such as myself, who do not have to follow a party line (no 鈥渨hipped votes鈥�) and are able to vote the way they believe is in the best interest of their constituents. If constituents want this, they will support those willing to lead in this area. The polarization, I think, is based on fear or a lack of understanding of another person position. We need to be willing to listen show tolerance for other opinions.
Sandhu: As an MLA I鈥檝e worked hard to be accessible and approachable to everyone I represent, whether they voted for me or not. I want to hear all perspectives so I can represent my community as effectively and equally as I can. I will continue to do so. I believe we can achieve more working together than we can being negative. I also believe it鈥檚 important to speak the truth and provide accurate information to people.We live in the era of misinformation, social media algorithms which can hinder people鈥檚 ability to seek truth, and it's a big threat to our democracy. Facts and truth are so important to restore public trust in politics.My ability to work across the party lines have been appreciated by many, I believe in working together for productive results as our role is to ensure betterment of our community. My colleagues and I are open to working with other parties to make life better for British Columbians but we will also be honest with people. If our opponents are saying something wrong or untruthful we will point that out because people have the right to know facts and they deserve transparency as well as accountability.
Kraft: This is exactly the opportunity an independent candidate offers. When you truly are rooted in the communities you are charged to serve you bring the voices of your community with you. That is true representation, to be reliable, relatable and reachable is foundational as an MLA regardless of party lines etc. When we focus on local issues and where we would like to see some progress I believe we are a lot closer than we sometimes think.
12. Violence against women is a systemic issue that requires long-term commitment. What steps will you take to ensure that funding for violence prevention and response programs is stable and sustained?
Acton: Funding for this should never be a concern. All potential avenues for protecting women and their families must be fully funded.
Sandhu: This issue touches many of us closely, as a woman and mother of two daughters I take this issue seriously and continue to advocate to find ways to support women. Since forming the government, we have funded more than 470 victim services and violence against women support programs. We have restored funding for sexual assault reporting centres, and we're making online spaces safer through a new law cracking down on the sharing of intimate images without consent. We know we need to do more. That's why we are strengthening implementation of the Safe and Supported: BC鈥檚 Gender-Based Violence Action Plan by working with service providers, Indigenous partners and families on initiatives, like the Path Forward Community Fund, to make BC safer and more inclusive for women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Additionally, we are helping women and families permanently escape domestic abuse and violence by expanding the availability of transition housing, and making sure their jobs are protected if they have to run to safety so they can keep supporting their families.
Kraft: As an independent we will be at the will of the governing party regarding this type of policy. Having rooted local experiences, and advocating for local concerns, programs, and services it is imperative that we continue to advocate for violence prevention, response, and law enforcement.
13. How will you support community-based initiatives aimed at raising awareness and educating the public about the issue of violence against women?
Acton: Same response as 12.
Sandhu: The Path Forward Community Fund exists to support exactly this type of education. We need to do more to make sure that all women, girls and gender diverse people in our province feel safe in their communities. These programs also empower others to intervene when they see something wrong. New Democrats believe we all have a role to play in looking after each other and you can count on us to continue working toward a BC free from gender based violence. As such we鈥檙e reviewing outdated legislation and policies to address ongoing barriers to women accessing safety and justice.
Kraft: See #12.
14. In the community social service sector, we struggle with recruiting and retaining qualified staff to provide important health and social services. If elected, what will you and your party do to address the human resources shortage in the sector?
Acton: There is a shortage of human resources in this sector because not all nonprofits offer competitive wages. A wage equalization program should be established for nonprofits, allowing us to address the funding model thereafter.
Sandhu: Our government has listened to your concerns and is addressing the staffing shortage through the PNP program to attract and hire more skilled workers, as well as launched Future Ready Skills Grant to help support people to get trained in close to 400 courses focused on the needs in various work categories, and province covers up $3500 of their tuition fees. To meet the need in the healthcare, community LTC sector, the BC NDP government trained almost 8000 care aids under programs like HCAP which allowed students to earn money while studying for their credentials. After a great success we have later expanded this program to include mental health and addictions workers , many are enrolled in this program now. I know local organizations here are benefitting from this added staffing capacity. We have proudly supported the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot program which helped our community extensively to meet the needs. Our BC NDP government was proud to support organizations like Community Futures by providing funding to deliver this program. We鈥檒l continue to raise working conditions in the social service sector through ensuring good paying jobs and adequate staffing levels by funding the sector. We鈥檒l also continue investing in post-secondary education so more people can get the training they need to take on these crucial jobs.
Kraft: Recruiting and retaining good staff is a challenge in both private and public industry and services. It is important to understand that we have two post secondary institutions in this riding that are looking for local offerings and more collaboration with local and provincial governments. We can look at supporting grants, scholarships, bursaries that support interest in specific fields we are in need of supporting.
15. If elected, do you or your party intend to address disability assistance rates that continue to keep people in poverty?
Acton: Absolutely. I have ongoing discussions with many individuals who care for people with disabilities, and it's distressing to hear their stories about funding shortages, especially while high-paying management and bureaucratic positions increase significantly. People don鈥檛 need micromanagement; they need support for the incredible work they do. The last thing we need is more bureaucracy in an already top-heavy system.
Sandhu: Global inflation has been hard on everyone, especially those on income assistance. The BC NDP government has already increased disability assistance 5 times. To help even more we plan to give households on income assistance $1,000 in immediate support in 2025 ($500 per adult). We have also reinstated the bus passes which were clawed back by John Rustad and his former BC Liberal party. We are building a historic number of housing units for people with disabilities. We鈥檒l ensure that people can keep their entire Canadian Disability Benefit without clawbacks and adjust the spousal income cap so more families can keep more money in their pockets.
Kraft: We need to follow through on federal disability policies and look at models where people are treated fairly and equitably. There are so many conflicting priorities that are limiting people from reaching their potential, supporting their families and each other.
16. The viability of the non-profit sector continues to be tenuous due to the short-term nature of provincial government contracts, and a lack of core funding to the sector to help offset fixed operating costs. Will your party address these issues to ensure the non-profit sector remains viable, and can continue to do the valuable work that we do?
Acton: As a mayor, I understand the challenges of running a village on grants instead of core funding. We are constantly chasing money, which complicates long-term planning. Core funding is essential for reducing waste and improving services. If the government is concerned about fund usage, audits can be conducted as they are for local governments. Long-term planning is crucial for any business model.
Sandhu: Our government has worked shoulder to shoulder with our community partners to make sure British Columbians receive the support and services they need. I鈥檝e been a community advocate for a long time. I know how important it is for these organizations to be able to plan for the future and knowing whether they鈥檒l have funding coming in the next year is crucial. If I鈥檓 re-elected you can count on me to advocate for stable funding for organizations like yours.
Kraft: I am also tired of the four year at a time approach when it comes to solutions for healthcare, housing, agriculture etc. it challenges the stability and sustainability of our systems. We need to take proactive long-term steps to help ease the pressures on the systems and think will into the future. The value of the work is immeasurable and is inspiring as there is a level of care for people, community, and well-being that needs to be supported and maintained. I will advocate in partnership with organizations calling for aid and support as this is the role of an MLA. From community to government and not the other way around.
