Columbia River-Revelstoke candidates take the stage in community forums

Scott McInnis – BC Conservative Party

McInnis says he wants to make sure rural areas of the province have a voice at the table.

“I’m in this for one reason only and it’s because I love my home very much. I understand very clearly how important rural representation is in British Columbia. We need more rural representation in British Columbia not less,” he said.

“Make no mistake folks our province is in a crisis. We face a housing crisis, an affordability crisis, a toxic drug crisis, an environmental crisis, a crime crisis, a public safety crisis and an employment crisis.”

Andrea Dunlop – BC New Democratic Party

Dunlop says the NDP will work hard so the next generation has the same opportunities as generations past.

Affordability

Scott McInnis – BC Conservative Party

McInnis says his party will get rid of the carbon tax, but it won’t be an immediate change.

“It’s become apparently clear to everybody to most parties that the carbon tax isn’t working and we’re still seeing an increase in carbon emissions in this province,” he said.

I know as a province we can’t eliminate the carbon tax right away as it’s federal law. So as soon as the writ drops for the next federal election which could happen at any time we will be repealing the carbon tax in British Columbia. We feel very strongly that with the elimination of the carbon tax life is going to be more affordable from the grocery stores, to buying a pair of shoes to basically any consumer good that we use in this province.”

He also says they will continue the province’s day care program.

“We’re going to expand our child care program very extensively for $10 dollar-a-day child care,” he said.

“This is going to go to people who need it the most and not a random lottery system.”

Andrea Dunlop – BC New Democratic Party

Dunlop says the NDP will also expand $10 dollar-a-day child care.

Calvin Beauchesne – BC Green Party

Beauchesne says the Greens will introduce a windfall tax on corporations.

“Oil companies, grocery companies and real estates companies are making billions in profits while people are struggling to pay for gas, food and rent. The BC Greens are the only party putting forward a plan to address this. We are proposing a windfall tax, which is by definition any tax in response to historic profits from an industry on companies making over $1 billion per year. This would affect approximately 35 companies and raise $4.1 billion per year in revenue.”

He says they will also stop handing out fossil fuel subsidies.

“We could then use this money to reinvest back into communities through a universal mental health care system, transit or a universal school food program.”

Forestry

Andrea Dunlop – BC New Democratic Party

Dunlop says local representation will be important to ensure the forestry sector’s health and to reduce wildfire risk.

“Each summer is filled with anxiety. Are summers are no longer enjoyable and we look at our forests as a threat rather than the joys they should be. For locals it seems like the solution is simple, we just need to thin the forest around our communities,” she said.

“The NDP platform states it will support community forests as they recognize that local expertise is required for this incredibly complex issue where so many different stakeholders need to be at the table to make decisions for the long-term health and welfare of our forests. I will be that advocate because I understand the urgency of this issue in our local communities.”

Calvin Beauchesne – BC Green Party

Beauchesne says the forestry sector needs a complete overhaul.

“We need to come to grip with the fact that we can’t continue what we are doing in BC when it comes to Forestry. Companies are literally running out of wood to harvest and if we truly want to support a sustainable forestry industry well into the future we can’t continue to have clear-cut logging like we have right now. Instead, we need to switch to more sustainable practices like selective logging,” he said.

He says B.C. also needs to be doing its own production.

“While we absolutely need to support workers and communities we also need to look forward to the future which is a serviced based and knowledge-based economy and an economy where we don’t export raw products, but instead produce and manufacture them here to keep the jobs in this province.”

Scott McInnis – BC Conservative Party

McInnis says loggers need more support than what they have been getting.

“It’s no secret that our forest industry is in trouble. I’ve talked to a lot of loggers within the last six months as a candidate and we have a lot of challenges here,” he said.

“We have the best loggers in the world here in Columbia River-Revelstoke and a lot of them are very anxious about losing their jobs.”

McInnis agreed that too many raw materials are leaving B.C.

“We also have a problem with the model of how our forest industry works. We export way too many raw logs and what happens is the finished products don’t get produced here in B.C.,” he said.

“We are putting forward a credit system where companies who produce more value-added products of their fibre are going to pay less tax than companies who are exporting more logs. That’s going to keep the jobs here, keep people employed and boost our forest sector back to a place where it was not so long a go.”

General voting day is set for Oct. 19.