The Whistler Chamber in partnership with Arts Whistler and the Pique Newsmagazine hosted the Whistler All-Candidates meeting on October 1 ahead of the Provincial Election.
Read the full write up from The Pique Newsmagazine, Whistler gets first view at three-horse B.C. Election Race, here.
Or, watch the full meeting video below.
Additional Questions From Slido
Unanswered audience questions were sent to all candidates, who had equal opportunity to respond.
Jeremy Valeriote, BC Greens
Platform:
https://bcgreens2024.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BCGreens-Platform-2024.pdf
Questions:
- Jeremy, as the Green Candidate, are you aware that being outside the opposition limits your ability to question the government or join committees?
- Jeremy, how can you get regional transit done if you are an independent.
Response:
I would like to clarify what a smaller party like the BC Greens can accomplish in the legislative arena. Firstly, all parties and all MLAs are entitled to ask questions of the government; the BC Greens, even with only two MLAs, are given at least one question in every question period, and are entitled to sit on all committees. I am not running as an independent, and there is a strong likelihood that I will be part of a caucus of 4-8 Greens, so my ability to effect change will be similar to that of any other MLA faithfully representing their constituents. It is this focus on public service and an ability to effectively navigate the political realm that will allow me to finally realize regional transit in the Sea to Sky, where many others have failed so far.
Once the election results are known, it is likely that Greens will continue to have significant leverage in the Legislature, whether directly or indirectly. The idea that I would be a single Green MLA is a false narrative designed to suggest that one must elect an MLA in government to get government spending. To that I respond that it is dangerous for democracy to suggest that only government-elected MLAs get things done for their ridings – this is a tired old narrative that may have been true in 1957, but ignores how the government has checks and balances to make sure it works for all the people of BC, as question 24 suggests (“is it pork barrel politics to say that the only way we get listened to is to elect an MLA from the winning party?”). In reality, and often overlooked by politicians of all stripes, the government is also comprised of apolitical public servants who help to administer funds. The notion above has also been proven false by the track record of what Green MLAs Sonia Furstenau and Adam Olsen have been able to deliver for their constituents over the last 7 years.
Additionally, this election is a toss-up between the two big parties, so voters would have to roll the dice to guess correctly which party will form government. Wouldn’t it be wiser to elect an MLA who can represent you independent of party discipline and ideology, and represent Sea to Sky values instead of having to feed a big provincial party machine?
Yuri Fulmer, BC Conservatives
Platform: https://www.conservativebc.ca/ideas
No response received by publish date.
Jen Ford, BC NDP
Platform: https://www.bcndp.ca/actionplan
- To Yuri then Jen. Will you support a motor fuel tax to help fund regional transit? If not, how will your party fund regional transit?
The Sea to Sky Regional Transit plan does advocate for fuel pricing transparency, and as such we know that the motor fuel surcharge would be necessary and easily absorbed into the profit that the gas stations are generating in the corridor. We also know that if it works as intended, and more people choose transit or EVs, that the fuel surcharge would eventually be a declining revenue source, so financing would have to be shared by the Province, the Feds and the Local governments. But the benefits would also be evolving in lowered congestion, better health outcomes, etc.
2. How would you fight for continuation of the carbon tax? Yuri has declined to attend the WVS2S nature / climate all candidates so to Jen with Jeremy rebuttal.
Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau made a similar commitment last month. She said the carbon tax is “punishing people” and for “a complete overhaul” so that people are not paying for it. And we agree with the Green Party on that. Big polluters should be paying, not average families who are facing higher and higher costs.
It’s really important that both Sonia Furstenau and David Eby understand that the fight against climate change is bigger than any single tax. I know that we will ensure that BC remains a leader in reducing emissions and investing in the new clean economy.
3. Why do you feel like you’re the best candidate to represent our riding?
I have a long record of standing up for families and advocating for affordability in the Sea to Sky. Not only am I a mom working to make ends meet, but I have stood up to pressures that I didn’t agree with. The previous Green Leader, Andrew Weaver, has publicly stated his support for Rustad’s conservatives. We can’t trust that Jeremy will not do the same. We don’t know much about Yuri, except that he hasn’t showed up to the community in any way. He doesn’t even live in this riding.
4. How will candidates support small business & workers by pushing for further changes to EHT threshold and ensuring msp coverage from day one for foreign workers.
The BC NDP has made significant progress on lowering the costs of healthcare by removing MSP fees, lowering Car insurance to the lowest in Canada, and lowering the cost of Hydro for small businesses. I will continue to listen to the people of small businesses to ensure that they can find, attract, and retain excellent workers. That’s why our housing plan is so important to BC’s businesses.
5. Climate change is increasing disasters like wildfires & floods. What will you do to reduce emissions, enhance wildfire prevention, and protect our community?
We need further forward action on Clean BC and holding big emitters to high standards to ensure the emissions targets are met and a transition to new energy sources is expedited. We need everyone to play an important role in protecting our communities from wildfire through Firesmart initiatives and thoughtful and innovative community planning.
6. How does your previous experience effect how well you can work for our riding and the economy?
10 years on Whistler Council, 12 years on Whistler Housing Authority board, 5 years on SLRD board (4 as Chair), 5 years on Union of BC Municipalities board (Past President.) plus 22 years working in Tourism small businesses in the corridor.
7. To Jen- what are your thoughts on old growth logging?
- For decades, access to forests have been concentrated in the hands of a few large companies. Forest Amendment Act in Fall 2021 enabled government to redistribute forest tenures to local communities, First Nations, and smaller companies. This means our government can actually manage timber harvesting in the public interests.
- This work has led to the signing of the Incremental Treaty Agreement to return 2279 hectares of territorial lands back to Wei Wai Kum and the exclusive timber harvesting rights to an estimated 217,312 hectares to the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation.
- The BC NDP also repealed the “unduly” clause in the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation to ensure that “timber supply” no longer has priority over all forest values. This means that biodiversity, watershed protection, cultural heritage, and other forest values will have a significant role when making forestry decisions. Until this change any efforts to address these other objections would always be secondary, in law, to resource extraction.
- Significant funding and Community Transition Rapid Response team and an additional $185m/3 years to provide comprehensive supports for workers and communities impacted by old growth deferrals.
- What is your commitment to the ALR
We have strong commitments for community food security because local farms are better for climate, better for community, and more affordable in all the ways. Protecting the ALR and ensuring that farmers can continue to innovate and produce locally grown products is critical to our success.
9. Jen Ford: We have seen success with Whistler360 Health to improve patient-doctor ratio. What is your plan to improve health access for the corridor at large?
I have worked with the doctors in Squamish and Pemberton to understand how their challenges are similar and different from Whistler. I intend to continue that work to ensure that we see the family care teams in the corridor thrive here.
10. To Jen – is it pork barrel politics to say that the only way we get listened to is to elect an MLA from the winning party?
Interesting term. No, the provincial government should be serving all communities regardless of who their residents choose. However, it is far more effective to have a representative who has experience in speaking up on behalf of the community, and I am the only candidate with that experience.
11. Do you support overriding local governments to speed up housing construction, given the delays in Whistler?
I’ve been very supportive of fast tracking employee housing and supporting those who want to build this essential housing in Whistler. That’s why I was very supportive as UBCM President to see the housing legislation in the Spring. Rustad has promised to tear up the housing legislation and will only offer a $3000 rebate which will only keep rents high. The Greens want to implement a vacancy control system which only encourages landlords to take out suites and not rent them. The BC NDP has committed to building and supporting communities in developing good quality affordable new housing.
12. Whistler is on shared Unceded territory – What work are you doing to build respectful relations with the people of the Lil’wat Nation and the Squamish Nation.
There is work to be done, and supporting real investment of time in working with Lil’wat and Squamish. I believe that the work that we have done at Whistler Council is so important. I have been a part of Nukwantwal, a community to community between the SLRD and Lil’wat. These relationships are very dear to me. Rustad has committed to repealing the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples act.
13. How highly will you prioritize improving road quality and paint for safe daily commuting?
We have long advocated for many different safety improvements to Highway 99. With an advocate in government, I can be a strong voice for the Sea to Sky and all the people, travelers and businesses that depend on this major roadway.
Business Snapshot
The Whistler Chamber also created a Business Snapshot with results from our recent Whistler Chamber Member Survey. This snapshot highlights the key issues facing local businesses, and helped to inform the question we asked the candidates on the night.
