Election candidates square off in Peachland
PEACHLAND — The gloves were off but nobody landed a knockout punch. The Àrst of four all-candidates forums for the Penticton riding was staged last Wednesday, presented by Peachland’s Chamber of Commerce. Incumbent Dan Ashton (B.C. Liberals), Connie Sahlmark (Green Party) and Tarik Sayeed (NDP) were also scheduled for an event last Thursday in Summerland. The Ànal two forums in Penticton on April 25 and 27.
All questions at the Peachland forum were read by the moderator and suggested by members of the public. Broken into sub-sections, the 90-minute event covered a wide range of issues.
When discussing B.C.’s “two economies” (urban and rural), recent layoffs at Britco in Penticton came to the forefront.
“Britco is rebuilding and they’re doing their best to shift their production. The resource industry has gone amiss and it follows in cycles,” Ashton said. “When I was growing up there were all kinds of mobile home plants in Penticton. Britco or a form of Britco is going to survive and hopefully they will prosper in the future.”
As he did for most of the evening, Sayeed took aim at the premier. In 2013, “there was a photoop with Christy Clark at Britco to talk about LNG that we haven't seen and look at it now,” Sayeed said.
“We’ve lost good jobs at Britco because of Site C and LNG and the economy is not working for everyone. While those at the top are enjoying tax breaks, others are struggling to get by.”
Sahlmark questioned whether Britco offered “good paying jobs,” noting she previously applied for a job there that offered a starting wage of $13 an hour.
“That’s not good paying,” she said. “We need real jobs that pay real money. With globalization, what a perfect opportunity for Britco to retool and build modular assemblies, green construction and sustainable homes. What a wonderful niche market. They have the space, the equipment and the workforce; it’s a matter of changing how we’re looking at things. There are great opportunities.”
In the most emotional segment of the meeting, hospital wait times were debated.
“The list is too long,” Sayeed said. “Under Christy Clark, too many British Columbians are not getting the healthcare they need, when they need it and where they need it. Christy Clark promised by 2015 that everyone in B.C. would have a family doctor and there are still 700,000 people in B.C. without a family doctor. John Horgan and the BC NDP will invest more in healthcare. Period.”
Ashton said 42 per cent of the provincial government's budget, a total of $18 billion, is spent on healthcare.
He referenced positive examples such as the patient care tower in Penticton, centralization of medical services in Kelowna and a $1.6 million private donation by David Kampe to underwrite nuclear medicine in the South Okanagan.
“Tarik, you’re wrong. Under the NDP in the 1990s, you produced this many new positions for physicians,” Ashton said, making a zero sign with his Àngers. “This government has doubled the spots in medical school. Medicine has changed and so have doctor's lives and we’re having to adapt on a continual basis.”
Sahlmark said the issue is personal because her sibling was recently diagnosed with cancer.
“It’s wonderful to tell cute stories and quote statistics, but the facts are that waiting times are ridiculous,” Sahlmark said. “The Liberals have been in government for 16 years and have had time to address this issue. It’s a matter of how we’re allocating our resources. Government has to stop looking at, ‘How do we make a proÀt?' and represent our interests.”
On the proposed bypass for Peachland, the candidates all agreed the choice should be made by the people who live there.
“The decision needs to be made by the people of Peachland. Council needs to be involved but it’s ultimately up to the people and I’ll be the Àrst to take whatever that is to the provincial government,” Ashton said. “This is your decision, not a political decision.” Sayeed offered a similar response. “There’s pros and cons and I’d look at both sides. As your elected MLA, I will be there with you, listen to you, and then represent you in the most fair way possible,” Sayeed said.
Sahlmark said the Greens support infrastructure upgrades, but also remained non-committal.
The contentious Skaha Lake Park issue in Penticton also worked its way into the dialogue when a question about protecting green space was read late in the meeting.
“My dad brought me up teaching me that the best pill is a clean conscience and I have a very clean conscience on the parks,” Ashton said.
Ashton said as mayor of Penticton from 20082013, he helped create a provincial park by pushing for protection of the Skaha climbing bluffs and working with various levels of government and free enterprise.
Sayeed tackled the Skaha Park issue directly stating there’s a misunderstanding about his voting record.
“Green space is very important. The NDP will support green space, environment is first. The perception (on Skaha Lake Park) is different from what the reality is. It came to a special council meeting on June 29, 2015, and I opposed the project. It came again to a regular meeting on Sept. 28, 2015, I opposed the project. It came up again and after a five-hour public meeting, Coun. (Campbell) Watt and I opposed it.”
Sahlmark, who was described as a supporter of the Save Skaha Park Society during the opening introductions, said parks are the heart of every community.
“It doesn’t matter how much money you have, you can step out for that biophilic moment. We have to stay connected with nature, have a place to go to meet our neighbours. There’s plenty of places for development not on green space but on brown space. We have to look at having smart communities.”