Candidates court teachers, seniors at election forum

Central Okanagan NDP, Green candidates focus criticism on health care, education, support for seniors

Liberal incumbents were criticized for their government’s track record on health care, education and support for seniors during an election forum Tuesday night in Kelowna.

NDP and Green candidates said the Liberals had neglected large segments of the population while presiding over an economy that awards disproportionate benefits to those already wealthy and privileged.

“It’s important we focus on what matters to the people, not the top two per cent,” said Erik Olesen, NDP candidate for Kelowna-Lake Country.

But Liberals Steve Thomson and Norm Letnick said B.C.’s strong economy and low jobless rate were testament to the government’s ability to wisely manage the province while raising revenue for public programs.

“We can then focus on providing the key social services we all value,” Thomson said.

Green candidate Alison Shaw accused the Liberals of favouring a “1950s development model” with a focus on energy megaprojects like the Site C dam and traditional resource industries such as forestry.

Conservative candidate Chuck Hardy made repeated references to government departments and Crown corporations having too many managers who received unwarranted bonuses.

Independent Brian Thiessen said his background in finance led him to conclude many problems in government were the result of misallocation of resources rather than a lack of funds.

The forum was sparsely attended, with only about 150 people at the 840-seat Kelowna Community Theatre. Questions posed in the first 90 minutes of the event had been provided in advance to candidates, and many of them used their one-minute response time to read prepared statements.

The NDP candidates stressed their party’s support for the eventual introduction of $10-a-day child care, construction of more than 110,000 units of rental and coop housing, a $15 minimum wage, a freeze on BC Hydro rates and a reversal of ICBC premium hikes.

“We can do better, so much better than the Liberals have done,” said NDP candidate Shelley Cook.

Green candidates promised free daycare for children under three, a greatly expanded Pharmacare program, and more money for programs encouraging people to live a healthy and active lifestyle as a way of curbing future medical costs.

For their part, Thomson and Letnick ignored the criticism from their rivals and touted what they said were the party’s achievements while in power.

Those accomplishments, they said, included hundreds of millions of dollars in public-sector investment in the Central Okanagan at institutions such as Kelowna General Hospital, UBC Okanagan and Okanagan College.

The Liberals said child poverty rates are in decline in B.C., and promised to double to $20,000 an existing tax credit for home renovations designed to help seniors and disabled people stay in their homes longer.

If re-elected, the Liberals also promise to introduce a $2,500 respite tax credit for people serving as primary caregivers to ailing family members who remain at home.