Green candidate aims to inspire voters in West Kelowna byelection
On the first Saturday of official campaigning for the Kelowna West byelection, people began showing up at the campaign office open house for Robert Stupka, B.C. Green Party candidate for Kelowna West, 30 minutes before the event began.
The event was a chance for people to come in and speak to Stupka one on one and for supporters to sign up as volunteers for the campaign.
The open house was followed by two hours of doorknocking in West Kelowna.
The B.C. Green Party is mounting a full campaign for the Kelowna West byelection, recognizing it as an important opportunity to strengthen their voices in the legislature and build on the momentum from the last election.
As he is getting out in the riding talking to people, Stupka said he is finding different issues emerging depending on the age and demographic of the voter.
For younger voters, Stupka said cost of living is a huge issue, including child care and rising house costs.
One the senior side of the spectrum, however, Stupka said there is an issue around health care services on the Westside. In the downtown area, it’s homelessness. As byelections traditionally have a lower voter turnout, Stupka said his strategy will be inspiring voters.
“I really care about this place and I want to see it thrive,” he said.
“I think we can be a model for 21st-century city building.”
With his young family by his side at the campaign office Saturday, Stupka said like many of the young families moving to the region, he has a vested interest in its future.
“The B.C. Greens are fiscally responsibly and provide an exciting vision for the region,” said Stupka, noting the party draws votes from the B.C. Liberals and the B.C. NDP because they are neither left nor right, but are for evidence-based decision-making.
For Stupka and the Greens, showing commitment to the riding includes hosting events.
On the heels of hosting an open house with Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green party in West Kelowna earlier in January, Stupka and the B.C. Greens will be hosting an town hall meeting on the future of the region Feb. 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. in a downtown Kelowna location to be confirmed.
The B.C. Greens’ own kind of analysis showed that there are many people who are open to voting a different way, said Stupka.
For Stupka and his campaign team it’s a matter of being able to inspire people to vote Green as the party has formed an alliance with the governing NDP.
“I think we have a really compelling argument with the fact that this is an opportunity for this region to have the only voice in the valley now going to be represented in terms of being able to have influence on policy and government,” said Stupka.