Delta South’s pair of prospective provincial politicians faced a non-election type question at the riding’s only all-candidate’s meeting Wednesday.
Peatlands are referred to as the forgotten solution to climate change. So how will your government protect them? came the question at the end of the meeting.
Both however backed Delta’s own version, Burns Bog.
Ian Paton, running for the B.C. Conservatives, noted that “we’ve managed to protect it as best we can. And I can guarantee you, that in the future, we won’t see anymore encroachment into Burns Bog,” Paton said.
“I believe you really can’t build in that area . . . I believe it’s going to be protected and can’t be used anyway,” said Jason McCormick, with the NDP.
Questions though were much tougher for most of the evening as Delta Chamber of Commerce board chair Rosanne Horner relayed questions from the business community and the audience at Genesis Theatre in Ladner.
One questioner wanted to know how each party was going to pay for its campaign promises, given B.C.’s rising debt and persistent deficits.
McCormick said the NDP is doing a “great job” creating and attracting new business, more than any other province.
“By keeping our debt-to-GDP ratio quite low and our triple A credit rating intact, we’ll be able to afford to finance all this new infrastructure that we need to build, because we need to build hospitals, we need to build highways, we need to build schools and unfortunately we're going to have to spend, until our economy comes back on line, and pays for it, all through all those new jobs that will be created."
Paton pointed out that since 2017, the NDP have introduced 32 new taxes and that the provincial deficit will be $11 billion by next March.
B.C. has so many resources from which to raise revenue rather than taxing the citizens to pay for things in this province, he added.
Another question asked how candidates would reduce permitting delays for major projects.
Paton said he often hears how difficult it is for farmers just to work their farms instead of dealing with permits, applications, fees and inspections.
He added that there are 17 mines in B.C. waiting to open.
“The carbon tax is an absolute killer for our businesses in B.C. and (leader) John Rustad has vowed to get rid of the carbon tax so that businesses can take that off their overhead, ” he said.
“I love how my counterpart talks about stuff that’s not really in the question,” McCormick said, noting that the government will try to remove duplication in permitting, such as a creating a universal building permit.
Both were asked how to improve health care with McCormick saying the NDP government is hiring another 800 doctors. He added that as the government is adding more medical student spaces in schools, hiring more nurse practitioners and allowing pharmacists to prescribe (some) medicines, waits are being reduced.
The BC Conservatives are proposing delivering universal care through public and non-governmental facilities and implementing a patient-based funding model giving patients the choice to access care sooner, saying such systems work in Australia and the U.K., Paton added.
A controversial question kicked off the evening, asking about landlords and tenants.
With the government limiting what landlords can recover from tenants, “what is your party’s plan for managing the rental-housing sector and for balancing residential tenancy concerns?” candidates were asked.
Paton said his party agreed that rental increases should be capped at three percent per year and also mentioned the “Rustad rebate,” that will exempt up to $3,000 in monthly mortgage or rental costs from provincial taxes by 2029.
”As many people know, the rental rates are through the roof,” said McCormick. He said the NDP will work to reduce red tape and implement in the future an online dispute resolution system for renters and landlords, he said.
A follow-up question asked how each party would reduce the “multitude of taxes” that are increasing the cost of housing.
But McCormick said that most of the housing costs are to do with supply and demand.
“As our population has increased, the demand for our housing has increased which has driven prices of housing up, not necessarily the taxes …” Property transfer taxes are high because of the increase in value of properties, he added.
Paton noted he voted against Bill 44 which in 2023 required cities to allow more density, such as three or four-plexes in single family home areas, without considering infrastructure needs.
“The NDP government has taken over running municipalities,” Paton said.
In order to build cheaper homes, it has to be cheaper for developers to do that, he said, citing rising development cost charges.
Someone wanted to know that if elected, if the new MLA’s party would support the provincial housing target of 3,607 new homes in Delta by 2028 and if they supported increasing help to pay for needed infrastructure.
Paton replied that the new housing that’s being built on Tsawwassen First Nation lands should be included in that number.
McCormick though said that there won’t be four-plexes or six-plexes on every single family lot.
TransLink and how to pay for it popped up as well, with TransLink’s report in July detailing possible cuts to bus service in Delta resulting from a funding shortfall.
“The NDP will help TransLink, they have said that,” said McCormick. “They will increase the funding so that $600-million funding shortfall doesn’t happen and they’’ll work with the federal government to get those funds as well,” he said.
There will be no reduction, and I repeat, no reduction in bus service,” said Paton. The B.C. Conservatives are committed to fully funding TransLink for two years, “and auditing and reforming its financial model to ensure long-term stability,” he said.
In a related topic, a questioner asked what steps the new government would take to speed up the construction of the new Fraser River tunnel, expected to be built by 2030.
McCormick proposed getting the tunnel built as soon as possible but also building a new bridge to create a new road into Vancouver.
Paton pointed out that seven and a half years have passed, “and there hasn’t been a sod turned . . . with some kind of replacement for the George Massey Tunnel.”
“In 2017, $100 million was spent by the B.C. Liberal government (renamed to BC United in 2023) to prepare for building the bridge.
“In 2017, the NDP killed the bridge project which would have been open two years ago,” Paton said. The new bridge also would have space for a rapid transit line, he added.
Paton added later that he’s been pushing for a second exit from the tunnel out of Ladner, not currently part of the proposed new tunnel, since he was on Delta council.
Another question asked what candidates would do to ensure that Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity resources remain accessible in B.C. schools.
McCormick said that the NDP government started the policy and will continue with it. It’s important to inform and educate kids not to be harmful or to discriminate against kids that may be different, he said.
“The more you inform and educate people, the easier it is for people to get along,” he said.
Paton added that every child in B.C. should be able to go to school without fear of being bullied, he said.
He said that parents should be involved in and informed about their child’s education especially around sexual orientation and identity.
“The Conservatives will take another look at SOGI 123 and strike a balanced approach with a diversity of perspectives to convey age-appropriate information in schools that are based in fact, and respect differing viewpoints and cultural values,” Paton said.
One question from a Delta business owner pointed out that in the last year, they paid $61,000 on the employer health tax, (which replaced the Medical Services plan) $40,000 for sick days, $11,000 for new stat holiday pay, $36,000 as a result of the higher minimum wage, and an increase in lease rates resulting in a 32 percent drop in profit margin. How will candidates support local business?
McCormick said that the government will be increasing the number of apprenticeships and that businesses are facing higher rents and that it’s taken a long time to regain profitability after the pandemic, saying the government will support businesses to ensure they’re as profitable as they can be.
Paton reiterated that businesses are facing 32 new taxes have been brought in since 2017, and noted the employer health tax, more sick days and pointed out there are caps on residential rents but none on commercial rents.
