The Peace Arch News reached out to all the local candidates in the B.C. provincial election with a questionnaire allowing them to introduce themselves to voters. Candidates were all given the same questions, word counts and deadlines.
Below are the responses as received, with questions in bold, followed by candidate answers in their own words.
Here are the responses we received for the candidates in Surrey-White Rock.
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CANDIDATE: Trevor Halford, Conservative (incumbent)
WHERE DO YOU LIVE: Surrey
ONE-SENTENCE BIO (30 words max): Born and raised in the Peninsula. Husband to Holly, proud dad to Ben, Nicolas and Alexandra.
WHY SHOULD YOU BE ELECTED? (Maximum 175 words): It has been an honour to serve the constituents of Surrey-White Rock over the last four years. Throughout my time as your MLA, I've made it my priority to put people before politics. We also must realize that our community is facing some serious challenges that require serious solutions. Affordability, housing, healthcare and public safety are all things that have gotten considerably worse over the last seven years. Those who know me know that I don't shy away from hard work, and we've got a lot of hard work ahead of us.
TOP 3 PRIORITY ISSUES:
• Healthcare
• Housing
• Public Safety
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CANDIDATE: Darryl Walker, NDP
WHERE DO YOU LIVE: White Rock
ONE-SENTENCE BIO (30 words max): Resident of White Rock since 1970. Raised my family in White Rock, worked 40 years at Riverview/Forensic Institute and President of my union, the BCGEU. Mayor of White Rock 2018-2022.
WHY SHOULD YOU BE ELECTED? (Maximum 175 words): I have spent my life in service of others, during my time at Riverview and Forensic and within the labour movement. As mayor, I joined many organizations including White Rock Rotary, White Rock Elks, Sources dealing with opioids and Peninsula Housing.
I am a problem solver, and if elected, the problems of our constituents will become my issues. Together we can make our community a better place to live.
During my years as mayor, I realized that our community, Surrey-White Rock, receives little in terms of support to deal with our issues. If elected, I can and will change this. My experience in provincial politics both as a municipal politician (mayor) and the Labour Movement (president) will allow me to build relationships and get things done.
TOP 3 PRIORITY ISSUES:
• Housing
• Support for seniors
• Mental health and addictions
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CANDIDATE: Damyn Tassie, Libertarian
WHERE DO YOU LIVE: South Surrey
ONE-SENTENCE BIO (30 words max): As an entrepreneur and traveller, I am a first-time candidate who believes strongly in empowering every resident of British Columbia to have full autonomy over their financial and social associations.
WHY SHOULD YOU BE ELECTED? (Maximum 175 words): I emphasize the importance of being realistic about the present, however, I am also very optimistic about the future. This is why I joined the B.C. Libertarian Party. I hold the view that a centralized authority cannot effectively address all the challenges facing our province, as evidenced by the ongoing difficulties we have experienced in recent years.
I believe that promoting affordability, personal freedom, and fostering cooperation/competition through free markets can lead to meaningful solutions. This does not imply that we should disregard the need for support for those in our province who require assistance, and it is essential to have measures in place to protect citizens from exploitative business practices. But it is clear that we have reached a point where excessive regulation and taxation are inhibiting our productivity and undermining our ability to cultivate a sustainable economy.
TOP 3 PRIORITY ISSUES:
• Accountability in Government Spending
• Removing “Red Tape” Regulations
• Implementing Flat Tax
