In the lead-up to the Oct. 19 provincial election, Black Press Media asked the candidates in Langford-Highlands a series of three questions.
What do you see as the most pressing issue for your riding, and what would you do to address it?
Erin Cassels B次元官网网址� B.C. Greens: A major issue for Langford-Highlands, and the region, is the cost and availability of housing. I would advocate for a comprehensive housing strategy that includes increasing the supply of affordable housing, protecting existing tenants, and implementing measures to curb speculation in the housing market. This could involve expanding social housing, incentivizing the construction of purpose-built rentals, and enforcing a speculation tax to ensure that homes are used for living rather than investment.
Mike Harris B次元官网网址� B.C. Conservatives: The biggest issue facing British Columbians stems from irresponsible policies across multiple fronts, leading to a ripple effect. The erosion of parental rights, escalating crime rates, unsafe streets, and the skyrocketing cost of living have all made life increasingly challenging. Poor governance has worsened these problems, making everyday life difficult for families and individuals alike. John Rustad and the Conservative Party of Canada are committed to introducing solutions that can restore stability, alleviate financial pressures, and bring back safety and order to the province.
Ravi Parmar B次元官网网址� B.C. NDP: Langford-Highlands is one of the fastest-growing communities in B.C. It needs an MLA whoB次元官网网址檚 ready to roll up their sleeves and deliver B次元官网网址� more schools, affordable homes, a stronger health-care system, and better transit and infrastructure to keep people moving.
Over the past year, continuing John HorganB次元官网网址檚 legacy, IB次元官网网址檝e worked alongside David Eby to deliver the largest expansion of new schools in the Sooke School DistrictB次元官网网址檚 history. WeB次元官网网址檝e built over 1,000 affordable homes, delivered hundreds of new accessible and affordable childcare spaces, opened a new mental health hub, and introduced the largest transit expansion the West Shore has ever seen.
How do you balance the need for housing affordability with homeownersB次元官网网址� desire to not lose money on their investment?
Harris: Prices of housing always fluctuates. There is always ebbs and flows but ultimately the cost of housing always increases over time. We need to cut the red tape and bureaucracy that housing developers have to go through to build. The time wasted on permits that take too long costs the developer and thus the home buyer unnecessarily. If we can reduce the time constraints and the cost on the developer, then we can decrease the time it takes to build houses while saving the home buyer money. The main aspect here is to create a healthy economy. With a healthy economy the interest rates could go down potentially saving home buyers hundreds of dollars per month and tens of thousands over the course of their mortgage.
Parmar: Langford is one of the fastest-growing communities in B.C., attracting young professionals, families, and people from all walks of life. My job is to ensure that everyone who calls Langford home can afford to live and thrive here.
ThatB次元官网网址檚 why David Eby and I are focused on building more homes people can afford, legalizing secondary suites, and allowing multiplex housing. Our Opening Doors to Homeownership plan will support thousands of middle-income families by financing 40% of the purchase price for first-time home buyers, helping them get into the market.
John Rustad will close the door on all of this progress. We canB次元官网网址檛 afford to go backwards to a time when the government was on the side of speculators, not people.
Cassels: Balancing housing affordability with homeowners' interests requires a multifaceted approach. I would promote policies that increase the overall housing supply, which can help stabilize prices and provide more options for buyers and renters alike. We must work together and explore innovative housing solutions such as community land trusts and co-operative housing models that allow for equity growth without significantly impacting existing homeowners' investments. By focusing on sustainable community development, we can enhance property values while ensuring affordability.
How would your party meet the publicB次元官网网址檚 demand for spending on health care, housing, transportation, infrastructure, homelessness, etc., without raising taxes or ballooning the deficit?
Parmar: British Columbians deserve world-class services and infrastructure, yet our growing community of Langford-Highlands was neglected when John Rustad was in government.
To pay for these essential services and infrastructure, weB次元官网网址檙e committed to building prosperity for everyone.
B.C. is blessed with abundant natural resources, a thriving tech sector, and a growing life sciences industry. We have the fastest-growing economy of any major province, creating over 250,000 jobs since 2017, including some of the strongest private-sector jobs, and we lead the provinces in wage growth. We've supported new innovations in agritech, alongside our *CleanBC* plan, and made investments in housing, health care, childcare, and education.
These investments strengthen our communities, families, and industries, driving economic growth. They lead to healthier communities that reinvest, allow parents to return to the workforce by paying less for childcare, and create new, innovative jobs in the tech sector.
We are building an economy that works for everyone B次元官网网址� one that will grow our province for generations to come.
Cassels: To meet public demands for spending on essential services without raising taxes or increasing the deficit, I would prioritize efficiency and accountability in government spending. This includes streamlining health-care administration to reduce bureaucratic costs, investing in preventative care to lower long-term health-care expenses, and leveraging partnerships with non-profits and the private sector to maximize resource utilization. I advocate for a well-being framework that evaluates spending based on long-term societal benefits rather than short-term economic gains.
Harris: The only way to ensure that British Columbians are able to access services like health care, housing, rehabilitation, transportation and various other services without taxpayers footing the bill would be to boost the economy. The way Conservatives plan to boost the economy is by boosting industry and resigning contracts with mining, forestry and various other industries. We need to get our $10 billion deficit under control and to do that we need an income. With proper budgets and efficient government we can balance the economy and social programs simultaneously.
