A debate between the candidates contesting the provincial election for North Coast-Haida Gwaii was civil highlighting the region's two most significant issues: housing and healthcare.
The BC NDP's Tamara Davidson and the Conservative Party's Chris Sankey faced off at the Lester Centre for the Arts Sept. 25.
In general terms, Davidson stood by the NDP's record in government and attacked the Conservatives for being long on slogans and short on policy.
Sankey held firm to the theme of getting government out of the way of private enterprise and accused the NDP of standing in the way of progress.
Eight panellists representing various demographics asked a question. Each candidate had five minutes to answer.
The first question, posed by international Coast Mountain student Abidemi Osinjolu, dealt with understanding the measures the candidates will take to improve the affordability and availability of housing in Prince Rupert.
Davidson said she also struggled to find safe, pet-friendly housing, so the BC NDP developed the 'Homes for People Housing Plan' to help people like her.
"We have a plan, not just a slogan. It's not about saying, let's just put shovels in the ground and get it done. It's a plan, and we have a clear, transparent way that we're going to see results," she said.
She said the NDP government has built 216 new units, with 200 more on their way. She is proud B.C. is the first province in Canada to fund Indigenous housing on and off reserve land. She said due to her party's massive investments, B.C.'s new rental construction is at a record high, 6.5 times more than a decade ago.
She also pointed to a $400 tax rebate for renters in the province and a cap on rental increases tied to inflation.
She said the Conservative Party wants to cancel the housing plan and remove the rental cap.
Sankey responded that Prince Rupert's families still live in overcrowded, tiny houses. Despite a study by the city showing almost 5,000 new homes would be needed by 2030 to accommodate the population, he said the government is not close to achieving it.
He said it is too expensive to build in the region because government-led projects can cost builders up to 50 per cent more than it would if it was left to the private sector.
"There's too much red tape. Permitting takes forever, and contractors are being scared off. We can't have that anymore," he said.
Sankey pointed to Rustad's promise to give renters and mortgage holders an income tax exemption of up to $3,000 per month for housing costs, a plan the Conservative leader said would save the average British Columbian $1,600 to $1,700 per year.
Next, the candidates addressed a question about the recent one-year delay in the construction of a roundabout in Prince Rupert posed by the CBC's Carolina De Ryk.
Sankey said the NDP mismanaged the situation and faces a cost overrun problem. He said they decided to build the roundabout to clear traffic congestion and solve road safety problems, but the new port road has already resolved that issue.
He wants the city to take the $18 million from that project and use it in other projects such as more housing units and sewer and water infrastructure upgrades. He said the city has an $800 million infrastructure deficit, and Rustad has committed $1 billion in infrastructure development.
Davidson emphasized the roundabout project, funded by the province, already requires replacing the water and sewer lines beneath the intersection before construction can begin. Nevertheless she said she believes the City of Prince Rupert, specifically the mayor and council, should have more autonomy in deciding what is best for the town.
She said she does not want to impose her decisions on the local government. Instead, she wants to provide resources from the province for the council to decide what projects are the best investment for the town.
Sunflower Porter representing seniors in the North Coast-Haida Gwaii region asked for help with the high cost of living and lack of access to medical care.
Davidson said the NDP has frozen ICBC rates, provided a $500 rebate, and doubled the senior supplement, the first increase since 1987. She pointed to programs such as Better At Home that support seniors with resources and the effort to continuously hire home care workers so seniors can have more frequent visits, grocery shopping, light housekeeping and transportation to appointments.
United Way's BC 211 program also allows them to access supports such as the B.C. Hydro Customer Crisis Fund helps provide temporary financial assistance for seniors experiencing unexpected medical expenses, and the health care crisis is critical for seniors.
"John Rustad's Conservatives are planning tax breaks for those at the top, and they're going to make seniors pay for the cuts to health care and supports that they rely on. In fact, John Rustad's plans include a $4.1 billion cut to health care and a $500 ICBC rate hike. And seniors simply can't afford that," she said.
Sankey responded it sounds like the NDP now wants to fix the crises they created.
"I just want to make sure that you are fully aware that it was this government that raised 36 new taxes, the cost of gas and groceries. Now on top of that, they added a bag tax.
"And I also need you to understand, when the carbon pricing came into effect in 2008, it was revenue neutral, depending on your median household income you expect to lose anywhere between $2,200 to $6,500 a year to make up for that. We're going to scrap the tax, lower the carbon fuel standard, and return money back to you.
"We need to hold industry accountable to bring taxes to you, because I'm tired of this community having to rely on you, the taxpayer, to make up for the shortfall. And I also want to make it clear we are not cutting the health care budget. We are going to increase it over the next three to four years, for another $3 to $4 more billion, so that is actually incorrect."
Kristi Farrell, president of the Prince Rupert District of Commerce, asked on behalf of Mary Denton how the candidates planned to ensure Indigenous free, prior and informed consent would be respected in provincial decision-making.
Sankey said reconciliation is a two-way street and moving free, prior and informed consent forward is a matter of cutting the red tape.
"We cannot have that anymore," he said. "In order for us to move forward with free, prior and informed consent, we're going to support reconciliation. We're going to support UNDRIP.
"I know a lot of you probably have heard Rustad use the word repeal. It's policy language. What he wants to do, and I've said this to the Haida, I've said this to the Heiltsuk, he wants to speed the process up and stop wasting your time, stop wasting tax dollars, and get communities prosperous and moving forward like they should have about a decade ago. We are in favour of independence of our communities.
"The last thing we want as a government is to let the government dictate how we live as indigenous people," he said.
Davidson responded that Rustad refused to meet with the Haida nation before the title legislation went through. He skipped the vote when legislation was initiated, she said, and both the B.C. United and Conservatives voted against the Haida title legislation.
She pointed to a video the Conservative leader posted on social media saying recognition of higher title threatened private property rights. She was proud to have been a lead negotiator on the Haida title land agreement, recognizing the Haida nation as the title holder of all of Haida Gwaii.
From there the forum returned to the issue of health care with a question from city councillor and BC Nurses' Union regional representative Teri Forster on the recruitment of healthcare professionals.
Davidson returned to the NDP government's record saying it has invested $7.1 million to expand the provincial rural retention incentive and provide signing bonuses for those who fill high-needs vacancies. She said B.C. is the first province to implement a nurse-to-patient ratio and has invested $15 million toward a new emergency room in Prince Rupert.
Sankey rebutted that while they may have made this significant commitment to a new ER, there is no one to operate in it, and the lack of medical staff continues to make ER closures in the North Coast and Haida Gwaii far too frequent. He also said the government's medical phone application, Telehealth, is not accessible, especially for seniors.
The NDP implemented its strategy of awarding new medical staff in the region a $30,000 incentive, but Sankey wants instead to award it to the nurses who are already here and have committed themselves to the community to retain them. He would also take their overtime hours and put it toward their pensionable income instead of them having to pay taxes on it.
The candidates also fielded questions on business, industry and youth.
In terms of the business and industry, Sankey said he isn't seeing enough tax dollars return to the city to create more and better-paying jobs and services.
"I want to support the RBA (Resource Benefits Alliance) and, on top of that, hold DP World and other industry accountable to start paying their fair share of taxes," he said.
He also said the barriers to new investment are too great and are scaring away new industry from the North Coast.
Davidson wants to focus on the talent of foreign workers to fill labour gap shortages through initiatives such as the federal Rural Northern Immigration Program. She said the Resource Benefit Agreement will provide Prince Rupert with $6.8 million annually for five years, benefiting the community.
She noted her party provided the city with $66 million to replace the aged water and sewer pipes, which allowed the city to leverage an additional $77 million from the federal government.
The forum wrapped up with a question from the youth representative, Ruby Furlaino, asking why, as a first-time voter, she should choose them.
Sankey commited to establishing a new youth centre in this area to provide a dedicated space for young people to study and learn. Additionally, he would increase the number of mental health workers to support those who are struggling and address local drug addiction issues by expanding the availability of addiction counsellors and recovery centres.
Davidson proposed the BC NDP as the progressive choice for young people saying the party supports diversity, LGBTQIA+, two-spirit, and Indigenous rights. They plan to maintain the rental cap and continue free birth control and first-time IVF initiatives. Additionally, ICBC rates will remain lowered and frozen, she said.
