Three candidates face off over transportation, environment - with some sniping in the mix
Theresa McManus
The Record
The environment and transportation featured prominently at the only all-candidates meeting in New Westminster during the 2009 provincial election campaign.
About 100 people attended Wednesday night's meeting at Douglas College, which was sponsored by the New Westminster Environmental Partners, Downtown New Westminster Business Improvement Society and the Tenth to the Fraser blog.
NDP candidate Dawn Black said it's a crucial election for the future of British Columbia. She said B.C. has the highest rate of child poverty in Canada and the lowest minimum wage.
Black said she wants to work to create a province where all children have an opportunity to flourish and live up to their potential and seniors can live in dignity.
"Eight years of privatization is enough," she said about contracting out of some healthcare services and run-of-river power projects.
Green candidate Matthew Laird said 60 per cent of respondents to a recent survey indicated that the environment is a priority over economic growth.
"Maybe it is about both," he said. "It doesn't have to be an either/or situation."
Laird said the Green party will move toward more sustainable practices and create new jobs, such as those dealing with renewable energy versus oil and gas.
"It's time for a change," he said. "It's time to end the two-party partisan politics."
Liberal candidate Carole Millar said she wants to help the community grow and prosper.
"The most important issue is to bring jobs and investment back to New Westminster," she said. "We need to get out the message that New Westminster is business-friendly."
Millar said New Westminster can't just be a city of condos and needs to bring more investment into the city.
"We are supposed to be the Royal City, but right now we are looking ragged around the edges," she said.
Asked about the city's top issue, Laird said there are so many issues, including transportation and health care, that it's hard to pick one. He said the city has a need for affordable rental housing.
Laird said the Green party is proposing legislation that would allow zoning to permit construction of rental buildings as a way of retaining rental stock. In addition, he said his party is proposing changes to the Strata Property Act to address some problems with the current legislation.
Having visited several local churches and social services providers, Black has concluded that poverty, mental illness and housing are the most important issues in the city. She said she's ashamed to know that B.C. has had the highest child poverty rate in Canada for five years running.
Black said the NDP would reinstate the affordable housing building program and offer more supportive housing for people with mental health and addiction issues.
"We need to look at that model and increase that," she said of the supportive housing model offered at the Cliff Block in New Westminster. "We have a commitment to do that."
Black stated that some people have suggested a society is judged on how it treats its most vulnerable. "Right now our society does not stand up well to that measure."
Millar said the provincial government has increased its investment into housing, spending more than $400 million on housing and initiatives to break the cycle of homelessness.
"It is something you solve one person at a time," she said.
Laird said other parties steal the Green party's ideas, but he'd like to steal the NDP policy to end homelessness within four years.
"We need to solve this problem," he said. "Let's get on it already."
Millar said the Liberals have a proven leader, and there's no one more qualified than Gordon Campbell and the Liberals to serve the province.
"I am fed up with the NDP treating New Westminster like a retirement post for the party faithful," she said to a mixture of boos and applause.
Laird said British Columbians can continue on with divisive politics or "move to the sensible middle" with the Green party. He said voters don't have to move to the left or the right but can move forward to a better future with the Greens.
Black said B.C. is at a crossroads after eight years of neglect of seniors and health care and rewards for Liberals' friends. She said the Liberals need to be held accountable for breaking their promise not to sell B.C. Rail.
On the local front, candidates were asked for their vision on transportation and how the city fits in the regional strategy.
Black said the NDP supports a comprehensive transit program, immediate construction of the Evergreen transit line, more buses, expansion of West Coast Express, additional rail services and a return of TransLink to local government control.
"We would not rip up any contracts that have already been signed," she said about the Gateway program, which includes construction of a new Port Mann Bridge and widening of Highway Number 1.
Black said the NDP would fund improvements to North Fraser Perimeter Road based on input from communities.
Millar said the province needs to invest in road and transit systems to reduce congestion on roads, noting this is critical to the provincial and communities' economies. She said the Gateway program would see buses travelling across the Port Mann Bridge for the first time in 20 years.
According to Millar, the Liberal government has invested $14 billion in a provincial transit plan. She said it costs $1.5 billion in lost profits currently to have trucks sitting in congestion.
"Our $14-billion transit plan will double transit ridership," she said.
Millar said she would advocate for improvements to North Fraser Perimeter Road. "Bottom line, we are working toward it."
Laird said no city in the world has solved traffic congestion through highway expansion. He said the Ministry of Transportation's own studies state that greenhouse gases will rise due to the expanded Port Mann and Highway 1 projects.
"North Fraser Perimeter Road is all about more trucks," he said. "Who here ... wants more trucks in New Westminster?"
Laird said TransLink has a study on the shelf that showed that it could have buses running across the Port Mann Bridge within six months. He said the Green party supports construction of 200 km of light rail, connecting Maple Ridge and Coquitlam. He said there would still be enough money left for expanded rapid transit.
"Yes, the Green party would stop the Gateway program," he said, noting the money would be invested in initiatives that reduce cars on the road and don't encourage sprawl.
