More than two dozen voters share their priorities and impressions of the B.C. parties leaders’ promises, as they decide which party to support.
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Jessica is a Nanaimo mother who has voted NDP in the past but plans to vote Conservative this election.
She thinks B.C. needs a new government to come up with fresh ideas to address the housing, affordability and health-care crises.
“You don’t change things by keeping the same parties in power. Flip the script: at this point things can’t get worse,” she says.
“As voters, we need to do better ourselves — we should have the most power in this election and should be pumped-up.”
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NDP supporter Jim also believes residents need to exercise their franchise, but argues Conservative Leader John Rustad’s platform is lacking in specific plans and costing.
“The Conservatives remind me of the Boxing Day crowds in line at an electronics store: rush in and grab anything without so much as a plan in place,” said Jim, a retiree from Victoria. ” ‘Elect us and we’ll take it from there’ is not a policy. Rustad seems to have little control and provides no direction. The NDP aren’t the perfect solution but there is not an alternative.”
Jessica and Jim are part of an exclusive panel of voters assembled by Postmedia News and the Leger marketing company. In the final days of the campaign, more than two dozen of these panelists have shared their opinions and concerns about the provincial election, and how that is influencing their ballot box decisions.
Christopher said the campaign hasn’t changed his mind about voting for the NDP, but his opinion of Green Leader Sonia Furstenau has “improved considerably” since last week’s televised debate. He hopes her party will hold the balance of power in the legislature to influence the actions of whomever becomes the next premier.
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“In many ways (the Greens) are the adult in the room that I feel we need in government,” said Christopher.
In the waning hours of this polarized campaign, nearly 30 voters posted recently in an online Leger forum, sharing their priorities for what the parties should be addressing.
“I have to prioritize my mortgage and food and bills. This is leaving me to save nothing for retirement or even any large unexpected expense. Let’s get all the gouging taken away,” said Bill, who cast his ballot on the weekend. “We were able to vote early and I’m surprised that it was a ghost town at the polls. Everyone has opinions and complaints but we all need to get out and vote to make changes happen.”
Peter, an NDP supporter, said he is frustrated by the lack of answers for making life more affordable, and tries to make ends meet by buying lower cost items in grocery stores.
“Moving here as an immigrant or from other provinces, the costs of home ownership or even renting is basically out of reach … We have tried taxation of empty properties, foreign buyers, as well as rent capping. It just seems this is never going to stop.”
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Brendon, a North Vancouver father who is leaning Green, said he’s worried about health care and waiting times: “This is a problem that has been building up for years and likely to take many years to solve.”
Paula insisted no one should support the NDP because the party didn’t fix health care while in power for seven years.
“My friend has been bleeding internally since May and she can’t get the proper care,” Paula said. “Most B.C. residents don’t have a family doctor and when you show up at the ER you wait 12 hours.”
Credibility is another issue cited by voters on the panel, in particular over inappropriate social-media posts made by Conservative Brent Chapman, for which the Surrey candidate has since apologized.
Vancouver resident Rebecca argued it’s “crazy” that Rustad hasn’t dropped Chapman as a candidate.
But Blake, a retiree from Abbotsford who plans to vote Tory, aggressively suggested people are only hesitant to support Rustad’s party because they fear change.
“(The Conservatives) will at least look at opportunities to fix some broken things, find innovative new ways to cut government waste, bureaucracy and get out of the rut we are in,” Blake wrote Tuesday.
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Other NDP-supporting panelists, though, criticized Rustad for saying during the debate that he witnessed someone fatally overdose on a Vancouver street, and the next day had to admit he was mistaken about what he saw.
“That just shows how wary we have to be about trusting him,” said Andrew, 37, of Surrey.
Jared, a Conservative supporter, fired back: “That’s an insanely high bar to clear.” Rustad was merely repeating what bystanders told him, Jared said.
Rod from Burnaby said one of the biggest election issues for him was how to help the many unhoused people on our streets, especially those who also struggle with mental-health issues.
“I suspect we all know someone who has been accosted by these folks. I mean, really, what do we do? And so far all I hear from politicians from all stripes: ‘We (will) fix it.’ But how?” Rod asked Sunday.
One suggestion, said Chrystal, an undecided voter, was to reopen the shuttered mental-health institution Riverview, along with repairing the economy, health care, housing and affordability.
“There are tents everywhere from Vancouver to Abbotsford and I am sure far beyond. We need to (do) better all around,” Chrystal said.
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David said the NDP has waited too long to endorse involuntary care, and in the meantime neighbourhoods have become unsafe due to random attacks and theft.
“Time B.C. cracked down on this free-for-all,” said David, who previously supported the NDP. “The NDP has had years to do something about the state of B.C., but B.C. is far worse than before.”
Abbotsford resident Gwen, 70, who is leaning NDP, said that after she pays for rent, groceries and bills, she has little left each month and that governments should be prioritizing the well-being of seniors.
“I am fortunate that I have four children who help me if I need it, but there are a lot of seniors who have no one to help them,” she said.
lculbert@postmedia.com
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