Questions from the audience at the Thursday, May 2 all candidates’ meeting at Victory Hall in Keremeos included:
- Health care
- Fortis’ two tiered billing
- Global warming as a hoax
- Buy B.C. programs
- Regional transit
- MLA salaries and pensions
- Desirability of the proposed Kitimat refinery
- Fracking in the Similkameen
The panel, in general. showed consenus on many of the issues raised.
Independent candidate Popoff appeared to be well informed on a number of issues, offering anecdotal and statistical evidence to back up his comments.
NDP candidate Hancheroff was specifically asked by a member of the audience for his stance on the national park issue. Hancheroff replied that the NDP’s position was in support of a park, but not without hearing from all the stakeholders.
“This has to be done in a democratic way,” he said.
One resident asked the panel how they would respond to MLA salaries and pensions once elected.
“You need to lead from the top,” the resident said, referring to salaries and pensions that were out of line with comparable private sector work.
“You need to show leadership.”
NDP candidate Hancheroff said that he was running for election to make a difference, and did not know how much an MLA gets paid.
Green Party candidate Kwasnica asked the resident to consider senator pay and compensation paid to ICBC executives as examples of excessive remuneration. He agreed that salaries needed adjustment.
Independent candidate Popoff described MLA pensions as “undefined, unfinded and indexed,” making them endlessly expensive and unsustainable. He promised to support a more acceptable pension plan and work to reduce the annual salaries of MLAs, which he declared to be in the order of $140,000 per year.
Liberal candidate Larson promised that she wouldn’t be looking for a pension, or taking one. She also agreed to review MLA salaries.
Similkameen Country President Joan McMurray, in closing, urged the successful candidate in the May 14 election to work hard on behalf of the riding in Victoria.
“I feel that we’ve lost our voice,” she said, “we need to have the voice of small town B.C. heard in the legislature.”
Election notes;
Election Day is Tuesday, May 14
Voters must prove their identity to get a ballot or register to vote at time of voting.
A B.C. drivers license, B.C. i.d. card, B.C. services card or a certificate of Indian status card are valid forms of i.d.
There are a number of ways to vote in B.C. For further information, consult the Elections BC web page at:
elections.bc.ca