With less than two weeks until the federal election, some 175 people gathered at Emmanuel Church in West sa国际传媒 Wednesday evening to hear three of the candidates in the newly-formed Okanagan Lake West -South sa国际传媒 riding debate in an all-candidates forum hosted by the Greater Westside Board of Trade.
Dan Albas, incumbent Conservative MP for the Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola, was initially elected in 2011 and is seeking his fifth term.
In the 2021 federal election, Albas defeated Liberal candidate Sarah Eves by more than 14,000 votes.
Currently, the polling aggregator calls the Okanagan Lake West -South sa国际传媒 riding Conservative-leaning, with the popular vote projection for Albas at 47% compared to Liberals at 41%.
With that target on his back, Albas faced off against NDP candidate Harpreet Badohol, who was the sa国际传媒 NDP candidate for sa国际传媒-Mission in the 2024 provincial election, and Juliette Sicotte, Liberal Party candidate.
Over 90-minutes, the three candidates fielded questions submitted by Greater Westside Board of Trade members and the public. Each candidate was given one minute to answer.
Topics included housing, tariffs, public safety, interprovincial trade, homelessness and healthcare.
While Albas spoke positively of his accessibility and accountability as an MP, he laid blame on the Liberal government for issues such as the housing crunch and crime.
On housing, Albas said a Conservative government would eliminate the GST on new builds under $1.3 million to help stimulate more housing.
Badohol blamed the housing crunch on decades of lack of investment by previous governments.
Sicotte said the Liberal government plans to build 500,000 homes per year as well as cut red tape and lower the cost of home building. She added Pierre Poilievre wants to cut the Housing Accelerator Fund.
Candidates pointed fingers when it came to public safety, with Albas saying bill C-5 and bill C-75 by the Liberals and supported NDP made the system into catch and release.
鈥淲e will put serious violent offenders away,鈥 said Albas.
鈥淚 have no hesitation in saying that Conservatives, they are the masters of misinformation and disinformation,鈥 Badohol said, adding bill C-5 and bill C-75 bring common sense back in the hands of the judiciary.
鈥淥ne size fit all policy does not work,鈥 he said.
Badohol reminded the crowd that from 2010 to 2015, the Conservatives made a cut of $598 million to the RCMP, leading to devastation in the departments.
Sicotte said he has met with leaders of local municipalities and found out what they need, what they want and the supports the Liberal government could provide.
On access to mental health, Badohol said he would make it a priority by passing a bill in parliament, especially the mental health of young people.
鈥淭hey are the future of our country,鈥 he said.
Sicotte said we need to bring in more health care workers, doctors and therapists and break down provincial barriers to allow professionals to come in from other provinces.
Albas believes provincial governments need to be held accountable for health care spending. 鈥淭he federal government under Justin Trudeau has given billions of dollars in new funding specifically to mental health,鈥 said Albas, but on a local level he hears Interior Health say they don鈥檛 have the resources.
The candidates agreed on speeding up the transfer of credentials for professionals from another province or country, with Albas touting a national testing standard to license professionals such as doctors and nurses.
It took Badohol six-and-a-half years to immigrate to Canada during the Harper era. Although he had a masters degree in biology and had been a professor outside of Canada, his credentials were not recognized here. He worked as a farm labourer and pizza delivery driver until he went to UBC and earned a second masters degree.
Sicotte said the red tape was easing, but there needs to be a balanced approach and they need to make sure everybody is at the right standard to provide Canadians with care.
All three candidates agreed a strong stance is needed against the United States.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 be nicey-nice to a bully,鈥 said Badohol.
With the memory of 2023 McDougall Creek Wildfire, the largest wildfire in the history of West sa国际传媒, still fresh, Badohol brought up climate change during a question from the floor regarding Lake Okanagan Resort.
鈥淐onservatives, they deny climate change,鈥 said Badohol, noting the Macdougall Creek wildfire was devastating, but could have been worse.
As an MP he would bring new focus on climate change and bring the funding to all levels of government.
Sicotte said Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was importing American ideas; however, she took her final lash at Albas in her closing statement.
鈥淎s I鈥檓 knocking on the doors, I鈥檓 finding that people feel abandoned by the Conservative party in the Okanagan and they feel abandoned by Dan Albas,鈥 said Sicotte.
The Greater Westside Board of Trade also invited Louise Lecouffe, Green Party candidate, Debbie Robinson, Peoplesa国际传媒 Party of Canada candidate, and Gary Suddard, candidate for the Canadian Future Party to the forum; however, they did not attend.
