Here we go again!
The writ has been dropped and the 2024 provincial general election is officially underway.
This will be the first time for me running as the Leader of the B.C. Libertarian Party and the first time running in the brand-new riding of Langley-Abbotsford.
This election, like all others, is an opportunity for candidates of smaller parties to get on the ballot and spread their message – a message promoting freedom, economic literacy, and personal responsibility.
Local media and community groups like the Chamber of Commerce give candidates such as myself an equal footing in communicating our platforms.
And there are so many issues that are important.
Start off by visiting the BCLP’s 2024 platform here https://libertarian.bc.ca/2024-platform/ .
While we have a very extensive platform, each constituency will have more-targeted concerns.
What do I think is important for the residents of Langley-Abbotsford?
Reforming healthcare has to be the number one priority.
- Cut the fat! The bureaucracy is out of this world. The cost to Fraser Health Regional Authority for corporate spending rose from $372M in 2021-22 to $480M in 2022-23, a 30% increase. Pre-Pandemic the German medical system had the same number of doctors per capita as Canada but with only one-tenth of the administrators.
- Apply the Chaoulli ruling from Quebec to B.C. – we have a right to get the best care we can acquire
- Allow for more Urgent Care facilities to open to take pressure off both LMH’s emergency room and walk-in clinics.
- Eliminate the monopoly the certification Colleges currently have, and end the bottleneck. By doing so, we’d quickly increase the amount of doctors, nurses, physicians that can serve British Columbians.
Housing Affordability has become a punchline. It’s time to change that.
- Turn the Agricultural Land Commission into an advisory board and allow non-arable land to immediately be taken out of the ALR.
- End Speculation Tax, Empty Homes Tax, and the new Home-Flipping Tax – they are just tax grabs that have not been effective.
- Adjust the Residential Tenancy Act to make investing in rental properties and renting space in primary residences more desirable to increase inventory and slow down price increases.
- Put a pause on the Energy Step Code, which adds to home building costs.
Taxation should be throttled-down.
- Raise the base exemption to $50,000 to relieve more workers from the provincial income tax burden entirely.
- Eliminate energy taxes, including the regressive consumer carbon tax.
- Eliminate the Employer Health Tax, which reverse-incentives industry growth.
- Eliminate “sin” taxes on tobacco and liquor that disproportionately hurt lower income earners.