British Columbians head to the polls on or before Saturday, October 19 for the 2024 Provincial Election.
Vancouver has 12 Electoral Districts, and in each area, locals will cast ballots to determine the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) who will represent their constituencies in the legislature.
To help voters learn more about their options in each of Vancouver's 12 Electoral Districts, V.I.A. sent every candidate an identical questionnaire featuring a series of yes or no questions. Each candidate had the option to provide brief written responses to three of the questions.
Candidates were given a deadline to return the questionnaires to V.I.A.; any responses received after the deadline are not/will not be included. We have noted which candidates did not respond.
V.I.A. is presenting the responses as provided, making edits only when necessary for typographical and grammatical errors.
Meet the candidates for Vancouver-Little Mountain
Wendy Hayko (Green)
- Occupation: Retired
- Where do you live? Vancouver
Top priorities for Vancouver (50 words):
Compassionately address Vancouver’s crisis in housing, homelessness and healthcare. When we ensure that every person—regardless of age, ability, social condition or identity—has access to the supports they need to live a dignified life, we build a truly safe and secure community.
Past achievement(s) (100 words):
Twenty-plus years of experience in emergency management helping communities, businesses and people prepare for, respond to, recovery from and mitigate against large-scale emergencies and disasters. Wendy served on national working groups for standards development for Emergency Social Services and Business Continuity. Her operational experience includes Reception Centres, Health Emergency Operations Centres, Departmental and Municipal and First Nations Emergency Operations Centres. An accomplished speaker, Wendy has delivered seminars at national and international conferences and has received multiple awards for training and exercise delivery for corporate, government and non-profit organizations.
Do you support a provincial carbon tax?
Yes. I believe industries who are putting that future at risk should be held responsible for their emissions. British Columbia’s price on carbon pollution is a necessary, and crucial step in ensuring British Columbia meets our greenhouse gas reduction goals, while safeguarding our environment, our health, and our economy.
The BC Greens are committed to having a price on pollution, and to improving the system such that there is a price on every tonne of carbon dioxide and methane emitted. The Carbon Tax charged to industrial polluters, along with planned increases to the price of emissions of $15 per year, will be redirected to fund climate action in communities, infrastructure funding to municipalities and Indigenous governments, rebates for deep energy retrofits to existing housing, and rebate cheques for individuals and families.
Do you support lower taxes for B.C. businesses?
No. The corporate tax structure is flawed. Multi-billion dollar corporations are taking windfall profits while paying the same tax rate as small businesses earning $500k, which allows large corporations to operate unchecked due to their economies of scale and price-setting powers. Government must take an active role in addressing this imbalance, and the tax system is a key tool.
BC Greens will introduce an additional marginal tax rate for corporate revenue above $1 billion per year, of 18%. A fairer, more efficient tax system will help reduce inequality and ensure that the wealth generated in British Columbia benefits everyone.
BC Greens will prioritize local businesses and resources to boost the provincial economy by ensuring local contractors and resources benefit first in public projects and government contracts. Additionally, BC Greens will amend and expand the community grants program, funded by the Carbon Tax, to prioritize support for local business.
Do you believe in mandatory (involuntary) care for people with a severe substance-use disorder?
No. Currently, 20,000 people are under involuntary care, adding to that number will not make us safer or healthier or our streets cleaner. Mental health needs to be viewed like any other health issue—and must be properly resourced within our public system. We will benefit from prioritizing preventive and proactive care to improve mental well-being, while ensuring crisis and emergency services are available when needed and providing comprehensive mental health care which is evidence-based and accessible, meeting people where they are.
BC Greens will integrate mental health as the fourth option in 911 emergency services and regulate substance-use-treatment in BC and ensure that any public funding for treatment comes with a requirement that the service provider gives comprehensive data and robust reporting on outcomes. By strengthening regulation and oversight of mental health care we ensure high-quality, accountable services for all British Columbians.
YES/NO QUESTIONS
- Do you support Bill 44/47 to increase density in residential areas and near rapid transit? Yes
- Are you committed to keeping SOGI policies in the B.C.’s education system? Yes
- Do you support Truth and Reconciliation with B.C.’s Indigenous population? Yes
- Should the provincial government do more to protect businesses from vandalism and other crimes? Yes
- Do you support privatization of health care in B.C.? No
- Should health-care workers who lost their jobs for not being vaccinated be compensated? No
- Do you support safe supply of drugs for people with a severe substance-use disorder? Yes
- Should we have more supportive housing in Vancouver? Yes
- Do you think the province should lobby the federal government for bail reform? Yes
- Should the province be building more subsidized housing to combat the housing crisis? Yes
- Should the market be allowed to determine rents? No
- Do you think climate change is human-caused? Yes
Christine Boyle (NDP)
- Occupation: City Councillor
- Where do you live? East Vancouver
Top priorities for Vancouver (50 words)
Vancouver is a beautiful city, but it’s not always easy to live here. If elected MLA for Vancouver - Little I will prioritize:
-
Getting more people into homes they can afford
-
Action on the climate crisis and protecting nature
-
Better, faster health care
-
Helping bring down your costs
Past achievement(s) (100 words)
As a Vancouver City Councillor I worked with councillors with different perspectives to drive progressive change including:
-
Approving a significant amount of new multi-family housing, strengthening tenant protections, and making it faster and easier to build co-op and non-profit housing
-
Championing and implementing the most ambitious municipal climate plan in North America
-
Working with leaders from the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations to develop and introduce city policy to implement UNDRIP - a North American first
-
Working with local families to push for increased childcare and school spaces, and build safer streets for kids to walk and roll to school
Do you support a provincial carbon tax?
For many years, British Columbians agreed that the carbon tax was a useful tool in fighting climate change. Unfortunately, a series of decisions in Ottawa politicized it - and at the same time, people are being squeezed by global inflation and high interest rates.
If Ottawa removes the federal requirement for a carbon tax, we will remove the carbon tax on British Columbians - while ensuring that big polluters pay their fair share.
John Rustad has called climate science a “lie” and says “we should not be trying to fight climate change.”
The fight against climate change is far bigger than any single tax. David Eby and the BC NDP believe climate change is a real, present threat and won’t stop taking action.
Do you believe in mandatory (involuntary) care for people with a severe substance-use disorder?
There are people struggling with extremely severe mental health and addictions issues, coupled with brain injuries who need stronger interventions than we have right now. Many of these people are a risk to themselves, and a risk to others.
David Eby is taking action - launching new dignified secure care to keep people who need this care safe, and keep communities safe. We’re creating new secure care facilities across the province, secure care units in correctional facilities, and more mental health beds in hospitals.
We’re also going to change the laws to provide clarity and ensure that people, including youth, can receive care when they’re unable to seek it themselves.
Should the market be allowed to determine rents?
Many renters are struggling right now, and we’re taking action to support them. David Eby and the BC NDP are proud to have brought in a $400 renters rebate and capped rent increases to inflation, saving a renting family $1,100 per year. We're also preserving existing affordable rental buildings. David Eby’s Housing Action Plan will also create 300,000 more middle-income homes, including affordable rentals.
John Rustad would rip up our Plan. He would eliminate the rent increase cap and drive rents even higher. We can't afford to let John Rustad cancel David Eby's Housing Action Plan. Let's keep taking action on housing and build a future where everyone can afford to live here.
YES/NO QUESTIONS
- Do you support Bill 44/47 to increase density in residential areas and near rapid transit? YES
- Are you committed to keeping SOGI policies in the B.C.’s education system? YES
- Do you support Truth and Reconciliation with B.C.’s Indigenous population? YES
- Do you support lower taxes for B.C. businesses? YES
- Should the provincial government do more to protect businesses from vandalism and other crimes? YES
- Do you support privatization of health care in B.C.? NO
- Should health-care workers who lost their jobs for not being vaccinated be compensated? NO
- Do you support safe supply of drugs for people with a severe substance-use disorder? NO RESPONSE
- Should we have more supportive housing in Vancouver? YES
- Do you think the province should lobby the federal government for bail reform? YES
- Should the province be building more subsidized housing to combat the housing crisis? YES
- Do you think climate change is human-caused? YES
John Coupar (Conservative)
Questionnaire: Not returned by deadline
