Challenges with health care, housing, and short-term rentals in the province are fixable, according to BC United Leader Kevin Falcon.
He was in Kelowna Nov. 15, for a private function with retiring Kelowna-West MLA Ben Stewart.
Falcon sat down with the media at Kelowna-Mission MLA Renee Merrfield害羞草研究所檚 office.
He began by reiterating a promise to do away with B.C.害羞草研究所檚 carbon and fuel taxes if his party is elected the next government.
害羞草研究所淚 was the finance minister in 2012 who froze the carbon tax at six cents a litre害羞草研究所.C. Liberal finance ministers subsequently kept it frozen until 2017 when the NDP got elected.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭hey did two things害羞草研究所hey got rid of the revenue neutrality害羞草研究所t went from a tax shift to a tax grab害羞草研究所nd they more than doubled the carbon tax to 15 cents a litre.害羞草研究所�
Health Care
Falcon said the province needs more doctors and that thousands of international medical graduates, including many Canadians, who want to come to B.C. simply can害羞草研究所檛 because current regulations make it difficult for them to be able to practice in the province.
害羞草研究所滻害羞草研究所檝e said that a BC United government would take a chainsaw to those regulations and red tape.害羞草研究所�
Falcon said government also needs to embrace change and innovation throughout the healthcare system.
害羞草研究所淚f we continue to operate the healthcare system the way this current government is operating it, we are going to continue to see these kind of terrible results.害羞草研究所�
Housing
Falcon said several of the bills the NDP have put forward to address the housing crisis in B.C. are rushed and lack information municipalities are asking about.
害羞草研究所淪omeone like myself or Renee (Merrifield) who actually have experience in the housing sector害羞草研究所e look at those bills and realize they are not going to achieve the outcomes that they害羞草研究所檙e trying to convince British Columbians that they will.害羞草研究所�
One of the solutions he said is an NDP bill he is supportive of.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 something I害羞草研究所檝e been calling for, Bill 47 which says we ought to be densifying around transit corridors. I害羞草研究所檓 just concerned that their execution of the policy is going to be a challenge.害羞草研究所�
Short Term Rentals
While he supports changes to short-term rental policies, Falcon said the legislation brought forward by the NDP hasn害羞草研究所檛 been thought through.
害羞草研究所淲e put forward four very common sense amendments to the legislation that would have improved it.害羞草研究所�
They included going after the small percentage of Airbnb owners with multiple properties.
害羞草研究所淲e said, focus your attention on those people and don害羞草研究所檛 punish the small-time players that have one Airbnb. They unfortunately rejected all of our amendments.害羞草研究所�
Falcon added the unintended consequences will be limited accommodation options for tourists and visitors.
He also suggested that many landlords have shifted from long-term to short-rentals because, under the NDP, it害羞草研究所檚 extremely difficult to evict a bad tenant.
害羞草研究所淪o they go to the short-term rentals because it害羞草研究所檚 easier and they don害羞草研究所檛 have to worry about the implications of the Residential Tenancy Act.害羞草研究所�
Falcon said many property owners have told him that they will remove their units from the market once the short-term legislation is passed.
害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 not a good thing for renters either.害羞草研究所�
Provincial Election
With a provincial election just under a year away, Falcon admitted that eight months after the party changed its name, it shouldn害羞草研究所檛 be a surprise that many British Columbians are unaware of who BC United is.
害羞草研究所淏y the time the next election rolls around I am very, very confident that people are going to know who Kevin Falcon and BC United is.害羞草研究所�
Falcon was also asked about voter confusion between the BC and Federal Conservative parties affecting his party害羞草研究所檚 chances in the next provincial election.
害羞草研究所淭hey (BC Conservatives) benefit from that,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚f their party was called anything else they would be nowhere in the polls.害羞草研究所�
According to the , the most recent provincial polls have the BC United Party at 20.4 per cent, the BC Conservatives at 21.5 per cent and the NDP at 46 per cent.
READ MORE: BC United fears new density legislation will jack up housing costs
READ MORE: United premiers want carbon pricing measures to be fair to all Canadians
