Competing visions for the future of B.C. were voiced at the Kelowna-Lake Country riding all-candidates meeting last Thursday night.

The three candidates害羞草研究所擫iberal Norm Letnick, Green Alison Shaw and Erik Oleson of the NDP害羞草研究所攄ebated past government spending policies and outlined their party害羞草研究所檚 vision for the future.

For incumbent Letnick, seeking his third term as MLA, he said the best way to serve all British Columbians is to continue to grow the economy with prudent fiscal budget decisions.

The tax measures proposed by the Greens and NDP, Letnick said, will only serve to curtail economic growth.

害羞草研究所淭here is not some money tree in Victoria that is going to pay for all the promises that the (NDP and Green Party) are promising,害羞草研究所� Letnick said.

Shaw said her party advocates steering away from past Liberal policies that she says have decimated the environment, financially overwhelmed the middle and tempered opportunities to change or expand B.C.害羞草研究所檚 economic development model.

The Greens want to bring B.C. into the 21st century with socially progressive policies, be a hub for economic innovation and sustainable growth, and adopt sound environment protection planning, Shaw said.

害羞草研究所淚 am not a professional politician. I am a business owner and a loving parent. I want to see a government that will champion the health and well-being of our citizens,害羞草研究所� Shaw said.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 want to see British Columbians fall further behind.害羞草研究所�

Olesen said this election is not about the past, it害羞草研究所檚 about the future.

害羞草研究所淲e want to put people first, not big business or corporations,害羞草研究所� Olesen said.

He said the NDP propose to do that by investing in education, lifting the minimum wage eventually to $15/hour, subsidize childcare and creating more affordable housing.

害羞草研究所淚 want to work for the future of millennials and not let the generations that come after us suffer as we have,害羞草研究所� Olesen said.

害羞草研究所淚 want a better B.C. and to stand up for constituent害羞草研究所檚 needs, not just for photo ops.害羞草研究所�

A number of questions were posed to the candidates at the forum, held at Creekside Theatre and sponsored by the Lake Country Chamber of Commerce.

Below is a sampling of some of the issues raised and the candidates害羞草研究所� responses:

Child care

Olesen cited the NDP platform promise of a $10 a day childcare subsidy program to alleviate the stress parents feel finding and paying for daycare.

害羞草研究所淲e want to invest in families,害羞草研究所� he said.

Letnick said the NDP proposal has been done in Quebec and has not been proven to be fiscally effective.

害羞草研究所淲e want to focus on increasing childcare spaces害羞草研究所� our goal to increase availability by 13,000 spaces as of 2020,害羞草研究所� he said.

Shaw said the Greens advocate free daycare for children under the age of four.

害羞草研究所淐hildcare is beyond creating more spaces. It害羞草研究所檚 about parents getting into the workforce and creating more affordable housing,害羞草研究所� she said.

Legalizing marijuana

All three candidates were supportive of the federal government initiative to legalize marijuana and advocated to strictly regulate how it is sold, concerns being to limit exposure to children and not allow organized crime to profit from it.

MSP fees

Olesen said the MSP monthly charge is unfair, noting no other province charges that fee to its taxpayers.

害羞草研究所淎nd the revenue earned from that fee is not being redirected specifically back into health care services,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲e need to look at all our health ministry costs in terms of how to make up the revenue shortfall.害羞草研究所�

Letnick said MSP fees generate $2.4 billion in revenue, a significant part of the province害羞草研究所檚 $50 billion budget.

害羞草研究所淢anaging our economy and generating a $2 billion surplus last year enabled us to reduce the MSP fee by 50 per cent as of Jan. 1 and not putting that into the income tax system,害羞草研究所� he said.

Shaw said her party proposes to roll the MSP fees into a progressive tax, where people who make more money pay a greater share.

害羞草研究所淲e need those funds to fix our deteriorating health care system,害羞草研究所� she said, noting the Greens want to create two new health care related ministries for mental health/addiction and health promotion.

Proportional representation

Shaw said the Green Party supports invoking proportional representation to provincial elections.

害羞草研究所淲e need to get big money both from corporations and unions out of our electoral process. We need to reign in lobbying and conflicts of interest,害羞草研究所� Shaw said.

Letnick argued that under the current system, every vote does count, election results do matter and he personally works to represent all his constituents.

害羞草研究所淚 never ask someone if they voted for me. I serve everyone in my riding regardless of how they might have voted,害羞草研究所� Letnick said.

Olesen said the NDP were open to looking at electoral reform, but called out the Green Party害羞草研究所檚 criticism of influential campaign donors when up until recently it was accepting outside donations.

Use of foreign workers

Olesen said the NDP wants to see a balance between providing jobs to British Columbians and bringing in foreign workers, saying the priority is to meet the labour needs of the agriculture industry.

Letnick said the agri-business sector continues to thrive in B.C., and foreign workers have a role to play in that growth.

害羞草研究所淐anadians don害羞草研究所檛 want the jobs these people are doing,害羞草研究所� he said.

Shaw said the Greens want to look at ways to reduce the cost of buying farmland and harvesting crops to ease their financial burden.

For more 2017 BC Election coverage 害羞草研究所�.害羞草研究所�