MyPGNow.com reached out to each of the candidates in Prince George-Valemount for their response to the following:
- What are the most important issues facing the residents in your riding and how would you address them?
- Tell the voters why you are the best candidate to represent your riding.
IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (Last name):
Shirley Bond, BC Liberal Party (Incumbent)
Shirley Bond was first elected in 2001 as the MLA for Prince George-Valemount. Shirley has extensive experience as a Cabinet Minister including Deputy Premier and was the first female to hold
the position of Attorney General in British Columbia’s history, a title she held while Minister of Justice. She has been honoured as a trailblazer in the B.C. justice system. As a member of the Opposition, Shirley Chaired the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts and served as a Finance critic. Before her election to the Legislative Assembly, Shirley served three terms on the Prince George School Board, the last as chair. She was given the B.C. Interior, North and Yukon Woman of Distinction Award for her work in public education. Shirley and her husband Bill were married for 41 years before Bill passed away in June 2020. Shirley lives in Prince George and loves spending time with her family especially their twin adult children and grandsons Caleb and Cooper.
1. Ensuring that Northern residents have top quality health care continues to be a priority for me. I will aggressively pursue additional training programs for healthcare professionals, enhanced services and facilities, including cardiac care, at the University Hospital of Northern BC and improved care options for seniors.
A second priority will be a focus on growing the economy by supporting a sustainable, environmentally responsible natural resource sector, looking for ways to diversify our economy and supporting the small business sector in our region. We need to find ways to get to yes on major projects that create well paying family supporting jobs. We need to work hard to restore confidence and rebuild British Columbia with a job creation and economic recovery plan.
2. I am a lifelong Northerner and I absolutely love where we live. Our province is currently dealing with a pandemic, has a declared Provincial State of Emergency and is facing an economic crisis. Now more than ever our region needs an experienced MLA with a proven track record. I have been a tireless advocate on behalf of the constituents of Prince George Valemount and believe that I have the skill and work ethic that is necessary in these challenging times. I am driven to ensure that the voice of people who live in Prince George Valemount is heard in Victoria.
Mackenzie Kerr, Green Party
Mackenzie Kerr is a 23-year-old forestry student with a passion for changing the way we do politics. Her 2019 federal campaign for the Green Party of Canada almost tripled the vote in her riding with the help of an amazing team and with this experience, she is ready to be your next MLA. Her experience with the 4-H program as a National and Provincial Ambassador taught her the importance of local agriculture. Her 4-H experience has also given her the skills to represent her riding in a serious, professional manner. Spending 5 years studying forest ecology and management at UNBC has made her passionate about advocating for ecosystem-based management.
1. We have overlapping crises in this riding and it’s hard to narrow them down to a few sentences. My top 3 focuses will be creating a sustainable forest industry, transitioning to a clean economy and bringing accountability to government. We can do that by voting Green and sending as many MLA’s that care about science to the legislature. As a student, housing affordability and mental health is also something I want to focus on. I would address these issues as MLA by advocating for evidence-based solutions and consulting with experts in the field. Creating healthy, resilient communities is something I am extremely passionate about and look forward to advocating for.
2. I am the best candidate to represent this riding because I am able to vote for my riding first and party second. The advantage of running green is that I don’t have to play political games and have my vote be whipped. I can put science first and base my decision making off of that, not public opinion. This is important when making decisions that are best for British Columbians. I want to do politics differently and that is why I’m running. We need someone ready to challenge the status quo. I am ready.
Laura Parent, New Democratic Party (NDP)
Laura was born and raised in Prince George, and is deeply connected to the community here. She is committed to making life better here – improving services, making life more affordable, and
giving youth more opportunities to be involved in the decisions that affect them. Laura studies at UNBC, where she is vice-chair of the University Senate and is an elected UNBC senator. Recently, she was awarded the Senate Campus Leadership award along with several other academic honours.
1.The most important issues facing the residents of Prince George-Valemount are healthcare and healthcare accessibility. Given the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, these issues are worsened. To address this, the BC NDP will create 7000 new front line healthcare positions, fund two million flu vaccine doses, and develop a new home healthcare plan to support seniors at home. In addition, the BC NDP will build a 10 year cancer treatment plan; the first of its kind in Canada. We will also work to reduce service wait times, bring facilities and resources closer to home, and work at creating a more personalized healthcare system, to meet the needs of you and your family.
2.Residents in Prince George-Valemount need an MLA that can represent them in government, not an empty opposition seat with no real power or voice. I am that person. As the MLA for Prince George-Valemount, I will use my passion for people and my energy for change to ensure that everyone is represented with compassion, empathy, and dedication. BC needs stability in their government, and locally we need to be treated like the critical region that we are. It is time that Prince-George Valemount had a real voice in Victoria, and I can promise that I will fight for you.
Sean Robson, Libertarian
Robson is a 37-year-old single father born in Surrey, British Columbia. He moved to Prince George when he was 10 years old. He is running for MLA in Prince George/Valemount riding under the BC Libertarian Party. He works in the logging industry and became interested in politics during the 2008 recession after he leaving the military. (Information taken from Libertarian BC website)
Robson did not get back with answers to the two questions that MyPGNow asked for him to answer.
Election day is Saturday, October 24th. Polls will be open from 8 am to 8 pm. For a complete list of places to vote in the constituency, click here.Â