Five people on the exclusive Vancouver Sun-Leger election panel speak about key financial issues and how they’ll mark their ballots
“Oh my. How are people surviving nowadays?”
“They talk about $10 day care. But most people don’t actually get that.”
“I’d like to hear how they’re going to actually balance the budget.”
Whether Green, NDP or Conservative supporters, most voters agree on one thing: It’s really expensive to live in B.C.
Nearly a quarter of respondents said housing prices/affordability was their most important issue, followed by inflation/rising interest rates, the economy and taxes.
Housing and affordability was top-of-mind for young voters age 18 to 34, as well as for supporters of David Eby’s NDP. Taxation was far more important to John Rustad’s Tory voters compared with those backing the NDP or the Greens, led by Sonia Furstenau.
Brad, 62
Self-employed property manager in Nanaimo who has taken in a homeless friend.
Leaning Conservative.
Brad comes from a long line of entrepreneurs. His parents ran a bakery, while he operates his own property management company. He sticks to his budget and doesn’t run up his credit card, he said, and believes the province should do the same thing.
He has voted in the past for the centre-right, now extinct parties of Social Credit and Liberal/B.C. United. Looking for a new political home, he’s now leaning Conservative.
He would like to hear, though, from all the leaders about how they’ll get the province’s books out of the red: “How they’re going to actually balance the budget and pay down our debt.”
He is concerned about homelessness, crime, high taxation and the expensive cost of doing business, arguing governments should be more hands-off so that it’s easier for entrepreneurs to operate.
A friend without a home lives right now with Brad, who interacts with other marginalized people while managing properties for churches and non-profits.
He believes the NDP has “their heart set” on trying to help homeless people, but argues what they’ve doing just isn’t working.
“The situation is worse under their watch.”
Katie, 32
Laid-off administrator who lives with her husband in Vancouver.
Leaning NDP.
Katie and her husband rent in Vancouver, where the cost of renting and buying are both “crazy.” But she believes the NDP has some policies that are starting to slowly bring prices down.
“That’s been huge. Often (government policies) don’t actually impact you personally, but that feels very close to home,” she said.
Katie, who recently lost her admin job when a post-secondary school eliminated the program in which she worked, said she doesn’t know enough about the Greens to vote for that party. She fears the Conservatives would encourage too much privatization, noting her father lost his job when B.C. Rail was sold in 2004 by the former Liberal government.
She also worries about socially conservative comments made by Rustad and some of his candidates: “It feels like it’s the NDP or insanity. It feels polarized, like the U.S. right now.”
Selwyn, 64
Retired airline employee who lives on his own in Sidney.
Leaning NDP.
Selwyn knows he is one of the lucky ones. Several years ago, the long-time renter inherited some money and bought a small condo in Sidney.
“I never took that home in all the years of working full-time,” said the now-retired man. “Even if I did, that means 100 per cent of my income would have went to rent and I’ve got nothing left for utilities, food, expenses. And I’m just like, ‘Oh my. How are people surviving nowadays?’ ”
Fiscal solutions for people and fiscal management for government are key campaign issues. Selwyn planned to vote B.C. United before it collapsed, and is now leaning NDP as he thinks some Tory social policies are too “extreme radical.”
Although the Greens won his riding in 2020, he won’t back them.
“Sometimes I vote to get somebody in,” he said. “This time I want to block the Conservatives.”
Trevor, 37
Assets manager at a financial institution. Lives in Coquitlam with his wife and three young children.
Leaning Conservative.
Trevor loves his three children, aged six, three and 11 months. But after paying income tax and for the mortgage, food and other essentials, there’s few leftovers for activities or trips.
“It doesn’t leave you with a lot for kids and family.”
Their oldest child is taking piano lessons, and the younger two will want to pursue hobbies, so he would like to hear candidates speak about how they’ll make life more affordable.
Trevor is leaning Conservative because he believes that party would be better fiscal managers. Rustad was first to promise to scrap the carbon tax, which Trevor said would help each time he gases up his vehicle.
He doesn’t like some policies implemented by the NDP, such as increasing the minimum wage. He believes that has caused some business owners to lay off employees rather than expand workforces.
The NDP also championed $10 day care, but Trevor’s family has struggled to find good child care and can’t get it for that price.
“They talk about $10 day care but most people don’t actually get that.”
He wants a leader to “stand up to Ottawa” for more “reasonable” immigration, arguing too many newcomers have driven up housing costs and inflation.
Jane, 64
Executive assistant in the financial industry with two grown children. She and her husband live in North Delta with two teen boarders.
Leaning NDP, but wishes there were more political options.
Jane drives to Washington state to buy her groceries: Apples cost $3.99 a pound locally and 68 cents in the U.S. Lettuce and bread are a third of the price south of the border.
“It’s ridiculous.”
Jane would like the next government to provide more help for struggling seniors and homeless people, but believes the NDP is better equipped to do this than the Conservatives.
Once a supporter of the former B.C. Liberals, Jane switched to the NDP under past leader John Horgan who did a “pretty good job” of guiding the province out of COVID-19. She plans to vote NDP again, but wishes leader David Eby was more humble.
“I really, really, really like Sonia personally, but I don’t think she has enough support to be premier,” she added of Furstenau.
Jane wishes for a centrist option — a party between the NDP and the Conservatives, but not a rebirth of the Liberals.