Five members of an exclusive Vancouver Sun/Leger panel assess the leaders, their parties and important issues.
“I feel poorer and poorer” than I did a decade ago.
Health care is the defining issue of this election.
The two main party leaders spend too much time sniping at one another.
These are some of the sentiments shared with Postmedia News this week by a small group of voters as the provincial election campaign got underway.
According to the latest polls, John Rustad’s Conservative and David Eby’s NDP parties are locked in a tight race, while Sonia Furstenau’s Green party trails behind.
In partnership with the Leger market research company, Postmedia will spend the next few weeks talking to a panel of everyday British Columbians from a variety of backgrounds — including decided and undecided voters — about what they like and don’t like about each party and the issues that will most influence their ballot box decisions on Oct. 19.
Today you will hear from five members of the panel — a carpenter, a kinesiologist, a banker, a former journalist and a retired rail worker — who will explain why they’re leaning toward one party and if they’re likely to change their minds.
In the coming days, Postmedia will share the views of other members of the panel when it comes to the parties’ plans to tackle key issues, such as housing, affordability, health care and the environment.
Trevor, 37
Assets manager at a financial institution. Lives in Coquitlam with his wife and three young children.
Leaning Conservative.
Trevor and his wife, who both make good salaries, moved to Alberta for four years to save money for a down payment for a house in Vancouver. When they returned in 2022, they could only afford to buy in the suburbs and have a hefty mortgage.
“I would say neither party seems very trustworthy, but I do appreciate how the Conservatives have been willing to tackle affordability,” Trevor said, noting it was the first party to promise to remove the carbon tax, which will keep more money in his wallet.
“What we’ve seen in B.C. is things are getting worse, I would say worse in many ways. And the NDP has done very little to address it.”
More people live in trailers or tents, it’s “virtually impossible” to get a family doctor or child care, and the cost of living is “absolutely insane.”
“I feel poorer and poorer than I did 10 years ago … I think that’s the challenge that a lot of people my age and younger feel,” he said, adding he believes the Tories will be better fiscal managers of the province.
“I guess that’s where my mindset is: What’s been happening isn’t working.”
Jim, 72
Retired journalist who lives in Victoria with his wife.
Leaning NDP.
After moving to B.C. three years ago, Jim looked for a centrist party to support. He hasn’t found the perfect match, but believes he will vote NDP.
“I’ve been looking at the Conservative platform and I don’t see anything there that I could possibly saddle up with. And, quite frankly, I have difficulty with their leader,” he said.
He’s uncomfortable with Rustad’s statements on COVID-19 vaccines, some of his health care- and education-related promises, and his “conspiracy theories.”
He finds nothing “offensive” in the NDP platform, but said realistically it will take years to address the health care and housing crises.
Jim believes Eby is “still trying to define his way,” as he didn’t become premier through an election but by taking over the NDP leadership: “I’d like to give him a fair chance to see what he can do on his own.”
A top issue in the campaign must be homelessness, addictions and neighbourhood deterioration, although Jim doesn’t think any party has offered tangible solutions — and these are such hot-button topics he believes the leaders are making up their positions based on political winds, rather than “sticking to their guns” on policy decisions.
Brendon, 41
Carpenter who lives in North Vancouver with his wife and two school-age daughters.
Leaning Green.
Brendon had planned to support B.C. United, the former Liberal party, before it abandoned its campaign. He’s now considering a vote for the Greens, believing that party may be strongest on the environment and health care.
“I don’t think they will run the government, but if they get a stronger voice in government they might have a better impact,” he said.
He is disillusioned with Rustad and Eby, who he feels spend more time criticizing each other than explaining how they would do things better.
“I’m not a huge fan of that … They’re not really selling anything. They’re just telling you: ‘They’re way worse than us, don’t vote for them,’ ” Brendon said. “The Greens don’t really do that.”
He would like to hear more from the leaders about how they will find more nurses and doctors for the health system, as well as create more affordable housing.
His family found a unique solution to the housing crisis: He and his wife bought a house with his brother-in-law, with one family living on the main floor and the other in the basement.
“We were pretty fortunate,” Brendon said. “But I also know not everyone can do that.”
Andrew, 37
Self-employed kinesiologist who lives in Surrey with his wife.
Leaning NDP.
Andrew and his wife, a health-care worker, moved out of their rental after getting a steep rent hike and have lived for the last year-and-a-half in his in-laws’ house.
While he doesn’t think any party has significantly addressed the housing crisis, he believes the NDP is the best option right now. In past elections he supported the Greens, but will switch his vote to try to keep the Conservatives from winning.
“The NDP have been in power for seven years and, while they have not been perfect, I don’t want this province to go back to a more right-wing party where services are getting cut and government costs are being piled up onto people.”
He worries the Tories will bring too much privatization into health care. He doesn’t like that party’s vow to scrap the carbon tax, preferring instead the NDP’s plan to shift it away from consumers and toward industry.
He also worries about Rustad’s stance on issues such as abortion, COVID vaccines and climate change: “I feel like a lot of people don’t know who he is.”
As the campaign progresses, he wants to hear more talk about affordability, which has “spiralled out of control.”
Blake, 68
Retired CN Rail worker who lives in Abbotsford and has two grown daughters.
Leaning Conservative.
Blake is torn between voting for change by backing the relatively unknown Conservative party and its neophyte leader or supporting “more of the same” with the NDP, which has angered him by “flip-flopping” on issues such as the carbon tax and involuntary care.
“That bothers me. Those sorts of things are political ploys to get re-elected, instead of really thinking of the interests of people,” he said.
“So am I better off with change? Am I better off with the unknown? … I’m still sort of on the fence, but leaning Conservative at this point.”
Economic growth is one issue Blake hopes the parties will discuss as he decides how to solidify his vote. He believes oil-and-gas, along with pipelines, are important revenue generators for services such as hospitals and roads.
“If we’re not driving industry and utilizing our natural resources, we won’t have money to pay for anything.”
His top priority, though, is health care. Blake had non-urgent back surgery in March after waiting 4 1/2 years, and is now on a long waiting list for a more critical health-care service.
“I see it from a senior’s point of view: Health care is a problem.”
Next in the series: The voters’ perspectives on how the parties are addressing housing and affordability.