Voters in West Vancouver-Capilano now have a clear look at who’ll be on the ballot come the May 9 provincial election.
All three major parties have nominated candidates in the riding that has long had a reputation for electing the B.C. Liberals.
Liberal MLA Ralph Sultan has been acclaimed by the party to seek a fourth term.
“I like the job, and am willing to continue to give it the 24-7 attention it requires. A broad cross-section of the community seems to want me to run again,” he said in an email. “West Van-Capilano deserves an experienced, thoughtful, and knowledgeable person representing it in Victoria. After four terms, I know what is needed to protect North Shore interests in the legislature, and how to accomplish that within government.”
If elected back into government, Sultan said his party would continue “the unparalleled track record of fiscal responsibility and low taxes,” increase the availability of seniors care, (and) continue to ensure the province’s K-12 and post-secondary education system remain near the top in international rankings.
“These things don’t happen by accident, but are due to excellent staffing, thoughtful policies,” he said.
Sultan also listed housing as a priority.
“The extraordinary run-up in real estate prices is causing extreme problems of affordability, community character, and unintended tax consequences, which needs sorting out,” he said.
Local NDP members have nominated Mehdi Russel, a medical doctor and pharmaceutical consultant, to run for them.
Russel said he was inspired to enter politics after seeing his daughter leave the country in search of a better career with a lower cost of living.
“As a father who raised three daughters here, I can see the issues around and I would like to take part in politics to see if I can help and make B.C. a better place for the next generation,” he said.
“We can’t have affordable housing for our kids. We don’t have enough jobs for them and at the end of the day, they can’t stay here on the North Shore, here in Vancouver, here in Canada and be together as a family.”
The province must do a better job bridging the concerns and conversations happening between the rich and poor, Russel said.
In addition to increasing health-care spending, including for dental and PharmaCare, Russel said he would push for the $10-per- day childcare.
“The average they pay right now in this area is about $1,500 (per month). Looking generally at the North Shore, there are many working class families and paying that amount is a big issue for them,” he said,
The Green Party has chosen Capilano University communications professor Michael Markwick to run for them.
Markwick, who once ran as an independent in the riding, said he has been courted by the Greens since he met party leader Andrew Weaver in 2013. What clenched the decision was Weaver’s ruling that the party would not accept corporate or union donations and that MLAs would not be whipped.
“That really does cut the Gordian knot that’s been preventing accountable and honest politics in the province,” he said. “It seems to me this is the promise of a new political era and that’s what got me interested in joining a political party for the first time in my life.”
His top priority, he said, is a meaningful discussion on affordable housing for West Vancouver.
“We’ve got business owners who have a hard time keep their doors open, literally, because their staff have to commute from the back and beyond to get to the community to work,” he said.
“This is not a nice-to- have. It is an existential need for the community.”
Sultan won the seat in 2013 with 67 per cent of the vote, the highest margin of any in B.C. The NDP’s Terry Platt placed second with 22 per cent. The Greens did not have a candidate in 2013.
The Liberals have held the riding in every election since the Social Credit era came to an end in 1991.
