First Responses in for GVAT BC Election Survey!
Responses are starting to come in for Greater Victoria Acting Together’s BC Election 2024 candidate survey. We sent out surveys to all the candidates (from parties that presently have elected MLAs) in all eight ridings in Greater Victoria.
So far, we have received responses from seven of the eight BC Green Party candidates and BC New Democratic Party candidate Nina Krieger in Victoria - Swan Lake. None of the BC Conservative Party candidates have responded yet, and we are still waiting for our first response from Langford-Highlands candidates.
This is the response table for Victoria – Swan Lake, the first table with multiple candidates to respond. We will update the tables as more results come in here https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VUKVEu0mQzsMTyCmLX9FDIjEy0EByAWfv_B5QVeqbpk/edit?usp=sharing
All of the BC Green candidates who have responded answered Yes to all eight of our Yes / No questions, and provided additional information.
As shown in the table above, Krieger did not answer Yes or No to any of our questions but did provide written comments. If you live in Victoria - Swan Lake we encourage you to compare the responses:
If you don’t know what riding you live in (some have changed since the last election) see https://elections.bc.ca/resources/maps/find-your-district/
Our questions to candidates are:
1. Getting to Know You: Please tell us about your personal journey/motivating forces/passions that have led you to being a candidate in this election.
2. Real Rent Control (Vacancy Control): Do you support real rent control on rental buildings with over 12 units?
3. Increased funding for non-profit housing: Do you support doubling the amount that BC currently invests in not-for-profit housing?
4. Free transit for youth up to age 18: Do you support extending the provincial Get on Board program to include free transit for all youth up to age 18 in every transit system in BC?
5. Wheelchairs & Mobility Scooters on Bike & Roll Routes: Do you support having the provincial government clarify, without delay, that people using wheelchairs and mobility scooters have the right to use all ages and abilities bike and roll routes?
6. Reallocate Funding to Rapid Transit, Walking, Rolling & Cycling: Do you support reallocating funding from highway expansion projects to improving public transit, walking, rolling & cycling?
7. Climate Lens for Food and Agriculture: Are you in favor of provincial funding initiatives to provide affordable access for farmers to farmland?
8. Green New Deal for Forestry Communities: Are you in favor of direct provincial government support for workers and communities to transition from old growth logging now?
9. End old growth logging now: Do you support ending old growth logging now?
Explanations of each of our questions is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LlxyBSC1YcEpIOnuRpwR2VCodfm50ZZi/view?usp=drive_link
Please consider asking candidates about the issue or issues from the list that you care about the most when they knock at your door, when they are campaigning on the street, or at all candidates meetings or other events.
All the responses from candidates that we have received so far are available here:
Esquimalt-Colwood, Green, Camille Currie
Esquimalt-Colwood, NDP, Darlene Rotchford
Juan de Fuca-Malahat, Green, David Evans
Juan de Fuca-Malahat, NDP, Dana Lajeunesse
Langford-Highlands, Green, Erin Cassels
Langford-Highlands, NDP, Ravi Parmar
Oak Bay-Gordon Head, Green, Lisa Gunderson
Oak Bay-Gordon Head, NDP, Diana Gibson
Saanich North & The Islands, Green, Rob Botterell
Saanich North & The Islands, NDP, Sarah Riddell
Saanich South, Green, Ned Taylor
Saanich South, NDP, Lana Popham
Victoria-Beacon Hill, Green, Sonia Furstenau
Victoria-Beacon Hill, NDP, Grace Lore
Victoria-Swan Lake, Green, Christina Winters
Victoria-Swan Lake, NDP, Nina Krieger
(We will endeavour to update this list, or post an updated blog, in a timely manner as we receive additional responses).
Update, September 16th:
We now have a second electoral district, Oak Bay-Gordon Head, with two candidates responding.
Compare answers here:
Update, September 17th:
We now have a third electoral district, North Saanich and the Islands, with two candidates responding.
GVAT is a non-partisan organization. We do not endorse or promote any candidate or party. We do however take positions on issues.
Authorized by Greater Victoria Acting Together, registered sponsor under the Elections Act, admin@gvat.ca .
