Q&A with Samantha Agtarap, B.C. Green Party candidate for Port Moody-Burquitlam

Candidates were given one week to respond to questions. Candidates were asked to limit answers to approximately 100 words. Aside from minor spelling/grammatical errors, responses have not been altered.

How will you improve patient care at Eagle Ridge Hospital?

Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody needs to grow as the communities being served grow too. The hospital sits on approximately 25 acres of land and has room to grow into a regional hospital, like Royal Columbian. It also has the potential to provide additional timely services Port Moody residents need, such as medical imaging. The Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation has been fundraising for an MRI machine for the past two years, yet they still need one. We can ensure that local population needs are addressed through adequate staffing and funding of hospitals in growing regions.

How should the next government address the shortage of doctors in B.C.?

We should, and we will streamline healthcare administration to improve service delivery and reduce inefficiencies. We know that healthcare professionals trained in other jurisdictions have significant challenges in becoming certified. Reviewing and removing barriers for externally-trained health professionals, making it easier for them to become registered in British Columbia, would increase the numbers of health care practitioners

How will your party approach negotiations with the Kwikwetlem First Nation regarding the future of Səmiq̓wəʔelə, (suh-Mee-kwuh El-uh) formerly the Riverview Lands?

The BC Greens will support Indigenous communities in meaningful consultation by providing appropriate resources and ensuring their input is thoroughly considered in government decision-making. This includes approaching negotiations in good faith, and with an open heart and open mind.

What will your party do to improve ambulance response times in the Tri-Cities?

As a first step, we can ensure mental health crises are adequately addressed by emergency services and improve the integration of mental health care into emergency response systems.

Providing a fourth option in 911 emergency services for mental health, we can free up ambulance, fire or police services while simultaneously reducing their caseloads

How will you incentivize the construction of more affordable housing?

Our current housing crisis can be attributed to many things, one of which is the declining support for co-ops and non-profit housing from federal and provincial governments. To address the gap, we need to scale up non-market housing. The BC Greens will provide $1.5 billion annually to construct 26,000 new units of non-market housing each year, with 3,000 units dedicated specifically for Indigenous Peoples. We also need to improve the efficiency and transparency of BC Housing – it is challenging for municipalities to access resources if their community-specific needs do not align with the one-size-fits-all programs offered by BC Housing.

We can also support the development of non-market housing and housing co-ops with upfront investments, grant capital and low-interest financing through government-backed construction loans and mortgage guarantees. And lastly, we need to 1) make existing provincial public land available for non-profit housing development, 2) acquire new public land to expand affordable housing opportunities, and 3) recognize that community land trusts are crucial for securing land for non-market development.

We can’t rely exclusively on the private sector to provide affordability in the housing market.

Do you believe financialized landlords and outside investors are leading to higher rents in B.C.? If so, what should be done about it?

Housing policies and research have demonstrated that one of the root causes of unaffordability is the commodification of housing. For too long, housing has been treated as an investment strategy, which I think indicates failure of governments in other areas. While the provincial government is limited in some ways, we can advocate for federal legislation to ban the sale of residential units to real estate investment trusts (REITs). The BC Greens will also investigate the implementation of a property transfer tax on the transfer of properties to REITs. This decommodification measure, combined with implementing vacancy control, protecting existing affordable housing stock, and the creation of new homes, will help keep rental rates reasonable.

What will your party do to help low-income people and the disabled?

The BC Green Party has committed to raising social and disability assistance rates to above the poverty line, ensuring that all individuals receive adequate support for their needs. Currently, a single person on social assistance receives $1,060/month, and a single person on disability assistance receives $1483.50. We propose to increase both these rates to $2,400/month and remove clawbacks, such as the unjust spousal cap, to ensure individuals receive full and dignified support.

The City of Coquitlam has been especially critical of the province’s small-scale, multi-unit housing legislation. Should the legislation be altered? If so, how?

The current legislation oversimplifies the on-the-ground realities of each community. Infill development is preferable to urban sprawl, and while the latest housing legislation enables and encourages this, the roll-out and the “one-size fits all” approach without the flexibility to incorporate the unique features of a community remains flawed.

The small-scale, multi-unit housing (SSMUH) legislation does not consider walkability and instead imposes “as the crow flies” distances. In communities such as Port Moody and Coquitlam (Belcarra and Anmore are not affected by the housing legislation), steep slopes, rail lines and other features mean that in some cases, the walking distance from a bus stop or SkyTrain station is, in reality, much farther than 400 metres. The government needs to loosen their legislation in such a way that allows municipalities’ individual quirks and charms to work with the intent of the legislation.

Right now, there’s one homeless shelter in the Tri-Cities. Would you support the construction of a second shelter? If so, how and where? How will you help the region’s homeless population?

Over the past two years, homelessness in the Tri-Cities has grown by 86 percent, and we’ve seen increases in the number of seniors homeless for the first time in their lives. We absolutely need to address this immediately and cannot wait for affordable housing to be constructed. Temporary housing and modular housing could be one such proven way to meet this need. In addition to housing, we need to ensure there are services and wrap-around supports for people transitioning into housing.

In the absence of temporary housing or a new shelter, we also need to look at how we can support local organizations and municipalities in the provision of emergency weather shelters.

As to where additional housing or shelters should be located, that requires a conversation with the municipalities, which I hope would work with us collaboratively.

Do you believe we need to reduce regulations for industry? Why or why not?

Regulations can always be reviewed and improved but I don’t think downgrading them is the way forward. I understand that complicated regulations often cost projects time and money but we can improve decision-making for industrial projects and hold industry to higher standards at the same time.

Under what conditions, if any, should an employer be able to require a sick note from an employee?

A sick note is appropriate for longer-term leaves from work. For short-term illnesses, requiring a doctors’ note creates unnecessary bureaucracy for family physicians, and additional administrative hardship for workers

Do we need to hire more teachers and/or counsellors in schools? Why or why not?

Yes, we need more educators – especially education assistants and learning support teachers, but also psychologists and counsellors. Every child needs to be supported; only then can the whole learning community of a classroom function and thrive. We have to stop starving schools of the resources they need and make sure all kids have the support and tools to develop to their full potential.

Some independent B.C. schools receive up to 50 percent of the funding given to public schools. Should B.C. continue to subsidize private and faith-based schools?

Funding to faith-based and private schools should be reviewed. Public schools are where public dollars need to go.

Should B.C. bring back letter grades on report cards?

I would leave that to the experts – the teachers – to decide. Talking to teachers, I’ve learned that new reporting structures are more effective at communicating a child’s progress than a letter ever could be. The evaluation process looks at each student’s strengths and areas for growth, and helps them be more prepared for a world where one poor performance on a project can be the hard lesson we needed – and transform into our best learning opportunities without academic penalties.

What should be done with the Burrard Thermal site?

Any decisions about this site should be made in conjunction with local First Nations.

How will you improve government transparency?

The present FOI request costs are prohibitive and undemocratic, and this policy needs to be revised to be fairer and more transparent. Additionally, the process can take some time and disputes take too long to resolve at the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. Any additional actions that support the timely resolution of disputes would thus also improve government transparency.

Given the recent news of the RCMP officers facing discipline for racist comments in a group chat, what will you do to ensure police officers can be trusted to enforce laws equitably?

Present training requirements for police are clearly falling short of what is required. It’s a challenging job that has a lot being added to it; we need to make sure that present staff and new trainees are given adequate preparation to meet the demands being placed on them.

The BC Greens will transform the policing and justice systems to prioritize accountability, equity and community safety. These changes will focus on addressing systemic racism, enhancing transparency, and ensuring fair treatment for all citizens, with particular attention to Indigenous peoples, racialized communities, and marginalized groups.

Do you accept the scientific consensus that human actions contribute to climate change? How will you ensure we reduce our emissions?

The science is clear—if we want to secure a climate-safe future, we must put an immediate stop to new fossil fuel development. Across this province, British Columbians are deeply concerned about the impacts of climate change, and they have every reason to be. The carbon tax is not perfect but economists agree it is an effective tool for reducing emissions.

The long-term financial impacts of climate action – or inaction – make a strong business case. In some extreme cases, maintenance on critical infrastructure has been deferred in favour of keeping expenses (and taxes) low. Delaying action will more than likely increase costs, whether these are in the form of capital costs or increased operating costs, and non-financial impacts to residents’ quality of life. Thinking and planning long-term will enable the province and municipalities to get ahead of expensive infrastructure and insurance costs now.

The BC Greens have pledged to use carbon tax collected from industries to invest directly in communities and fund local climate action projects. This is a much-needed investment in improving communities’ resiliency in a changing climate.

What steps should the next government take to balance B.C.’s budget?

There are opportunities to streamline and make systems more efficient and effective. Short term cost savings, found through budget cuts without regard to overall program outcomes are false savings that often have future impacts. Investing in preventative measures is proven to be less expensive, and the BC Greens plan to invest in evidence-based solutions that help improve the lives of B.C. residents.

Regarding TransLink, do you believe the current funding model is broken? If so, how will your government rectify the situation?

TransLink relies on fuel taxes for a significant portion of revenue. With the increasing number of electric vehicles on the road, revenues from the fuel tax have declined. We need to have a serious discussion on other potential funding mechanisms.