Q&A with Jennifer Blatherwick, B.C NDP candidate for Coquitlam-Maillardville

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?

The BC NDP is fully committed to ensuring Eagle Ridge Hospital has the resources needed to deliver quality care. We’ve hired over 835 new family doctors and 6,300 nurses over the last year, making B.C. the province with the fastest-growing nurse workforce in the country. In total, we are planning to hire an additional 45,000 healthcare workers in the next five years. We also expanded the emergency room at Eagle Ridge to better ensure people get the timely care they need.

How should the next government address the shortage of doctors in BC?

We know too many people are struggling to get access to a family doctor or are stuck on long wait lists.

The BC NDP has added over 800 new family doctors and connected almost 250,000 people to primary care in the last year alone. British Columbia has been a leader in Canada by hiring 45,000 health care workers over the last five years. At this pace, we will add another 45,000 in the next four years.

We are breaking down barriers for internationally trained nurses and doctors to start practising in B.C. Plus, we are building a new medical school at SFU’s Surrey campus, the first new medical school in Western Canada in 50 years, to train the next generation of family doctors. We’ll continue to build more hospitals so people can get the healthcare they need.

How will your party approach negotiations with the Kwikwetlem First Nation regarding the future of Səmiq̓wəʔelə (formerly Riverview Lands)?

The BC NDP is committed to a reconciliation-based approach, as shown by our ongoing partnership with the Kwikwetlem First Nation. Together, we signed a Partnership Agreement in 2021, ensuring that Indigenous voices and cultural priorities guide the future of Səmiq̓wəʔelə. This collaborative effort involves comprehensive land-use planning, protecting heritage sites, and integrating community feedback into the planning for the project.

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

The BC NDP has a plan to reduce ambulance response times by increasing staffing and resources in emergency services. As a part of the 45,000 healthcare workers we are planning to hire, many of these will be paramedics. We will also expand the hours of the Urgent and Primary Care Centers (UPCC), ensuring faster access to emergency care and reducing pressure on ambulances. These measures will help ensure that residents in the Tri-Cities receive timely emergency services.

How will you incentivize the construction of more affordable housing?

B.C. is a great place to live, but housing is too expensive. The BC NDP is committed to addressing the housing crisis through a comprehensive Housing Action Plan that aims to build 300,000 new homes over the next decade. We will simplify regulations and reduce red tape to build housing for families, while utilizing public land for affordable housing projects.

In contrast, John Rustad’s Conservatives prioritize tax breaks for wealthy developers over meaningful investment in affordable housing, which could exacerbate the housing crisis. Their policies include eliminating the Speculation and Vacancy Tax, reinstating short-term rentals, and repealing our housing plan. Meanwhile, we remain focused on creating attainable housing options through the BC Builds program and supporting non-market housing initiatives.

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

Real estate speculation and financialized landlords have driven up the cost of housing in B.C. That is why we are committed to increasing the cost of the Speculation and Vacancy Tax on foreign owners. We’ve also cracked down on Airbnb rentals taking up valuable housing and house flippers. In contrast, when John Rustad was last in government with Christy Clark we saw housing speculation grow out of control. John Rustad has already committed to reversing our affordable housing measures. We cannot afford that risk.

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

The BC NDP is dedicated to supporting low-income individuals and people living with disabilities through a range of initiatives. We have already raised income and disability and assistance rates multiple times but are further committed to increasing the Community Living BC home share rates, enabling more families and communities to provide care for their loved ones.

We will also ensure that individuals living with disabilities can retain the full amount of the new Canada Disability Benefit, allowing them to maintain financial stability. We also plan to adjust the spousal rule, which will help lift more people out of poverty and provide them with the support they need to thrive.

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?

We’re focused on delivering more types of housing that young families can buy into such as fourplexes, townhomes, and row homes. We want to ensure we’re building the right kind of housing for families. We also recognize that we need to support complete communities, which require infrastructure investments. We recently announced an initial $10 million investment towards building a new recreation centre with pool and library on Burke Mountain and have already contributed funds to the new Mundy Park Pool. We’ll continue to work with local governments to support the infrastructure our communities need.

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?

We’re committed to making sure people struggling with homelessness, mental health, or addiction challenges get the help they need. We’ve invested in almost 6,000 units of supportive housing with another 2,000 on the way. Without those units we would have thousands of more people living on the street without getting the support they need. We’ll continue to work with municipalities in the Tri-Cities for future supportive housing opportunities to reduce the number of people on the streets.

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

We’ll continue to ensure British Columbia remains a competitive place for investments while making sure we protect our waterways and air from polluters. John Rustad has stated climate change isn’t real. He is too much of a risk to our environment should he remove regulations that protect our forests, rivers, and air quality.

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

Our government believes in protecting workers’ rights. We’ve introduced 5 day paid sick leave, and we understand that requiring sick notes can be a burden. We’re focused on ensuring that workers can take the time they need to recover, and not spreading disease throughout the workplace.

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

Yes, we need to continue hiring more teachers and counsellors. We’ve already hired over 5,700 new teachers, but as our population grows and the mental health needs of students increase, we must ensure schools are equipped to provide both quality education and adequate support. We are making sure every school has a mental health counsellor. Smaller class sizes and access to counsellors are key to student success.

John Rustad wants to increase classroom sizes, and return our education system to the way it was while he was with the BC Liberals, straining teachers, students, and families with his budget cuts.

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

Every child deserves a strong start, and investing in K-12 education is how we build a brighter future for our kids and our communities. We will continue to listen to teachers, parents, students, and school boards to ensure we are providing the best education possible for kids in this province.

Since the BC NDP formed government we’ve hired 5,700 new teachers and reduced class sizes to their lowest level in a decade. John Rustad has said classrooms would be fine with 40 students per teacher. Our plan is to support our education system with more teachers and education assistants.

Should BC bring back letter grades on report cards?

We want each student in B.C. to receive high-quality education that prepares them to succeed after graduation. This new reporting system helps students achieve their full potential by focusing on providing timely, specific, and meaningful feedback about their strengths and areas of improvements. Just like the feedback they would receive in a workplace.

All students will still get assessed on tests and assignments. Grades 10 – 12 will receive the new feedback & letter grades to prepare them for post-secondary. We are working to prepare kids for the future. You do not get a letter grade when you submit an assignment at work. We need to help our students learn the skills they need to thrive after graduation.

What should be done with the Burrard Thermal site?

BC Hydro is currently developing a remediation plan for the site. This is a unique site with lots of potential and there has been lots of interest from clean energy and clean tech sectors. We’ll work with BC Hydro to ensure an innovative future for clean energy at the site.

How will you improve government transparency?

David Eby and the BC NDP are committed to transparency of government. We believe in the role the media plays in keeping government accountable and commit to being transparent on the decisions being made.

We have a fully costed platform, released earlier in the campaign so people can know what our priorities are. John Rustad refuses to release a costed platform because he wants to hide the services that he would cut.

We’ve also made important changes to make government more accountable:

• We amended the Information Management Act to formalize public servants’ obligation to document decisions.
• We’ve increased proactive disclosures by 88 percent and added seven additional categories.

We’re going to keep being transparent and making sure the system works for people.

Given the recent news of 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?

Racism and discrimination have no place in our police forces or anywhere else. We are working on reforms to improve oversight, and we will continue working to ensure that police officers enforce laws equitably and build trust with the communities they serve.

David Eby is taking action, working with communities to fight racism and hate and build a province where everyone feels welcome and safe. This includes introducing the Anti-Racism Act, working with community partners to launch the Racist Incident Helpline, bringing back the Human Rights Commission, fighting racism in our schools with a new K-12 Anti-Racism Action Plan, and passing the New Anti-Racism Data Act.

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

Yes. Our Province has seen the severe consequences of climate change with increased wildfires and atmospheric rivers. That is why we’ll continue to support our firefighters, invest in renewable energy, and expand rebates for electric vehicles.

John Rustad and the BC Conservatives refusing to acknowledge the existence of climate change is a risk our province can’t afford. Our Province can’t afford the kinds of cuts to wildfire service and investments in clean energy we saw the last time John Rustad was in government.

What steps should the next government take to balance BC’s budget?

We’re focused on making the investments people need like building new hospitals, schools, hiring more healthcare workers, and putting more money in people’s pocket with a $1,000 tax cut for all families.

The BC NDP is on the path to a balanced budget, but now is not the time to cut critical services.

We saw what happened last time John Rustad was in government. Classrooms were overcrowded, the land for a critical Surrey hospital was sold to private interests, and money laundering was rampant.

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

The BC NDP is committed to enhancing public transit in Metro Vancouver by collaborating with the Mayor’s Council on the Access for Everyone plan. We will focus on significant investments in new transit initiatives, including doubling bus services and adding up to nine new traffic-separated Bus Rapid Transit lines.