The Discourse recently asked community members what issues they wanted candidates to address before casting a vote in the B.C. election on Oct. 19, 2024.
Between Sept. 6 and Sept. 24, 2024, Comox Valley community members identified the top issues they are concerned about this election cycle: environment, housing, homelessness/social support and health care. The Discourse received a total of 67 responses from Comox Valley residents (and more than 300 responses from community members in the Comox Valley, Nanaimo and Cowichan Valley combined). Of the Comox Valley responses, 70 per cent want to know what candidates are doing about homelessness and 66 per cent want to know the candidates’ plans to address the housing crisis.
Many respondents brought more than one issue to the forefront, highlighting a curiosity to learn about how issues impact one another.
“Given that polling these days suggests a strong shift to the right, with issues of SOGI, public health, homelessness and affordability driving much of this unfortunate political direction, how would you work towards addressing not only these gaps in social wellness but also the shift to an angrier and, from my perspective, a selfish and false sense of the meaning of ‘freedom,’” asked one respondent.
Some were curious about the intersections between housing and the environment.
“How can you ensure the environment is protected while building housing when developers, without fail, clearcut/remove every piece of vegetation in the name of having to get their machines in? What would you do to ensure environmentally responsible development? Do you support housing density over sprawl? Do you support Vancouver Island rail/transit?”
Others asked simple, straightforward questions.
“How will you make housing affordable for young people?”
The Discourse asked readers to choose which topics they wanted candidates to address most in the survey. They had 11 given options and were also able to provide their own. They could select multiple options. Here’s the breakdown of topics from most to least votes:
- Homelessness/social supports (47/67 responses)
- Health care (46/67 responses)
- Environment (44/67 responses)
- Housing (44/67 responses)
- Affordability (26/67 responses)
- Recovery supports (22/67 responses)
- Crime/social disorder (21/67 responses)
- Food security (18/67 responses)
- Public transportation (18/67 responses)
- Economy (13/67 responses)
- Reconciliation (11/67 responses)
Sixty-six per cent of respondents were concerned about candidate plans regarding the environment and climate change, and 69 per cent said that they wanted to see health care concerns addressed locally.
Climate questions ranged from very broad to very specific.
“How will you mitigate [climate change] and support biodiversity?” one respondent asked.
“Will you work to get the Coastal Marine Strategy into legislation and will you vote to budget for follow up monitoring and enforcement?” another asked.
Some respondents were curious about how personal views could impact policy.
“How do your personal views align with the broader scientific consensus on the climate emergency, and what specific actions would you support to address environmental issues in B.C.?” asked one community member.
“How does the climate crisis inform your position on tackling social justice issues?” another respondent asked.
What’s next?
The provincial election is on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. Candidates will be finalized by Sept. 28 and advanced voting begins on Oct. 10. The Comox Valley straddles two different electoral areas — Courtenay-Comox and Mid Island-Pacific Rim.
The Discourse is reaching out to candidates for responses to questions on housing, health care, climate change and the ongoing polarization of environmental issues. Questions sent to candidates are formulated using questions directly from community members that were shared in the survey.
To learn more about the B.C. election, including where and how to vote, where the riding boundaries are and who the candidates are, check out Comox Valley’s guide to the B.C. election.
