As both the leader and the lone candidate running under the BCFirst name, John Twigg’s platform is a series of policy proposal and ideas he came up with himself.
“Regardless of who gets elected, I can be a stronger opposition and a better MLA,” he said.
The first of his many ideas is to establish a new ferry crossing from Gabriola to Iona Island as well as a demonstration rapid transit system to connect the terminal with the existing transit line.
“Which means that a person in Nanaimo, could foot passenger to the hockey game and get back in time for a good nights sleep,” he said.
Twigg would also like to revive the Bank of B.C., the provincial treasury branches and the government agents service.
“That would greatly help small communities like Gold River and Tahsis which do not have banks anymore,” he said. “The major problem in B.C. right now is the depopulation of small communities. The revival of the government agents service and the provincial treasury branches could help preserve rural B.C.”
Another of Twigg’s policy plans includes issuing a new parallel currency.
“We can not only make it for ourselves, which is a much needed security system in a troubled world, to be able to have our own currency could be very valuable,” he said. “Also valuable for economic development. It also could be a useful support for social value activities, like people doing care for their families at home so they don’t have to go to care homes. We could provide them with money, out of the B.C. Treasury, out of this new money.”
Twigg said the new currency could be used to pay taxes.
“I also want to revive regional log markets. The forest industry needs a whole new model of regulation and value enhancement,” he said. “I want to rescue the forest industry from the ravages of the B.C. Liberals.”
Twigg said he would like to see a regional log market, which would solve the softwood exports problem because it would be perceived that we have valid markets, not fixed price markets.
Other policies he would like to push are bulk water exports and micro-hydro.
“There are vast amounts of electricity that small local communities could be using if they had an alternative to tying up to the hydro grid,” he said. “The province wants to have (BC) Hydro have a monopoly, I would rather have local communities self sufficient in electricity.”
Also on Twigg’s list of priorities are addressing seniors care issues, poverty abatement, social housing, food self sufficiency, and tourism marketing.
He added that he isn’t a big fan of aquaculture but that it could be a good industry if it was better managed.
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