The Abbotsford News asked candidates in the federal riding of Abbotsford three questions (each with a 100-word limit). The same questions were provided to candidates in the Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon riding and were published in the Sept. 2nd edition. For candidates in the Langley-Aldergrove riding (of which Abbotsford is a part), visit langleyadvancetimes.com.
1. Why are you running to be a Member of Parliament?
I am running to be an MP because I am deeply concerned about the future of my country. If corruption, scandal, censorship and coercion are the flavours of today’s governing party, what will tomorrow bring us without intervention? I stand for the preservation of our guaranteed Charter freedoms and a distinctly different and better way forward than the other parties.
I stand for fewer UN entanglements and more Canadian sovereignty, less federal government meddling and more provincial autonomy, smaller federal government size and scope in order to cut spending, balance the budget, lower taxes and unleash our economy.
2. What skills and attributes do you have that would make you a good elected representative for your constituents?
I am a common hard-working person who cares about people and is attractively relatable. I am not a career politician. I am committed to ongoing education, currently in my third year of a political science degree at UFV, where I am continually developing my writing, speaking and critical-reasoning skills.
My skill set is on full display at my website savetheswans.ca, where I call on our elected officials to honour the clear and unambiguous directive of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act by placing toxic lead shotgun shell ammunition on the act’s Virtual Elimination List.
3. What are the two biggest issues for your constituents in Abbotsford and how will you/or your party address them?
Health care in crisis: The federal government should not be meddling in this arena. We must end the current confusion and bickering over who does what and who is responsible for the problem. Under the Constitution, health care is a provincial jurisdiction. Provincial and territorial governments must be fully responsible and accountable for health-care funding and management.
Small-business recovery: Small businesses in Abbotsford have been hit extremely hard by the COVID-19 lockdowns. Many have closed and are irrecoverable. Surviving businesses need common-sense practical solutions to get our local economy up and running again.
