Black Press sent the same five questions to the five candidates seeking to become the Member of Parliament for the new riding of Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola. Iain Currie is the Liberal Party candidate in the riding.
In addition to general voting day on April 28, voters can cast their ballots in advance, with some polling stations open from Friday, April 18 to Monday, April 21 inclusive. Advance voting hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day; on April 28, polling stations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Check your voter registration card for the location of your polling station, for both advance voting and for election day. Please note that if you go to vote at a different location to the one shown on your voter registration card, you will not be able to cast your vote there, and will instead be directed to the correct location. If you have not received a voter registration card, or for more information, go to www.elections.ca.
1. What qualities or experience make you the best candidate for voters in Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola to cast their ballot for? This election is about choosing the party you trust to uphold what defines us as the country of Canada: who we want to represent us on the world stage, and who will provide the strongest voice for Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola within government.
I’m proud to be your Liberal candidate because a vote for Mark Carney is a vote for community, optimism, and a Canada Strong approach; one that will bring economic vitality and affordable housing to our region.
I was born and raised in this riding. I’m a small business owner and lawyer who has served as crown counsel and in private practice. I’m a pragmatic environmentalist who works hard and stands by my principles.
With a party that has a sound plan and policies to back it up, I’m working to tangibly address local issues like bringing a sense of safety back to our communities with a calm, sensible approach to street crime, homelessness, and mental health.
2. What concrete plans does your party have to make housing more affordable and available for Canadians who are currently unable to find housing or afford it? We’re committed to doubling the pace of homebuilding in Canada through united co-operation between government and the development community, including:
• Partnering with private sector to quickly build pre-fabricated homes
• Investing in deeply affordable housing for students and seniors
• Working directly with provinces to set homelessness reduction targets, improve access to treatment, and end encampments, which we all know is a significant challenge in our riding
• Lowering taxes for people who want to sell their properties to willing developers, reducing development charges to help accelerate multi-family construction
3. Does your party believe that human-caused climate change is real, and if so, what concrete plans does your party have to tackle it? Human-caused climate change is absolutely real, and the Liberal party has a concrete plan to address it while also growing our economy. Prime Minister Carney already removed the carbon tax and has a plan for replacing it with:
• Financial incentives for consumers who can afford to invest in energy-efficient solutions
• Investing in energy-efficient solutions
• Ensuring fairness across industry so that everyone pays their share
4. How is your party planning to strengthen and grow the Canadian economy? We’re committed to creating a Canada United response to the current world economic challenges; one that ensures one strong Canadian economy rather than 13. One that creates higher paying jobs, improves affordability, and strengthens national security.
With Mark Carney’s experience leading successfully through crises, Canada’s Liberals are already strategically responding to threats from the south. We’re building inter-provincial ties and trans-Atlantic ties. We’re committed to building new trade corridors, expanding national cyber-security, and advancing key infrastructure projects across the country.
5. How is your party planning to deal with the trade threats coming from the U.S. administration, and/or the president’s talk of annexing Canada? Since Mark Carney was elected as leader of the Canadian Liberal party, and as Prime Minister, and calmly demanded “respect before meeting,” we’re already seeing a shift in the U.S. administration’s approach to relations with Canada. Gone is Trump’s talk of Canada as a 51st state, and we’re seeing some positive progress on tariffs that are still significantly impacting our economy.
While we’re encouraged by this response, the Liberal Party isn’t letting down our guard. Our platform is built on resilience and prosperity within each province. And we’re strengthening long-standing ties with European nations and other trading partners.
Let’s continue building this momentum, by sending Mark Carney and the Liberals back to Parliament.
