Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Chad Klassen

Election 2020

ELECTION ISSUES: Pandemic Response

Oct 15, 2020 | 4:29 PM

KAMLOOPS — The election campaign is being shaped strongly by the COVID-19 pandemic, and in particular the steps the next government will take to help individual and businesses who may be struggling through these turbulent times.

In the first of our five-part series, CFJC Today outlines the pandemic response — how the province has handled covid-19 and what local candidate propose should happen in the coming weeks and months.

Since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic on March 11, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has been the face of B.C.’s response. The local candidates acknowledge how all parties came together for the greater cause.

“I will first say that I’ve never been more proud than I was as a British Columbian as I watched all the political parties check their partisan politics at the door at the front-end of this pandemic,” said Liberal candidate in Kamloops-South Thompson Todd Stone. “We really rallied together in the Legislature.”

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Seven months later, with NDP leader John Horgan calling an election, the pandemic remains front and centre in framing how we move forward. Stone and the BC Liberals have been critical of how long it has taken for the NDP government to get money into the hands of individuals and business owners who desperately need it.

“The Legislature unanimously approved $1.5 billion of business support on March 23 and John Horgan sat on that $1.5 billion until a couple days before calling a provincial election,” Stone noted. “He has since promised a $500 or $1,000 direct deposit into people’s bank account, and yet countless businesses have gone out of business. That has been absolutely irresponsible.”

NDP candidate in Kamloops-North Thompson Sadie Hunter defends how the government has responded to COVID and will continue to respond to help everyone.

“Depending on where you find yourself in life, whether you’re a business owner or you work full-time and need affordable daycare, you’re a frontline worker, your needs are going to change, but already the BC NDP has shown that they will follow through and be there and make sure if you need something in order to get by, they will be there.”

To help businesses, the lone Conservative candidate, Dennis Giesbrecht in Kamloops-North Thompson, wants a regional approach to COVID-19 restrictions.

“Because something happens in downtown Vancouver, it doesn’t mean we should start penalizing a lot of responsible owners [in Kamloops],” said Giesbrecht. “They’ve got policies and plans in place and those businesses should be allowed to remain open.”

Meantime, Green candidate in Kamloops-South Thompson Dan Hines wonders how the province will finance the pandemic response moving forward with an already $12 billion deficit. He also feels the government has lacked the provision of mental health supports.

“Particularly how to support people in the short-term,” he said. “Having said that, it’s really difficult because a lot of the support staff have been diverted over to deal with the contact-tracing and pandemic, but I do think there is an opportunity right now for the provincial government to really step up and invest a lot more funds in mental health.”