Efteen reached out to each of the four candidates in the Prince George-North Cariboo riding to ask the same list of questions. These are the answers provided by Randy Thompson who is running for the B.C. Greens.
The election will be held Saturday, Oct. 19. Polls will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. There will be locations to vote on Election Day across the riding, including in Wells, Bouchie Lake, Nazko and Hixon.
People can vote in advance at:
- St. John the Divine Anglican Church (465 Kinchant Street) in Quesnel - Oct. 10 to Oct 13, Oct. 15 and Oct. 16.
- Miocene Community Centre in (3511 Horsefly Road) in 150 Mile - Oct. 15 and Oct. 16.
- Big Lake Community Hall (4056 Lakeview Road) Big Lake - Oct. 12 and Oct. 13.
- Wildwood Volunteer Fire Department (4253 Wildwood Road) in Williams Lake - Oct. 11 and Oct. 12.
People can also vote early at the District Electoral Office located in West Park Mall and at 510 Broadway Ave. North Williams Lake.
For more information on the election check elections.bc.ca.
Who you are, what party are you running for and why have you decided to run for MLA this election?
I’m Randy Thompson. I work for the City of Quesnel. I drove truck for Arrow Transport for a decade. I own and operate Oddball Garlic Co. We grow garlic and make a line of honey garlic hot sauces and seasonings.
My work with Arrow taught me a lot about the inner workings of the forestry industry. I now write about forestry reform and the need to protect what we have left.
What, in your view, is the biggest issue facing the PG-North Cariboo riding? How would you address it?
I believe the biggest issue in my riding is educating the public that the high speed liquidation of what’s left of our forest reserves benefits no one except corporations and forestry workers. The public pays huge subsidies to forestry. We lose. Greed wins. The B.C. Green forestry plan creates more jobs in forestry than there are now with restoration and value added community mills and businesses.
There is a Canada-wide shortage of health care workers. With this in mind, how do you propose to attract health care workers to come to this region, and then stay here, when they have their pick of jobs and locations?
Personally, my family has no doctor. I know what people are going through. The B.C. Greens plan for health care workers is spelled out in the 2024 platform. Reduce paperwork for doctors. Simplify administrative duties. Raise wages and improve the working conditions that have gotten so bad. Treat workers with the respect and dignity they deserve. Financial incentives are a must and can take many forms.
Reconciliation with Indigenous communities has become a central focus of provincial and federal government in recent years. What would you do to help further this process as MLA?
Reconciliation with indigenous peoples starts with honesty and admitting they have been treated horribly by previous Canadian governments. B.C. Green plans to fully engage indigenous communities and respect title and cultural practices.
Given the increasing climate-related disasters taking place around the world and in our region, what is your plan to address the climate crisis and what role does the climate tax play in that, if any?
The B.C. Greens plan of transitioning from fossil fuel to electric is based on science showing we can’t continue on the same path and expect different results. The emergency of climate is rooted in deforestation, massive releases of carbon beyond the atmospheres ability to balance it and corporate greed. Unfortunately it will take time because so much damage has already been done.
How do you propose to ensure that provincial legislation listens to, and takes into account, the very different needs of rural B.C. rather than being a ‘one size fits all’ template designed with urban voters in mind?
Proportionally representation would help in balancing out the power between the massive population centers and the resource economies of rural B.C. communities. Strengthening communities with local value added industries could take some of the sting out of major cities attitude toward the ‘folks” in rural B.C.
