Candidates square off at Schubert Centre forum

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Kyle Delfing – People’s Party of Canada

Harwinder Sandhu – NDP

Mel Arnold – Conservative Party

Marc Reinarz – Green Party

Candidates were also asked about the homeless situation in Vernon and how they would push for more federal funds for municipalities to provide more support services.

Cindy Derkaz- Liberal Party

“I think that money in the hands of the municipalities is very effective because they are the ones addressing the issues on the ground and the federal government did a one time gas tax doubling going to the municipalities and I know that it has been an injection of cash. I would advocate for that to be done again and keep that going and I see that it is effective and if you send me to Ottawa I’ll be advocating for that.”

Kyle Delfing- People’s Party of Canada

“A lot of the help with the homelessness issue is administered through the health ministry here in British Columbia. The People’s Party of Canada’s plan is to actually put money back into the hands of provinces so the funding is more direct so smaller communities like Vernon aren’t passed over when decisions are being made in Ottawa for funding. So essentially what the PPC is hoping to do is to bring funding back to the local level.”

Mel Arnold- Conservative Party

“A few weeks back I had a colleague here from Vancouver he was deputy sherriff. Minister for public safety and we met with community leaders, the RCMP and talked about this and one of the things that was identified was that our front line officers are spending so much time dealing with either mental health issues or addiction issues so they are not actually able to enforce the other laws …so we are definitely taking this back to our leadership team to let them know that this is across Canada. We need more services for mental health and addiction treatment programs. So when people are ready for treatment they can get into treatment as soon as they are ready, not being told they are going to have to wait six hours or six days or six months, that doesn’t work. So that’s one of the things we have taken back to our leader, we haven’t rolled out our entire plan on social programs yet but I’m hoping that is one part of it.”

Harwinder Sandhu- NDP

“I strongly believe the Federal Government does need to step up and work together with municipalities and provincial governments and municipalities do need more help. As I’ve been in health care you know when we have patients downstairs in emergency everyday we do bed rounds how many are mental health there are 12 to 60 and there’s no place no beds and we send them to surgical units or wherever there is a bed. But we are not helping them or giving them the treatment that they need. I will be strongly advocating because that’s a number one priority. We don’t even have a treatment centre in Vernon and this problem has been increasing and the safety of our Vernon and Salmon Arm residents and especially seniors downtown it has been jeopardized……I am saddened by the lack of action that’s been done. I think it’s time to talk the talk and walk the walk…..Let’s go to the root cause band aid fixes aren’t going to work they are just going to drain your tax dollars..”

Marc Reinarz -Green Party

“The homeless crisis is much bigger than people out on the streets and I find it unfortunate that I have to hear from someone saying that he only discovered it walking around businesses downtown complaining about it . You don’t have to go downtown to see it. It’s not a problem only to Vernon, it’s not a problem only to British Columbia, it’s a problem country-wide. So I think if I’m the MP I don’t think I can deny that I will have to look at it- that it would be my responsibility beacuase it is the federal government that has to coordinate activities it’s so big…….It involves the pharmaceutical industry they feed and operate as if it was candy. That is a big problem. North America is addicted to opiods and addicted to painkillers.”

The next political forum takes place Sept. 26 at 7.p.m. at the Schubert Centre .