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Prince George-Peace River |
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Written by Citizen Staff
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Friday, 03 October 2008 |
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LIBERALSDAWSON CREEKCONSERVATIVESFIRST NATIONSHEALTHY AIRPEOPLE ACTION COMMITTEEJAY HILLPRINCE GEORGE-PEACE RIVERPRINCE GEORGE CHAMBERNECHAKO RIVER
Here are the candidates and their parties and a little bit about them in alphabetical order:
Betty Bekkering (NDP)
Bekkering recently retired after 15 years as the co-ordinator of the Co-operative Education Department at CNC. She was also was a manager with the Canadian Mental Health Association, and a union president. She was one of the founding members in Prince George of the advocacy group, the People's Action Committee for Healthy Air. Bekkering also ran in the the previous municipal election, placing 11th out of 25 candidates with a vote total of 4,252.
Hillary Crowley (Green)
Crowley is a physiotherapist living in Summit Lake, north of Prince George. She has run in the last three federal elections for the Green Party of Canada and has increased the number of votes garnered for the party. She is a member of the Caledonia Ramblers and the Backcountry Recreation Society, and is also the northern representative for the B.C. Federation of Writers. She received the YMCA Peace Award for her international humanitarian work.
Lindsay Gidney (Liberal)
Born in Digby, Nova Scotia, Gidney signed up with the Canadian Forces after high school. In 1995, he left the army and moved to Prince George to work in the forestry sector and then joined B.C. Rail in 1997 as a conductor. He now resides in Chetwynd, where he works for CN. Gidney is involved with the Fort Nelson Petroleum Association, minor hockey, the Legion, the Army Cadets, and the Fort Nelson Fire Rescue.
Jay Hill (Conservative)
Born in Fort St. John, Hill grew up in a farming community near Taylor. He worked in forestry and in the oil and gas industry before returning to agriculture in 1975. He has been part of the B.C. Grain Producers Association, the B.C. Federation of Agriculture and Soil Conservation Canada. He also coached junior curlers and minor hockey. Hill was first elected in 1993 to the riding of Prince George-Peace River, which he has continuously represented since.
Upcoming candidate forums:
Ramada Hotel, Oct. 8, 7:30-9:15 -- sponsored by the the Prince George Chamber of Commerce and the B.C. Northern Real Estate Board.
What riding am I in? What are the boundaries?
The riding includes part of the City of Prince George to the north of the Nechako River. It also includes the communities of Mackenzie, Fort St. John and Dawson Creek. (For a more detailed description see www.elections.ca).
Here is a brief synopsis of the party line:
Conservatives: Have reiterated their promise to spend $1 billion in beetle assistance, a pledge first made prior to the previous election. The Conservatives have rolled out about $200 million from the aid package, including in Prince George, and have said the remaining $800 million is still committed in the next seven years. The Conservatives have also touted their environmental plan, which calls for a reduction in green house gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020, and a 50 per cent reduction in key pollutants by 2015. The party has also highlighted its tax cuts, including the recently pledged reduction in the diesel excise tax.
Green Party: Has said it will introduce a carbon shift tax meant to reduce pollution but cut income and payroll taxes. The Green Party has also said it will support investments in alternative, low-carbon technologies. It will also cut corporate taxes by $50 for every tonne of carbon emission reductions. The Greens are also in favour of diversifying economies in forest-based communities, but also putting an emphasis on secondary wood manufacturing. The party has stressed that not every dead pine tree should be cut down because that's not good for the environment.
Liberals: Have said they would role out a new strategy to tackle the mountain pine beetle, spending $250 million over four year to combat the epidemic's spread and protect communities from the fire threat. The plan would provide financial support for homeowners who have to remove beetle-infested trees and ensure fire safety of First Nations communities. The Liberals have also promised to hold a national forestry summit to create a strategy to ensure the forest sector's long-term survival. Also part of the Liberal's agenda is a green shift pan which would balance a carbon tax with cuts to income tax.
NDP: Have declared they would scrap the softwood lumber agreement with the U.S., restrict raw log exports and accelerate sustainable forestry practices, an effort to help develop the value-added wood sector. The party has also trumpeted its environment plan which calls for an 80-per-cent greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2050, instituting a cap-and-trade system that rewards big polluters who reduce emissions and punishes those who don't. The plan would also institute a $750-million "green-collar jobs" fund, and set aside almost $1 billion a year for public transport and an energy-efficient house retrofit program.
What were the results like last election?
Conservative Jay Hill won the election with 60 per cent of the vote (22,409), with the New Democrat Malcolm Crockett finishing second with 17 per cent (6,363). Liberal Nathan Bauder was third with 15.75 per cent (5,895), Green candidate Hilary Crowley fourth with 6.4 per cent (2,400) and Independent Donna Young last with less than one per cent of the vote (359).
When is the election?
Tuesday, Oct. 14
Where do I vote?
If you have not received a voter card in the mail, plug your postal code in at www.elections.ca and it will tell you where your polling station is. It will also provide information on voting early.
What kind of ID do I need?
There are three options.
Provide one original piece of identification issued by a government or government agency containing your photo, name and address, such as a driver's licence.
Or provide two original pieces of identification authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada. Both pieces must contain your name, and one must also contain your address. The list includes identification like a health card, social insurance number card and birth certificate.
Or you can be vouched for by an elector whose name appears on the list of electors in the same polling division and who has an acceptable piece or pieces of identification. Both will be required to make a sworn statement. An elector cannot vouch for more than one person, and the person who has been vouched for cannot vouch for another elector.
How do I vote early if I will be away?
Advance polls are open today and Monday. Use your postal code to find your advance polling station at www.elections.ca. You can also vote by mail or in person at your local Elections Canada office if you apply no later than 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7. A form can be downloaded from the Elections Canada website.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 03 October 2008 )
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