When voters make their mark in the ballot box today for the 40th provincial election, each will have their own motivation for picking a candidate.
For some it will be the characteristics of the leader or what's in the party platform. Others will look at the local candidates and decide who will best represent their views in the legislature.
For those who have yet to make up their minds, here's a look at how the four major parties and local candidates stand on some key issues.
Eligible voters in Prince George-Mackenzie have the choice of Bobby Deekpak (NDP); Karen McDowell (Green); Mike Morris (Liberal) and Terry Rysz (Conservative). In Prince George-Valemount the options are Shirley Bond (Liberal); Nathan Giede (Conservative); Sherry Ogasawara (NDP) and Donald Roberts (Christian Heritage).
Taxes
Conservative: Giede and Rysz have made this one of their big issues during the campaign, pointing to the Conservative plan to phase out the carbon tax which they say will help northerners due to the region's geography. Rysz also made headlines for musing about the return of the harmonized sales tax which he said was good for businesses.
"I would actually see it come back, but I would like to see it reconstructed," Rysz said, noting its 2009 introduction was mishandled by the Liberals.
Green: The Greens would like to increase the carbon tax, which McDowell said would encourage more local business because it would be cost-prohibitive to ship goods over large distances. The Greens also would like to shift taxes away from income and towards consumption and waste.
"These are the kind of tax policies that are going to encourage green collar jobs," McDowell said. "These are the kinds of policies that are going to encourage companies that promote individual and community health to come here and provide jobs here."
NDP: The NDP would expand the base of the carbon tax so that it covers venting emissions from oil and gas plants. They would also increase corporate taxes as well as income tax on the highest bracket (those making over $150,000 a year) and implement taxes on the profits of banks and credit unions.
"It's a modest and targeted tax increase and it's going to be rolled out in a very prudent way," Ogasawara said.
Liberal: The Liberals' plan also calls for higher corporate taxes as well as an increase to those making over $150,000 a year this year. They have pledged to freeze the carbon tax and income taxes for five years and cut taxes for small businesses.
"What I'm proud of is we have a fiscal track record that has positioned British Columbia to be one of the strongest economies in North America during tough fiscal times," Bond said. "That means discipline, that means hard work and it means ensuring that we continue that practice of making those tough decisions.
Forestry
Prince George has its roots as a forestry town and although the economy is more diverse now, the forest sector is still at its heart.
Conservative: The Conservatives want to help industry in the north with a $200 million infrastructure program but they also believe that the mid-term timber supply is overly optimistic due to the impact of the mountain pine beetle and has suggested the annual allowable cut may have to be reduced.
Green: The Greens want to see more jobs created in the value-added side of the industry. They believe more processing should be done locally, rather than having raw or semi-finished products exported.
NDP: The NDP pledge to improve silviculture practices and conduct a new forest inventory. They also would like to see fewer raw logs exported and have promised to review the practice of shipping out unprocessed wood overseas.
Liberal: A re-inventory of the forest is also a plank in the Liberal platform and the party would also consider re-introducing plans to move to an area-based tenure - an idea that was introduced during the most recent legislative session didn't come to a vote. The Liberals are also emphasizing the need to find new uses for low-quality fibre.
Oil and gas
The proposed Northern Gateway pipeline is a hot topic locally, but the future of liquified natural gas (LNG) has been at the centre of the political debate.
Conservative: The Conservatives support both increased LNG development as well as the Northern Gateway pipeline. However Giede said if he's elected, he'll push for a province-wide referendum on Northern Gateway.
"Referendums are required when the entire population is affected by something and the choices become so convoluted and construed with other choices that the population needs to make a clear decision for themselves," he said.
Green: The Greens are adamantly opposed to Northern Gateway and McDowell has expressed grave concerns about how further natural gas exploration will contribute to climate change. McDowell said increasing LNG development could be used to provide energy to Alberta's oilsands which she calls "one of the most terrifying environmental disasters we have."
NDP: The NDP are against Northern Gateway and would terminate the equivalency agreement with the federal government shortly after being elected. The NDP want LNG development done sustainably and they're calling for expert input into fracking techniques.
"We support LNG, but we have to do it in a way that promotes best practices so that some of the challenges we face regarding fracking are mitigated," Deepak said.
Liberal: Encouraging LNG is a key plank in the Liberal platform, something the party says could eventually make the province debt free through royalty payments. For oil pipelines, the Liberals have five environmental, social and economic conditions which must be met by any proposal before it will be considered. The Liberals have expressed interest in the plan by David Black to build a refinery in Kitimat.
"I'm quite confident they can do that. Kitimat Clean is quite aware of the five criteria that Christy Clark and the Liberals have established for putting the Northern Gateway pipeline through and they're fully committed to doing that for the new pipeline that they would be creating for the refinery," Morris said.
Education and skills training
The northern resource economy is booming, but the shortage of skilled workers remains a critical issue.
Conservative: Tuition rates are a concern for Rysz and he would like to see a way for them to be reduced, although his party's platform doesn't have a concrete plank on that issue.
"How do we make it affordable for young adults when they come out of Grade 12?" he said.
"You get kids out of Grade 12 and you say, 'Give me $12,000 and I'll give you the training and then we'll get you a job.' That's nice, but where's the $12,000 going to come from before you get the job."
Green: The Green party wants to cut tuition rates by 20 per cent initially, with the eventual goal of having no tuition fees for post-secondary education. The party would also like to stream young people into careers at an earlier age.
"That way the students don't spend a lot of time in other courses, trying to access this huge scope of material that's really irrelevant to what they want to do in life," McDowell said.
NDP: Skills training is one of the top issues for the NDP. They plan to put $100 million a year into a needs-based grant program and $20 million into a scholarship fund which the NDP hopes to leverage into $40 million once industry contributions are factored in.
"We're making skills training and advanced education our number one priority because the economy has suffered, especially here in the north," said Ogasawara. "We're resource-based and we know 80 per cent of the jobs of the future will require advanced education or some skills training. So we have to ensure there's the availability and, secondly, the accessibility."
Liberal: The Liberals have defended their record on trades training and have also pledged more capital dollars for facilities and tying apprenticeships closer to businesses.
"We want to see more companies stepping up and taking on apprentices," Bond said. "Part of the challenge is apprentices are not tied to a particular business, so you often find a particular company takes them on and then someone offers them a more lucrative wage at some point in their career and they're literally stolen and they go to another company."
