The Conservative candidate in Prince George Mackenzie wants to raise the legal blood alcohol limit for driving.
Terry Rysz said the current law which calls for penalties if a driver is found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.05 are too harsh. If elected, he he would push for changes so that no sanctions would kick in unless someone was found have a level of 0.08.
"It's too punitive," he said of the current law, which can lead to a fine and roadside suspension if a person is found with a level of 0.05 or higher.
Rysz said the current standard hurts the hospitality industry because people are afraid to have a drink during a night out.
"Don't get me wrong, I don't condone drinking and driving, but gathering places have been around for a long as man kind," he said. "They're a good thing, they're not a negative thing."
Liberal candidate Mike Morris said the current rules are appropriate and has made the streets safer. He said studies have shown that alcohol affects people well before they reach 0.05 and that raising the threshold would be dangerous.
NDP candidate Bobby Deepak said the move by the Liberals to impose stiffer penalties at the 0.05 threshold in 2010 lacked adequate consultation which has led to a constitutional challenge of the law. However, he said he supports any rules which make the roads safer and believes concept of having penalties kick in at 0.05 is reasonable.
Rysz, who used to own a pub and has managed a government liquor store, said he believes 0.08 is safe and pointed to other jurisdictions where that is currently the limit.
Rysz said he also believes that pubs who house BC Lottery Corporation machines get a bigger cut of the revenue than they currently receive.
"Let's make sure that they're getting their fair share of that funding that's going through that operation so that it helps support the real reason why people are there and that's to gather, like we've been gathering since the Last Supper," he said. "It's a simple fix, all we have to do is just give some of the B.C. lottery share back to them because they deserve it," he said.
According to Rysz the value of neighbourhood pubs has been declining in recent years, in part due to the province's liquor legislation. He said more has to be done to support the industry.
"You've got husbands and wives who have been working in their establishments from 7 o'clock in the morning to 10 o'clock at night - working there 10 or 15 years - now it's their retirement fund and they can't sell it," he said.
