The NOW sent questionnaires out to candidates running in Burnaby Central, Burnaby North-Seymour and Vancouver Fraserview-South Burnaby.
The New West Record completed questionnaires for the candidates in New Westminster-Burnaby-Maillardville.
We've also put together a complete voting guide with all the information you need in one place.
Burnaby Central candidate Richard Farbridge, PPC
Question: What made you decide to run for federal government?
Answer: The list is long and getting longer but the main reason l ran was for my three sons' futures. Political turmoil, social division and human rights abuses during COVID-19 were the original reasons l ran but since l was selected as the candidate, freedom of speech, the loss of trust in government and institutions, wars, national debt, climate alarmism, inflation and globalism have all become greater concerns.
Question: Do you live in the riding that you are running in?
Answer: Yes, l have lived in Burnaby for over 20 years. I grew up in Coquitlam and have also lived and worked in several U.S. states and the Virgin Islands. Myself, my wife and all three of our sons were born at Burnaby General Hospital.
Question: What is your occupation outside federal politics?
Answer: l am a civil engineer. I was put out of work after l refused the COVID-19 shot. I do not regret that choice but l encountered severe exclusion and vilification for that decision to an extent l did not think Canadians had in them. I have used the time at home to help my son with his life skills and study habits as he has ADHD and was not getting the help or resources he was entitled to in the public school system. I also travelled quite a bit and have been taking better care of my health by working with a personal trainer three days a week for the past couple of years (engineers can spend far too much time physically idle). And lastly, l have time to run in the election. I probably would not have had the time to do these things if l had still been working.
Question: What do you think are the biggest concerns that British Columbians are facing that can be addressed by federal government?
Answer: For the biggest concerns facing B.C.ers, see my response to the first question. My more personal big concerns are the Online Harms Act and the eagerness to support war. If the Online Harms Act becomes law, free speech in Canada will be a thing of the past. Seriously, jail because of something you have not said but might? And the other parties beat the war drums and talk of conscription and escalation. War always needs to be prevented or ended at all costs. My boys are not going to die in foreign wars, are your children?
Question: Burnaby has some of the highest rent and housing prices in Canada. What would you do to help control prices?
Answer: lt took decades of recklessness to pump housing prices this high, and be honest, most cheered it on, to the exclusion of all future generations. Madness. It won’t be fixed overnight, as homeowners would pit their asset interests against those that are not homeowners. Adjustment of policies to gradually correct prices probably has the best chance of success. We need to treat housing as a place for people to live, not as a commodity. The other parties claim they will build housing. Yeah right, they are broke too, and then what, will they sell them below cost, how? I would like to see much more co-op housing; it is not a giveaway, it is merely not for profit and can meet needs in a dignified way until such time as housing is again made affordable. I live in a co-op and if that option had not been available l would have left Vancouver years ago.
Question: With the ongoing tariff concerns, what would you and your government do to protect Canadian jobs and ease the financial burden on consumers?
Answer: We need to encourage investment to improve job opportunities and we never should have let our governments increase the debt so high as inflation comes with debt and money printing.
Paying down debt hurts, but not as much as bankruptcy.
Question: The NOW will be closing no later than April 21. How will you and your party work to strengthen or change the Online News Act to ensure Canadians in communities of all sizes continue to have access to independent, trustworthy local information?
Answer: The NOW will be missed. I was sad to see the print version stop. Can’t say l would feel the same about the CBC and Global. The world is changing fast and familiar things like department stores and newspapers go the way of the dodo, and the void gets filled by something else, often better. When it comes to community news l do believe local papers are valuable and worth keeping as l have not seen a comparable substitute arise.
Question: Many Canadians are deeply concerned about the ongoing threats of annexation and tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. How would you and your party deal with this situation?
Answer: The U.S. tariffs are a big concern. We should be negotiating a new trade deal with the U.S., not rattling sabres as we stand to lose much more than they do if we escalate the issue. I believe the other parties are putting Canada at risk by escalating the trade issue as they want voters to focus on an enemy that is not them. That is irresponsible. Parliament should not have been prorogued during this time, we should have been debating the issue and engaging in diplomatic dialog with our neighbours to the south. As far as annexation goes, l believe that that started merely as a personal jab at Trudeau, as Trump has a great dislike for, as do l. It got traction which really got under Trudeau’s skin so he kept up with it. Canada is worth saving, so let’s fix it to show the U.S. they have a stable and friendly neighbour.
Editor's note: The Burnaby NOW sent this questionnaire to all candidates in all of Burnaby's four ridings. Candidates were given an April 9 submission deadline.
