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 North-Seymour candidate Terry Beech, Liberal Party of Canada
Question: What made you decide to run for federal government?
Answer: When I first ran to be a member of Parliament, I was very motivated to improve social mobility. That means working to ensure that every Canadian has the resources they need to significantly improve their quality of life and that of their family within a single generation. I have put together a six-minute video that details this work.
In 2025, I believe that I have a lot to offer our community. I have spent the last decade working every day to learn how to be a better member of Parliament. On the policy side, this includes working as a Parliamentary Secretary for many ministries including: Science, Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Economic Development (BC), Official Languages, Transport, Finance, and to the Deputy Prime Minister.
In 2023, I was named to cabinet and tasked with creating the new Ministry of Citizens’ Services. The ministry was responsible for the delivery of benefits and programs that represent more than 39% of the total federal budget. My first job was to launch the new Canada Dental Care Program. With nine million Canadians expected to benefit, this meant rolling out the largest benefit program in Canadian history in record time. Today, 3.3 million Canadians have accessed the program including more than 10,000 individuals right here in Burnaby North-Seymour. Next month, 4.1 million additional Canadians will qualify as 18-64-year-olds will also become eligible. This is a program that the Conservatives are threatening to cut, alongside pharmacare and child care.
I was also responsible for creating a new digital service channel for the delivery of government programs including passports. This allowed us to reduce the cost of providing a passport while building the infrastructure so that every Canadian will have the option to never stand in line again when their passport is up for renewal. I also led the implementation of the Benefits Delivery Modernization Programme, which represents the largest technology project ever implemented in Canada. The program modernizes our Employment Insurance, Pension Plan, and Old Age Security infrastructure which is responsible for delivering $1.5 trillion in benefits over the next 10 years. In fact, 7.4 million Canadians will be receiving their OAS payments on the new system by the end of this month. These projects proved that we can provide service standards that are comparable to or better than the private sector while reducing the size and cost of government. I detailed much of this work in Canada’s State of Service report, which was published on March 7, 2025. While the report is 37 pages, there is also a 15-minute video where I go over the highlights from the National Press Gallery.
Ensuring Canadians have easier and faster access to health care and the support they need means that they can spend more time investing in themselves and in Canada, and that’s why I want to continue working hard to ensure that’s a reality for all Canadians.
From a local level, I am very motivated to continue providing excellent service to everyone who lives in our community. Who you elect as our representative makes a tremendous difference. It affects not only the projects that are delivered but also the level of service you can expect when you reach out to your MP. I am happy to share that I have worked hard to build one of the best-performing constituency teams in the country. Our team not only knocks on more doors than any other office in Canada but our impact in the community and Ottawa has been recognized nationally. In the last two years, our team has received the following recognition:
- Best Politician in Burnaby in 2023 and in 2024.
- Best Constituency MP in Canada in 2023 and in 2024.
- Hardest Working MP in Canada in 2023.
- Best MP to Work For in Canada in 2024.
- The Belzberg Blaney Award for Exceptional Service in 2024.
These achievements are not my own, they are a reflection of the team that we have built and the engagement that we enjoy from our neighbours in Burnaby and North Vancouver. I think that I still have a lot to offer and I still wake up excited to go to work every day. I am in a unique position where I am still considered a relatively young and energetic MP, but I now have the experience to work through challenges and seize opportunities that rival any other elected official in the country. I think this mix of skills and experience is especially useful given the extraordinary challenges we collectively face.
On a final note, I am extraordinarily motivated to ensure that Pierre Pollievre never becomes prime minister. Ever since I started working in public office, I have been committed to working across party lines to achieve the best possible results for the people I represent, and for Canadians. Pierre Poilievre has no such commitment.
During Pierre Poilievre's 21 years as a member of Parliament, he has demonstrated no interest in offering productive solutions and no interest in working to deliver for Canadians. All Canadians see is slander and slogans. It has made him an incredible attack dog and an individual who will not hesitate to tear something down, whether it be a political rival or an independent democratic institution. That does not qualify him to be our prime minister. This is a time to build up our economic capacity and to make our country even stronger. For that task, we need experienced builders. We need thoughtful, pragmatic leadership. We all need to work together to ensure that Mark Carney is Canada’s next prime minister during this very consequential time.
Question: Do you live in the riding that you are running in?
Answer: Yes. My wife Ravi and I live in Burnaby North-Seymour with our two daughters, Nova (6) and Solar (4). In fact, Ravi and I met at Simon Fraser University and have been together for almost 20 years. Ravi manufactures and sells bathtubs and sinks and volunteers throughout our community. Our children are growing up in Burnaby North-Seymour and have started school here.
I have door knocked on every street and have visited almost every home and every apartment building. This includes seniors residences, care facilities, and many of our small businesses and non-profits.
As some of you may know, Elections Canada changed the boundaries of ridings across Canada to better reflect population distribution. This means that we have some new members in our riding this election. If you are one of them, welcome! I have been working hard to connect with the new members of our riding, like participating in the Lynn Valley Parade, and last summer we hosted our own ice cream social to further meet members of the community. For the last 10 years, I have promised that any constituent who wants a face-to-face meeting with me can have one, and if re-elected, I look forward to keeping that promise.
Question: What is your occupation outside of federal politics?
Answer: I am an educator and an entrepreneur.
I started a non-profit called “Twinbro Local Leaders” where my twin brother and I went across the province teaching tens of thousands of students and parents how to access millions of dollars in scholarships and how to get into top universities and apprenticeship programs.
I helped design and teach the undergraduate entrepreneurship program at Simon Fraser University and have been an adjunct professor there for the last 15 years. I also taught entrepreneurship within the MBA program at the University of British Columbia.
I have worked in finance including in private equity and in real estate. I have also founded and co-founded several businesses that have employed hundreds of people.
From an education perspective, I received a certificate in public administration from Capilano University, a joint major in economics and business from SFU, and an MBA from Oxford University. With regards to executive education, I have studied energy, environment and climate change at Princeton University, Asia Pacific political economy at the National University of Singapore, transformational leadership at Oxford University, and venture capital and private equity at Harvard University.
I also served as a municipal city councillor, having been elected at 18 years old almost 26 years ago.
These experiences, alongside my 10 years in Parliament, make me uniquely qualified to take on some of our community’s biggest challenges which I will outline in the next question. I apply everything I have to every task I am given, which is exactly what I’ve done as your representative for the last 10 years.
Question: What do you think the biggest concerns that British Columbians are facing that can be addressed by the federal government?
Answer: The United States:
The most common topic we’re hearing on the doors this election is our relationship with the United States. Canadians and the world have been significantly impacted by the start of Donald Trump’s second term in office. Who our federal representative is in this crisis matters. Mark Carney, with experience in the public sector, and the private sector, and having served as governor of the banks of Canada and of England, is the leader we need. He is already supporting Canadians by committing every dollar of retaliatory tariffs to support Canadian industries and workers, ensuring we break down trade barriers within Canada, and diversifying our trade relationships internationally. I firmly believe that his vision to invest in people, unite Canadians, and keep Canada strong is exactly that leadership that represents our values as Canadians. Mark Carney is the right leader at the right time.
Cost of Living:
The next greatest issue is that of affordability. We have worked hard to address this issue, but we know a lot more work needs to be done. We need to ramp up the building of affordable homes, and Mark Carney is committed to cutting red tape and catalyzing private capital to deploy an industrial housing strategy. We will also help first-time homebuyers by eliminating the GST on homes under $1 million, saving them up to $50,000 on the purchase of their first home. We have also eliminated the carbon tax, which we have all seen has reduced the cost of gas, saving Canadians money at the pump. I am also proud to have worked on deploying Canada’s Dental Care Plan, which saves Canadians $800 in dental care costs, and eligibility for this Plan will expand to those 18-65 in May 2025. Our government will also give middle-class families a tax break, saving households up to $825.
I have written extensively on the work we have done and on what more we can do in our affordability report. This is a 29-page document that goes into great detail on how to make life more affordable. It includes topics such as housing, energy, health care, pharmacare, dental care, child care, entrepreneurship and small business, seniors, youth, grocery prices, and bank fees. It also discusses ways that we can both increase competition and strengthen anti-competition laws to ensure better prices across a wide variety of industries.
Growing the economy:
Economic development doesn’t happen by itself. It is a mix of policy measures, fiscal responsibility, and making the right investment choices. Mark Carney knows, from his vast experience, that growing an economy means investing in people. We will ease the financial burdens Canadians are feeling so that they can invest in themselves, support their local and Canadian businesses, and actively participate in the economy. Our Liberal government also knows that we must do this in a way that reflects our values as Canadians and reflects the future we want for our children and grandchildren. This 55-page report details how we have used a mix of these tools to create good high-paying jobs across a diversity of industries in North Vancouver and in Burnaby.
Protecting the environment and fighting climate change:
No responsible government can claim to have an economic plan if it doesn’t include safeguarding our planet and our clean air, soil, and water. All levels of government have a joint responsibility to address this problem, but climate change knows no borders and does require leadership at a national level. Canada has responsibly lowered emissions while growing the economy at the same time. This positions us well to not just protect the natural beauty of our country, but to create billions of dollars in economic opportunity as we provide the sustainable technologies that will be increasingly in demand both domestically and around the world. Read more about our world-leading environmental and climate change plan here.
Local infrastructure investments:
Your federal member of Parliament plays a big role in advocating for local infrastructure improvements. Examples of how I have delivered on this important topic include increased funding for waste management facilities, a new Seabus, a new fire hall, and a variety of investments in transit and road infrastructure to shorten our commutes, especially on the North Shore. Read more about these and future investments here.
I have written additional reports summarizing our work on some of our community's top issues, these include:
Very soon the entire Liberal platform will be released which will detail many additional investments beyond what has already been announced. This includes an industrial housing strategy, lowering taxes for seniors and the middle class, expanding dental care, and investing in strengthening our economy. In fact, Canada is now expected to be the fastest-growing economy in the G7 in 2025. That is a significant achievement because we also have the lowest deficit and lowest net debt in the G7 as well.
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: President Trump’s tariffs are rupturing the global economy. In the face of this crisis, Canadians are concerned about what this instability means for our savings, our jobs, and our businesses. As in previous economic crises, we must act quickly, with purpose and force, to ensure Canadian families have the support they need. A Mark Carney-led government will focus on building Canada’s economic capacity while fighting tariffs, and protecting our workers and our industries.
Already, Mark Carney is committed to using every dollar of retaliatory tariffs to support Canadian workers and industries. As Donald Trump is targeting the Canadian auto industry, we have pledged a $2-billion fund to support affected workers in this sector. Not only will that affect manufacturing jobs, but all the other interconnected industries such as mineral extraction, and research and development. British Columbia, specifically, is also home to a variety of companies that are integral to lithium battery research, production, and recycling. This fund would be beneficial for B.C. companies and workers across the province who are contributing to building a more robust, home-grown auto industry supply chain and a more sustainable future. This is the kind of decisive and strong leadership we need.
We have taken many actions since November which will be detailed in question 8, but I’d also like to highlight some recent announcements from the campaign. We know that this economic uncertainty has people looking towards their savings, and their retirement. To address this, we will protect seniors’ retirement savings by reducing the minimum amount that must be withdrawn from a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) by 25% for one year as well as increasing the Guaranteed Income Supplement by 5% during the same period. This could provide up to $652 more to low-income seniors tax-free.
We have also increased access and flexibility around Employment Insurance and have deferred tax payments for businesses which will provide up to $40 billion in liquidity for businesses. We are increasing funding to Canada’s regional development agencies and have deployed a new financing facility for businesses. We are making national parks free of charge so that Canadians can explore our own country this summer instead of travelling to the U.S. and we continue to coordinate with premiers and the business community to ensure a united Team Canada approach.
We have a series of economic development projects that will create jobs and strengthen Canada’s infrastructure while we reset our relationship with Donald Trump. At the same time, we are strengthening our armed forces and our ties with alternative trading partners. We will reduce internal trade barriers which will help grow and scale Canadian businesses. There is much more to come and I would suggest reading both my answer to question 8 but also the full Liberal platform on this subject which will be released shortly.
Question: Burnaby has some of the highest rent and housing prices in Canada. What would you do to help control prices?
Answer: In answering this question it is important for Canadians to understand the economic pressures that have led to our current circumstance, especially within Metro Vancouver. First, the federal government had been substantially absent from housing in Canada for almost 30 years, meaning that we have incurred a significant infrastructure deficit.
Metro Vancouver is a coastal city and Vancouver is the end of the line, not the centre. This means 50% of our land base is blocked by the ocean, we have mountains in the north and in the east, and the U.S. border to our south. Since 1994 the supply of single-family homes has decreased every single year. Simply put, we are extremely constrained when it comes to land for residential use, and this means we need to be more efficient about using the land that we have.
After the pandemic, Canada as well as the United States and most of our Western allies, saw a simultaneous increase in housing prices and rent alongside interest rates. Our focus for the last two years has been to ensure that inflation and interest rates come down. This is important as increased interest rates significantly hampered our National Housing Strategy. We had several buildings of affordable units and rentals that required $3-5 million dollars of federal investment, but rising interest rates saw those gaps increase three to four times. Despite this, we have still managed to build thousands of new units in Burnaby and North Vancouver since the launch of the National Housing Strategy in 2017.
I think we need to think of the federal government’s role in housing in three parts. The first is the pre-National Housing Strategy, the second is from the launch of the program until today, and the third is what we intend to do in the future.
To address housing affordability we developed Canada’s $72-billion National Housing Strategy. In fact, most parties now support some form of a housing strategy, which is a good thing, and I’m proud that we moved the needle on this issue. We also invested in the infrastructure around housing which includes investments in wastewater treatment, public transit, a new Seabus, and new SkyTrain lines. These investments give us more flexibility to create more regional centres and utilize housing dollars more effectively.
Our 2021 platform contained a 30-point plan that had three primary elements:
- The first is to build more supply. We promised to construct 1.4 million homes.
- The second is to taper demand. We will do this primarily by disincentivizing the use of housing as an investment asset and instead, primarily focus on housing as a place to live. It is important that families can stay in the same community and that people can live close to where they work.
- Third we need to build pathways to home ownership and enable renters to more easily get into a starter home.
In addition to building tens of thousands of new homes, we banned foreign ownership, financed affordable rentals, invested in co-ops, and made federal land available for housing. We also incentivized infrastructure investments around transit hubs and areas where it made sense to increase density.
In Burnaby, we had seven sites where we worked with the city to build thousands of new units. What is more exciting is that we are building a permanent funding protocol that would allow cities to incorporate CMHC funding in every new development they approve if they choose to do so. This would effectively allow municipalities to “print” as much affordable housing as their community needs. It is not unreasonable to think that every new high-density residential development should contain an appropriate mix of affordable units and rentals.
I have worked as a city councillor, a real estate developer, and as a member of Parliament. This has given me a unique view in which I understand the constraints faced by municipalities, private developers, and the federal government. I think I can continue to play a strong role in advancing a national housing strategy that works for everyone.
Going forward, we have promised to build on our progress by creating the most ambitious industrial housing policy since the Second World War. In the face of Trump’s tariffs, we need to build, and that means building homes that Canadians can afford. A Mark Carney-led government will double the pace of construction to 500,000 new homes a year, with a housing plan that will:
- Create Build Canada Homes (BCH) to get the federal government back into the business of home building, by:
- Acting as a developer to build affordable housing at scale, including on public lands;
- Catalyzing the housing industry by providing over $25 billion in financing to innovative prefabricated home builders in Canada, including those using Canadian technologies and resources like mass timber and softwood lumber, to build faster, smarter, more affordably, and more sustainably; and,
- Providing $10 billion in low-cost financing and capital to affordable home builders.
- Make the housing market work better by catalyzing private capital, cutting red tape, and lowering the cost of homebuilding:
- Cutting municipal development charges in half for multi-unit residential housing while working with provinces and territories to keep municipalities whole;
- Reintroducing a tax incentive that, when originally introduced in the 1970s, spurred tens of thousands of rental housing across the country;
- Facilitating the conversion of existing structures into affordable housing units; and,
- Building on the success of the Housing Accelerator Fund, further reducing housing bureaucracy, zoning restrictions, and other red tape to have builders navigate one housing market, instead of thirteen.
These measures will build on the elimination of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for first-time homebuyers on homes at or under $1 million.
A Mark Carney-led government will stand strong against President Trump’s tariffs, create new jobs, cut taxes for the middle class, and build the fastest-growing economy in the G7. Liberals will build Canada strong.
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 fact that the NOW will close before the election is heartbreaking. I remember when I was first elected, I needed to work hard and try my absolute best to keep this outlet up and running. They had spent several years essentially being ignored by the Conservative government and I promised to be open and accountable during my time as a member of Parliament. At a time when social media is literally firing their fact checkers and misinformation is at an all-time high, this is an incredible problem that we must address for the sake of our democracy.
We have created and sustained the local journalism program through to 2027 and we have committed new resources to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. An entity that the Conservatives have pledged to eliminate if they are elected. It will be more important than ever to ensure that journalists are supported through their local CBC/Radio Canada news outlets, and we are determined to maintain that.
I have thought for some time that there may be some value in journalists setting and enforcing a set of principles that would set professional journalists apart from entertainment media and those organizations that focus on clicks and revenue rather than on facts and empowering an educated electorate. This could be similar to how lawyers have the bar and dentists, doctors, and accountants have their own professional standards and enforcement mechanisms. Even as a very informed Canadian, I find myself having to do fairly intensive research on a regular basis to find out what is actually going on. It would be helpful if there was a self enforced set of principles so we could easily identify those organizations who met a certain level of journalistic standards so that constant fact checking was not a part of the reader’s experience.
On my own behalf, I have published a significant newsletter every 30 days for the last 10 years. In fact, I intend to use half of my last newsletter to answer the next question.
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: Canadians and the world have been significantly impacted by the start of Donald Trump’s second term in office. I think I can safely say that Canadians are looking for an experienced, pragmatic, and decisive leader to represent Canada on the world stage and navigate this crisis. In his few days in office, we have already seen that Mark Carney is that leader. He knows that by investing in Canadians and standing strong and united, we will get through this crisis. He has taken sweeping action to support Canadians, including making Employment Insurance faster and easier to access, strengthening our trade relationships with England and France, eliminating GST for first-time homebuyers, cancelling the proposed capital gains tax increase, and convening all premiers to coordinate a strong Canadian approach… all within one week. If elected he will:
- Reinvest in Canada’s Armed Forces, strengthening Canada’s sovereignty,
- Create a $2-billion Strategic Response Fund to boost our auto sector’s competitiveness and protect jobs in manufacturing, resource extraction, and R&D,
- Maximize Canada’s steel, aluminum, and critical minerals - from exploration to production,
- Break down internal trade barriers within Canada to ensure labour mobility and boost internal trade,
- Protect Canadian agrifood workers and build a stronger agrifood sector by making permanent the doubling of the revenue protection for farmers under the AgriStability Program.
- Bolster Canadian jobs by providing an apprenticeship grant of up to $8,000 for registered apprentices, removing a key financial barrier to skills training,
- Make entering national parks free this summer to encourage tourism within Canada,
- Use Canadian materials to build new homes.
And that’s only the beginning!
I also think it is my responsibility to share with you as many facts as possible as to what is actually going on, but I do so with the following cautions. First, this is a fast-moving file that we’ve been working on since November. We’ve dealt with President Trump before, and we have a game plan that accounts for all of the significant variables, including trade, energy, border security, tariffs, fentanyl, economic security, and international diplomacy. We should, however, keep our cards close to our chest. It is important that we prepare diligently and not necessarily rush to a microphone or to the media to share our entire strategy. The facts are on Canada’s side. Americans and Canadians have a mutual interest in continuing to build on the joint prosperity that has developed from the greatest economic and security partnership the world has ever known. I will endeavour to provide some of those facts here so that we are all equipped to share Canada’s value proposition with our neighbours (next door and in America).
Trade
Nafta 2.0 is the “largest, fairest, most balanced and modern trade agreement ever achieved.” President Donald J. Trump, January 2020
Despite the president’s new narrative, his position in 2020 actually still holds true today. If you include energy exports, the U.S. has a $64.3-billion deficit with Canada, but without energy, the U.S. enjoys a $28.6-billion trade surplus. Canada’s energy actually fuels American manufacturing. In fact, of their five largest trading partners, Canada is the only country with a manufacturing trade surplus of $33 billion. This surplus has existed since 2007. Europe, Mexico, Japan, and China all have manufacturing trade deficits. Canada’s $2.5 billion in daily trade is not the problem, in fact, we account for 8 million trade-related jobs in the US.
Tariffs
In response to a 25% tariff threat on Canadian goods, we published a list of $30 billion of U.S. goods to be immediately tariffed and a further $125 billion of goods to be tariffed in a matter of weeks. We spoke directly to Americans, advising them that we didn’t want to do this, that tariffs were inflationary and hurt both of us and that while we would not escalate, we would certainly not back down. This led to a 30-day reprieve. In the days that followed, further tariffs were announced on steel and aluminum worldwide, as well as reciprocal tariffs. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Trump did the same thing in Canada in March 2018 during NAFTA trade negotiations. Tariffs came into effect on May 31, 2018, we retaliated with $16.6 billion in tariffs. In early 2019, we signed NAFTA 2.0, and the tariffs were lifted. This was despite the fact that the Conservative position at the time was to capitulate to President Trump’s demands. Canada has the critical minerals, dependability, ingenuity, geography, energy, water, and temperament to be a world-class ally, partner, and friend to our American neighbours. We should also not be naive or apathetic, which is why we have diversified our trading relationships and partnerships over the last 10 years, effectively reducing our trade dependency with the U.S. from 80% to 70%. We have also committed that every dollar collected from counter-tariffs will go to supporting Canadian workers, especially in those industries directly affected.
Border security
Canada and the U.S. share a strong and secure border. The largest undefended border in the free world. I outright disagree with the Conservative position to militarize the border. I also disagree with their position to agree with President Trump that the border is “broken.” Here are the facts. Despite having the strongest and safest border in the world, our $1.3-billion border policy is adding 60 new drones and two Blackhawk helicopters. It is increasing information sharing, and we have developed a Canada - U.S. Enforcement Strike Force with the U.S. The U.S. is the largest market for drugs and guns in the world. Despite that, less than 1% of fentanyl and illegal crossing come from Canada. In fact, data shows increasing net drug, gun, and immigration heading south to north, giving us good reason to invest in a stronger border package. In 2022, we seized six times more guns from the U.S. than all other countries combined. Our tightened immigration measures have also been working. In 2024, we had 3,500 irregular asylum claims in Canada, down from 40,000 in 2022. We have also appointed Kevin Brosseau, a former RCMP Deputy Commissioner, as a fentanyl czar to coordinate with the U.S. and all levels of government. I know that Canadians are not used to terms like “czar” and “strike force,” but we are utilizing the language of our partner for good reason.
Defence
Finally, on defence, it is important for everyone to know that Canada has spent more than double its defence spending in the last 10 years. Conservatives had reduced defence spending to less than 1% of GDP by 2015. Despite doubling the expenditure, we have not yet reached our 2% NATO target because our GDP has also increased significantly over that time. By the time we hit our NATO target in the next few years, we will have effectively tripled defence spending since 2015.
I hope these facts are helpful for everyone in our community. Facts matter, especially at a time when rhetoric and misinformation is at an all-time high. You can count on me to continue to act in a measured and calculated way to protect Canada’s sovereignty and prosperity for generations to come. Canada’s sovereignty is not up for discussion, and a Mark Carney-led government will stand strong against Donald Trump and stand strong for Canadian workers.
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.
