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Kelowna-Lake Country: Green’s Alison Shaw

Kelowna-Lake Country Green candidate Alison Shaw gives her perspective on issues in the riding
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Alison Shaw is nominated by the B.C. Green Party for the Kelowna-Lake Country riding. - Image Credit: Contributed

Housing affordability and unemployment are some of the main issues Green party candidate Alison Shaw will be focusing on in her Kelowna-Lake Country riding.

“As we know, Kelowna has one of the highest unemployment rates in Canada. We also know a lot of the residents within our riding are flying off to diverse locations for work and the instability that brings to families,” said Shaw. “I think the biggest priority in my riding right now is job creation.”

The Green party plans to create ways for small and medium businesses to thrive in communities, encouraging entrepreneurialism with training and education, said Shaw.

“We are anticipating, based on the research and what global trends are suggesting that a significant proportion of the unskilled labour force in B.C. and the rest of Canada is going to be replaced by automation and technology,” she said. “We’re confronting the issues of the 21st century. So what the Greens are thinking through is how to ensure communities are able to continue to thrive under these rapidly changing conditions.”

Implementing a livable wage is part of the Green party strategy to ensure vulnerable people, people with disabilities, seniors, under or unemployed have an income, said Shaw.

“It offers the possibilities of exploring opportunities for people rather than looking for the next buck, they can think about what they’re passionate about and talented in.”

She also recommends the province pilot a study on basic income. Studies should also be conducted with various levels of government in order to determine what affordable housing looks like, she said.

Shaw is a local business owner with a PhD in sustainability and passion for community.

According to the BC Greens policy document, the party is driven by five main themes: health, safety, the standard of living, ecological balance, and responsible government.

For more 2017 BC Election coverage click here.

—Carli Berry