Whether he’s speaking with students who are just scraping by, their financially secure parents, or the elderly who have long since left the workforce, the NDP candidate for Kelowna-Lake Country is hearing the same thing.
“All British Columbians care about affordability,” said Erik Olesen, explaining that during the BC Liberal’s reign it’s been a lot harder for everyone other than the top two per cent of income earners to get by.
Examples, he said, are everywhere.
He’s spoken to a senior who had to choose between milk and her prescription medication due to the costs. The BC NDP platform indicates an appetite to work with the federal government towards a national pharmacare program. It also said they will support efforts to bulk purchase medication, bringing costs down.
Olesen has also spoken with mothers who would benefit from the NDP promise of $10 a day childcare and students who need to see interest on student loans eliminated.
“We will freeze BC hydro rates till 2019 so seniors in my community can afford milk and prescription medications as well as reducing debt for British Columbians and allowing people to enter the workforce knowing their children can be taken care of,” he said.
The BC NDP is also looking at alleviating the pressures on small businesses.
“My community is built with many small businesses that are rich in history and are part of the identity of Kelowna-Lake Country,” he said. “We are committed to support BC small businesses with a half point cut to the tax rate, again a direct impact on my community.”
Olesen, 25, has been involved in politics since he was 12-years-old and first ran for city council in Ontario when he was 18 years old. He describes himself as a people person who has always been driven to help.
For more 2017 BC Election coverage click here.
—Kathy Michaels