Kamloops-North Thompson has the most severe doctor shortage in B.C, according to Barbara Nederpel.
She found this ironic as the minister of health is the MLA for this riding.
The New Democratic candidate seeks to replace Terry Lake as the Kamloops-North Thompson MLA in Victoria and was at the Clearwater Library on Feb. 18 to listen to people’s concerns and tell them about her party’s vision for the future.
“I want to hear what’s important for you,” she said.
Nederpel, who is a nurse, said the wait times in British Columbia for MRIs and surgery are the worst in the country.
Christy Clark promised a doctor for every British Columbian but the premier “... sprinkles promises like fairy dust,” Nederpel said.
NDP leader John Horgan, on the other hand, “He gets it. He’s real,” she said.
The New Democrat candidate said she grew up in a working class family. About 90 per cent of British Columbians belong to the working class, she said.
“All we want is dignified work that is safe,” Nederpel said. “We want to create a world in which our children will be better off than we were.”
The candidate said her two daughters had to leave Kamloops because they were unable to find suitable work in the community.
“Christy Clark tells us that B.C. is leading the country in job growth,” she said, “but the jobs are low income and part-time.”
About 30,000 forest industry jobs have been lost under the Liberal government, she said. The industry has been deregulated and the forests ministry made a mess of.
The NDP believes in keeping public sector jobs in small communities, she said.
Kinder Morgan’s plan to expand its Trans Mountain pipeline will result in only 50 long-term jobs, she said.
“We take on the risk for now and forever, and for very little benefit,” she said.
The oil industry provides less than one per cent of the jobs in B.C.
The NDP’s climate action plan could result in 900,000 clean energy jobs by 2050.
“That’s exciting for me. We need the transition, no doubt,” she said.