The Kinder Morgan pipeline, homelessness and education were some of the hot issues that dominated the discussion at an all-candidates meeting this week at Capitol Hill Elementary School.

The two-and-a-half hour Q&A, hosted by Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder Morgan Expansion (BROKE) and Force of Nature, was for MLA hopefuls running in the Burnaby North and Burnaby-Lougheed ridings. More than 100 people attended.

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Both B.C. Liberal candidates Richard Lee and Steve Darling were absent from the event.



On the pipeline

The first question of the evening was on the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion project.

B.C. NDP candidates Katrina Chen (Burnaby-Lougheed) and Janet Routledge (Burnaby North) didn’t veer from the “no pipeline” party line.

“There’s no economic case. It’s only going to create a few dozen permanent jobs. ... They’re putting our local residents’ safety, our environment at risk,” Chen said.

B.C. Green candidate Peter Hallschmid (Burnaby North) called out B.C. NDP leader John Horgan for flip-flopping on the Kinder Morgan file, while Neeraj Murarka (Burnaby-Lougheed) of the B.C. Libertarians, said he’s in favour of the pipeline, but with caveats.

“It is impractical and not long-term foresight to consider shutting down a pipeline and accepting alternatives that are more dangerous,” Murarka said.

Candidates were asked about anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) suit legislation to curb frivolous lawsuits given Kinder Morgan’s 2015 civil suit against five Burnaby Mountain protesters.

Joe Keithley, former frontman of punk band D.O.A. and the Green candidate for Burnaby-Lougheed, told the crowd he played guitar and sang with the Burnaby Mountains protesters. He said his party would support anti-SLAPP suit legislation.

Routledge told the audience an NDP government would do the same. She noted the B.C. New Democrats brought forward anti-SLAPP suit legislation in 2001, but it was repealed five months after the Liberals won a majority.

The candidates were asked if they would stand in front of the bulldozer with Mayor Derek Corrigan. While no definitive “yes” answer was given by the Greens, both candidates hinted they would.



On homelessness and affordable housing

Keithley and Hallschmid said the Greens would launch a basic income pilot project.

Chen said the province needs to implement a poverty reduction plan, and her party would continue the co-op housing subsidy for residents in her riding.

“B.C. is the only province in all of Canada that does not have a poverty reduction plan, and that is not acceptable,” she said. “Solving homelessness is not just solving one issue; there’s so much more we have to do to support local residents and families with the cost of living, and making sure we invest in affordable housing.”

Routledge told the audience the NDP’s $10-a-day child-care program is part of solving homelessness because those who can’t afford the care could then work.

Meanwhile, Hallschmid said the system the Burnaby Citizens Association (of which the mayor, council and school trustees are all members) has been using for rezoning properties is not working, and there are no incentives to building affordable housing stock.

“Unfortunately, the local party here has received many donations from developers and as a consequence, you have building after building going up. Zoning is not being done in a way like in Vancouver, where there are incentives, and unfortunately, there’s a strong link between the party here and the (B.C.) New Democrats,” he said. “The relationship is to be a member of the party here in the city, you also have to be part of the (B.C.) New Democrats as well, and this is why this topic is often not mentioned.”



On education

Green candidates said they would give free preschool for parents earning less than $80,000, free adult education and a $2,000 tax refund for post-secondary students.

“Education is a right, not a privilege,” Keithley said.

Routledge said public education is “starved” and that an NDP government would move students “out of portables and into real classrooms.” She added her party would expand apprenticeship and training programs.

The Libertarian candidate said the party would send subsidies schools receive per student to parents directly to use for public, private or homeschool.



What people had to say

Anders Hoenisch, a Burnaby North resident, told the NOW he’s split between the Greens and the NDP.

“I like both parties. I found myself liking what the Green party candidate was saying a little bit more. I’m going to strategically, probably vote for the Democrats anyway,” he said.

Burnaby-Lougheed resident Lorne Iverson said he will be voting for Chen.

“I just can’t see how we’re going forward with this kind of situation where we’re going to have no fuel produced in B.C., none, and have all of the environmental risk that’s attached to pipelines and storage tanks, and we get nothing out of it,” he said.

Where were the two missing Liberals?

Audience members at Tuesday night’s all-candidates meeting quickly took notice of the Liberals’ absence.

Just before the candidate introductions began, one person stood up and shouted, “Shame on the Christy Clark Liberals!” and interrupted the moderator.The NOW followed up the next day and asked why Steve Darling (Burnaby-Lougheed) and Richard Lee (Burnaby North) did not attend.



Campaign manager Tanis Sullivan on Darling’s whereabouts: “It was a meeting with voters at a private residence in the riding, which was planned prior to the notice of (Tuesday) night’s debate. … He is committed to attending the Burnaby Board of Trade meet-and-greet at the Firefighters Banquet and Conference Centre next Monday. ”



Richard Lee: “I had other commitments (Tuesday) night, and we had notified the organizer well before the meeting. I will be attending many debates and all-candidates meeting in the next two weeks.”

The RSVP timeline

March 20: Event organizer Elan Gibson sends out the invite via email to all candidates. NDP and Green candidates confirm attendance. No response from the Liberal candidates.



April 6: Second email goes out with venue details.



April 7: Gibson hand delivers hard copies of the invite to both Liberal campaign offices. Lee’s campaign manager responds “with regrets” and provides Gibson a list of meetings Lee will be attending. A volunteer at Darling’s office shows Gibson a small calendar with something written in on the 18th. Gibson is told the letter will be delivered to the campaign manager, but Gibson never hears back.



April 15: Gibson drops into Darling’s campaign office again. She’s told Darling has two commitments on the 18th and that staff tried to work around it, but couldn’t. Gibson is told one of the commitments was from December, shortly after his November nomination.



April 18: Someone from Darling’s campaign office drops in to the all-candidates meeting.