Candidates answer The Wren’s questions on climate change

To ensure Kamloops has a voice in the provincial election conversation, The Wren surveyed readers to identify their top questions and concerns in the lead-up to Oct. 19.

The Wren took the most asked questions on the survey and reached out to all candidates.  Among those top-asked questions, climate change was frequently mentioned by readers.

While The Wren reached out to all candidates for the Kamloops Centre and Kamloops North-Thompson riding, as of Oct. 10 two candidates did not respond. We will update the story if responses are provided. To request that additional information be included, send us an email.

These responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What are the parties saying about climate change?

BC Conservative Party leader John Rustad has acknowledged climate change is real and human-caused but some Conservative candidates do not appear to share this view. The party’s costed platform promises to get rid of the carbon tax, returning an estimated $3 billion to the public. Rustad will also reverse the plastic cutlery and straw ban. 

BC NDP leader David Eby has said if the federal government decides to drop the carbon tax as a requirement, he would scrap it. The party platform commits to doubling the number of EV charging stations and constructing new renewable power projects to double the energy generation in the province. The party has committed to use a portion of revenue from LNG projects to invest in clean technologies. Part of their initiative is to plant more than 300 million trees each year. 

The BC Green Party has said it would keep the carbon tax, in addition to increasing it for certain companies that are creating the most pollution in the province. Part of the plan is to end fossil fuel subsidies with no new permits for pipelines, fracking or LNG. The party also has a goal of protecting 30 per cent of B.C. water and land by 2030. A transit plan will make all public transit free for riders and require the government to spend as much on public and active transportation as on highway infrastructure.

Q. Which of your policies will mitigate human-caused climate change?

Tristan Cavers, BC Green Party (Kamloops – North Thompson): Fracking under a green government would cease, there would be no more LNG projects. The party will introduce a windfall profit tax on oil and gas projects to ensure that communities are not getting stuck with the cost of climate change while others profit.

Maddi Genn, BC NDP (Kamloops – North Thompson): Kamloops especially has seen the impacts of record-setting fires, floods and droughts and we must continue to take action very seriously. I am proud to say that David Eby and the BC NDP have created a robust plan which is Clean BC, one of the most ambitious on the continent. With the plan, we have already made progress with the Climate Change Accountability Act, which holds governments legally accountable to emission reduction targets. Among many other steps forward, we will also be bringing in an emissions cap for the oil and gas industry.

Ward Stamer, Conservative Party of BC (Kamloops – North Thompson): No response.

Kamal Grewal, BC NDP (Kamloops Centre): Making big polluters pay, capping emissions and growing a clean electricity economy for the long term. John Rustad has said he would (reverse clean energy mandates) and double down on fossil fuels.

Peter Milobar, Conservative Party of BC (Kamloops Centre): No response.

Randy Sunderman, BC Green Party (Kamloops Centre): We have several policies that are specifically targeted at mitigating human-caused climate change, including protection of the natural environment, making public transit free, phasing out the fossil fuel usage and carbon tax implementation. A long-standing position of the BC Greens is continuing to advocate for the protection of our ancient forests as well as supporting biodiversity legislation to protect sensitive habitats, including protection of bear dens, wild salmon and spotted owls. 

We are committed to making a meaningful investment in watershed security and protecting B.C.’s vital water resources. Transportation is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in Kamloops, estimated at 66 per cent of total GHGs by the City of Kamloops. The BC Greens are committed to halting fossil fuel expansion, rejecting new LNG projects, stopping fracking approvals and setting a phase-out date for gas production.

[The] carbon tax is about saving money now and in the future. The current carbon tax in B.C. has resulted in a 12 per cent reduction in overall per capita GHGs. As an economist I recognize the goal of a carbon tax system is to change behaviour and we should remember that focus. 

How we interact on the land base needs to mature. There are so many values in our ecosystems that we struggle to recognize properly. I believe in the future we must do a much better job of collaborating and incorporating a better understanding of Indigenous knowledge and local community insights when we make land use decisions.

Further reading: 

How do British Columbia’s three main parties compare on these election issues? (CBC News)

Go straight to the source — here are links to the party platforms:

• Conservative Party of BC (party platform)
• BC Green Party (party platform)
• BC New Democratic Party (party platform)
• BC United (campaign currently suspended)

How do I vote?

Voting day is Saturday, Oct. 19, with advance polls Oct. 10 through Oct. 16. Visit The Wren’s voting guide for more information on where to go and what to bring.

Editor’s Note Oct. 15, 2024: The story was updated to include the Conservative Party’s costed plan and platform as it became available.