Candidates in the Chilliwack-Hope riding were sent three questions to help readers understand each party’s direction, and the focus of each candidate’s campaign.
The candidates had four days to answer the questions. Five of the six candidates responded to the questions. Chris Adam, a candidate for the United Party of Canada, was not reached by deadline.
What do you see as the most important issue facing Canada as a whole, and how do you see addressing that issue here in this riding?
Mark Strahl: The most important issue facing Canadians is the rising cost of living and the affordability crisis because of a lost Liberal decade that has broken our economy.
To make life affordable again, we need to cut taxes, build more homes, and boost our economy by unleashing our natural resources.
The first action a Conservative government will take is to bring in a 'Bring It Home' tax cut that will cut income tax by 15 per cent, meaning the average Canadian worker could save up to $900 a year, while two-income families could save up to $1,800 a year.
Conservatives will also make each dollar go further by axing the federal sales tax on new homes up to $1.3 million. Combined with a plan to incentivize cities to lower development charges, this will save homebuyers up to $100,000 on new homes.
In the last ten years, with Mark Carney advising them, the Liberals killed 16 major energy projects worth $176 billion with the ‘No New Development Law’ C-69 that made it impossible to get major projects built in our country and drove investment south to the United States with a cap on Canadian energy production. This cost our economy hundreds of billions of dollars and drove away hundreds of thousands of jobs.
A Conservative government will lift the cap on Canadian energy and scrap the industrial carbon tax to get major projects built, unlock our resources, and start selling Canadian energy to the world again, bringing home good jobs and billions of dollars in lost investment.
We will create a National Energy Corridor, a pre-approved transport corridor for pipelines, transmission lines, railways and other critical infrastructure to rapidly build the projects our country needs and move Canadian resources from coast to coast, bypassing the U.S. and making us less reliant on the American market.
Teri Westerby: The biggest issue facing Canada is the amount it costs to live here. But the reason why everything is getting more expensive is because of the growing concentration of corporate power.
Across this country, corporate giants are buying up our farmland, our housing, and controlling the food on our shelves. In fact, just five grocery chains account for over 80 per cent of all grocery sales in Canada. That’s not a free market, that’s a monopoly. And it means higher prices for families, lower wages for workers, and profits siphoned out of our communities while we struggle to keep up.
In Chilliwack-Hope, I’ve seen what this looks like firsthand. Farmers are being priced out by investment firms. Workers are seeing their wages stagnate while CEOs make record profits. And more and more homes are being snapped up by corporate landlords, driving up rents and locking young people out of the housing market. Meanwhile, we’re told we have to tighten our belts while these corporations barely pay their share in taxes.
This system isn’t broken, it’s rigged. And the longer we let the major two parties hand over more of our economy to billionaire CEOs, the harder it’s going to get for everyday people to stay afloat.
The NDP is the only party standing up to corporate greed. We’ve already fought to bring in corporate profit taxes, close tax loopholes, and force grocery chains to answer for price gouging. I’m running to take that fight to Ottawa, to stand up for farmers, workers, and local businesses here in Chilliwack-Hope.
Because our economy should work for the people, not just for the few at the top.
Salina Derish: The most pressing issue facing Canada is the overlapping crises of affordability, climate, and trust in government. These aren’t separate problems, they’re connected. People can’t afford housing, groceries, or energy, and they see governments spending billions without fixing the basics. At the same time, the climate crisis continues to threaten our food systems, infrastructure, and future generations.
Here in Chilliwack-Hope, we feel all of this directly. Floods have damaged homes and farms. Families are working two or three jobs just to get by. Seniors are cutting pills in half. Young people are giving up on the dream of owning a home.
The Green Party offers practical, fiscally responsible solutions. We would invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, affordable co-op housing, local food systems, and clean energy. We’d eliminate fossil fuel subsidies and reinvest in health care and education. Most importantly, we’d restore public trust by ensuring MPs vote for their constituents, not their party line. As your representative, I’d be committed to serving you first.
Zeeshan Khan: The most pressing issue facing Canada right now is the cost-of-living.
Canadians across the country are struggling with rising prices for essentials such as food, housing, and fuel, creating widespread financial stress and economic uncertainty. Recent polls show that nearly half of Canadians identify inflation and affordability as their top concern, surpassing even healthcare and climate change. I think cost-of-living crisis affects all aspects of daily life and requires urgent, coordinated action by all level of government to ensure that Canadians can maintain a decent standard of living and feel secure about their financial futures.
As the Member of Parliament for Chilliwack-Hope under the Leadership of Mark Carney, I see addressing the cost of living as a top priority for our community. I will advocate in Ottawa for increased investment in affordable and mixed-income housing in partnership with province and local government to ensure families can find stable, attainable places to live.
I will work with local farmers, non-profits, and food programs to strengthen food security and reduce grocery costs for households. Improving infrastructure, including the expansion of Highway 1 and enhanced public transit, will ease transportation expenses and better connect residents to work and services. I will also support small businesses and local job creation through targeted tax relief and skills training programs, helping residents earn fair wages and build financial resilience. These actions are essential to making life more affordable for families in Chilliwack-Hope.
Jeff Galbraith: Due to disillusionment, and disenfranchisement being disheartened, some have, over time, decided not to vote or have never voted. This may help in understanding why we are where we are, in our country, right now.
How is a democratic society supposed to prosper when this is the case? How is a democracy supposed to survive when eligible voters decide not to vote because results are being posted ad nauseam on election day and "political pundits" are calling an election win hours before all votes are counted? They are only calling who will form ruling party, yet there is still the opportunity to decide who will be the official opposition.
So where do we go from here?
We start by making a decision to vote, come hell or high water decide to vote. When we decide to vote, we have our say, we make a decision to change things, for the better.
I made a decision to apply to run as a PPC candidate. I had had enough of the direction our country was headed in. I wasn't sure what the outcome was gonna be. Yet, I made the decision. And here we are!
Make a decision on election day to shut off the media until all the polls are closed. Listen to music, listen to audiobooks, and do other distractive things to help you turn off the world for a while.
Our future really is all about making decisions.
