Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke candidates answer 8 questions

Left to right: Maja Tait; Stephanie McLean; Grant Cool; Ben Homer-Dixon. Bottom: Nikita Heurtier; Robert Crooks; Param Bhatti; David Schaafsma. All photos from respective candidates campaign pages

In Canada, voters elect local candidates as Members of Parliament, who then represent their region in Ottawa and in some cases form part of the government. We sent out surveys to your local candidates to ask how they, and their parties, promise to help locals on various major issues.

You can go straight to the questions and answers by clicking here, or keep reading for some background on the riding and this election race.

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The riding

The oddly shaped Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke electoral district skirts underneath the other Westshore riding, going along the coastline from Sooke at the edge through Metchosin and Colwood and then Esquimalt, and cuts inland to include View Royal and parts of Saanich.

The riding has existed for a decade and the NDP's Randall Garrison held it until his retirement last year, winning comfortably multiple times. He stepped aside this past winter for health reasons after cueing up Sooke Mayor Maja Tait as his successor as NDP candidate.

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This year's election race

Next week's results will reveal whether the riding was an NDP stronghold or a Randall Garrison stronghold. Tait and the NDP face a challenge on multiple fronts. The other three major parties have done respectably in the riding in the past.

This year the broader recent resurgence of the Liberals could carry ex-Alberta-NDP MLA Stephanie McLean to the seat—or draw enough votes to create an opening for blue to leap past both orange and red.

The Sooke portion of the region was part of one of BC's closest provincial ridings last fall, with the BC Conservatives (not formally affiliated with the federal Conservatives) performing surprisingly well. Grant Cool is attempting to make similar inroads into what has in recent years been NDP territory.

The E-S-S race also features one of Canada's youngest major-party candidates in Ben Homer-Dixon of the Greens, as well as a deep roster of small-party and independent candidates.

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The survey

The questions are on:

1. Housing
2. Public Satety
3. Health
4. Transportation
5. Cost of Living
6. Environment
7. US Relations
8. Their Pitch to Voters

The candidates are listed below, in order of their party's past vote percentage in the riding.

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🟠 Maja Tait, NDP

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‍ 🔴 Stephanie McLean, Liberal

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🔵 Grant Cool, Conservative

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🟢 Ben Homer-Dixon, Green

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🟣 Nikita Heurtier

No campaign page or contact info was available for this candidate.

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⭕ Robert Crooks, Communist

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🟪 David Schaafsma, Christian Heritage

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⚫ Param Bhatti, Independent

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Question 1: Housing

🟠 Maja Tait, NDP

It shouldn’t be this hard to find a home that fits your family and your budget. There was a time when finding a home wasn’t so hard, but since then, corporate landlords and speculators have bought up housing, raised rents, and are raking in record profits. And every day people are paying the price.

Here on the South Island, over 60% of our residents rent. To bring down rents, the NDP would ban big corporate landlords from buying affordable rentals. We would invest in the Renters Protection Fund to help non-profit housing providers and co-ops buy affordable rental homes and keep rents low, and use federal land and prefabricated homes to speed up building timelines. New Democrats also want to see tenant-protection policies, like national rent control, as a condition of federal housing money.

Our NDP team would invest in building historic amounts of non-market housing - 3 million new units, including more 2 and 3 bedroom family-suitable homes. We also want communities to be able to sustain this growth, and have access to funding to help expand the water, sewage, and infrastructure systems that are needed.

Home ownership is a dream for so many here in our community, but the way the current system is set up makes it difficult to get into the market. That’s why we will make it easier to buy a place to call home with a plan to help first-time homebuyers realize their dream of home ownership and ban investment firms from buying up properties.

Finding a home you can afford in the community you love shouldn’t be too much to ask. New Democrats are the only party standing up for renters, pushing for solutions to help people get the homes that fit their needs.

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‍ 🔴 Stephanie McLean, Liberal

The candidate's responses were not received by the original deadline, but are expected on Thursday and will be added by Friday.

Everyone deserves a home they can afford - but for too many people in the Capital Region, that feels out of reach. Mark Carney and I are committed to making life more affordable for Canadians.

A Liberal government will launch the largest and most ambitious housing plan since the Second World War.

We will double the pace of building new homes by partnering with workers and industry, using Canadian solutions like softwood lumber and mass timber, reducing costs and red tape, and increasing support and training for skilled trades. First-time homebuyers will save up to $50,000 on homes at, or under, $1 million by eliminating the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

We will also get the federal government back into the business of building affordable housing. On top of the $25 billion in financing to manufactured housing providers, Build Canada Homes will deliver $10 billion in support for housing for low- and middle-income Canadians.

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🔵 Grant Cool, Conservative

Families in Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke are facing tough choices—like choosing between groceries and mortgage payments. Seniors are losing savings, and young people can't afford homes. After years of rising living costs, it's time for change.

As your Conservative representative, I'll cut personal income tax from 15% to 12.75%, saving workers $900 annually and two-income families $1,800. I'll remove GST on homes under $1.3 million to make homeownership more accessible.

I'll push for housing development on federal lands, faster approvals, skilled trades support, and tax breaks for Canadian investments. Together, we can create an affordable future where everyone thrives.

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🟢 Ben Homer-Dixon, Green

I’m looking for a place to rent this year, so I really appreciate how expensive housing is. Rent alone for next year will cost more money than everything I’ll earn at my job this summer! For renters like me, my friends and peers, young families, and many others, housing costs are out of control in the CRD. The Green Party will triple social housing, offer immediate rent relief, and build permanently affordable, non-market homes like co-ops with strong affordability rules and long-term protections. This is the biggest housing plan since the 1970s, creating local jobs, using Canadian materials, and building homes people can actually afford.

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🟣 Nikita Heurtier

No campaign page or contact info was available for this candidate.

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⭕ Robert Crooks, Communist

The issue with housing today in Canada is that housing is treated like a commodity, rather than a human right. Instead of building housing for people to live in, we build housing for investors to make profits. The government has been supporting this process by subsidizing for-profit developers with grants of public money. Each other party in this election treats the housing crisis as a problem only of supply, and therefore reach the conclusion that subsidizing private developers to build more housing is a viable solution. However, many homes sit empty today for purposes of speculation, this number reaching as high as 1.3 million homes at the height of the pandemic in 2021. The problem is not supply as much as it is financialization. What we need is to take the profit motive out of housing and return to building publicly-owned housing.

From 1973 to 1984, Canada built 20,000 publicly owned housing units each year, and as a result, homelessness was virtually non-existent. This program completely stopped in the 1990s, and today the official number of homeless in Canada is 235,000 and 44% of all Canadians are worried they won’t be able to pay their housing costs. But if the solution is as simple as I am suggesting, what is preventing us from solving the housing crisis? According to The Maple, almost half of MPs or their significant others have investments in real estate beyond their primary dwelling. This means that the people making the decisions about housing affordability are the same people profiting from the housing crisis. This needs to be stopped by enforcing stricter conflict-of-interests rules for elected officials.

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🟪 David Schaafsma, Christian Heritage

Lower housing costs by producing more coop housing. It is reported that coop housing offers monthly housing fees that are $400 to $500 per month less than rental units. We need to reduce red tape for builders in our communities. The federal government can incentivize this reduction in red tape by providing money for infrastructure projects to those municipalities who reduce red tape related to building residential housing.

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⚫ Param Bhatti, Independent

• Push to build 5,000 units of permanently affordable housing across the South Island, using underused public land by 2029.
• Support non-profit and co-op housing developments with direct federal investment.
• Propose a “Rent Tied to Income” pilot, capping rent at 30% of household income for low- and middle-income families.

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Question 2: Public Safety

What will you do to improve public safety in the CRD, including crime and public/road safety?

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🟠 Maja Tait, NDP

As the longstanding Mayor of a municipality served by the RCMP, I know how important it is to work with local law enforcement to address the causes of crime. We need real solutions to keep our community safe, not cheap, tough-on-crime talking points.

My New Democrat colleagues and I supported the recent calls from all Premiers and several police associations for bail reform in the wake of high-profile violent crimes. We need bail reform that includes community bail programs for less severe crimes, to help make sure those let out on bail are not going to reoffend. These programs have an incredible success rate, because individuals are connected with the services and help they need – whether mental health services, substance abuse programs, or education.

We need to stop the influx of illegal drugs and guns into Canada by undoing Harper-era cuts to border enforcement. When Pierre Polievre was serving under the Harper Conservatives, they chose to gut Canadian Border Service Agency funding, making it easier for toxic drugs and illegal guns to enter Canada.

We need more preventative, up-stream solutions like investing in the Mobile Youth Services Team, a multi-disciplinary unit in the Capital Regional District that provides mobile support to youth who may be at risk of exploitation, gang recruitment, homelessness, or who are in crisis. And we need to invest in mental health support and treatment, and recovery for people suffering from addictions.

As your Member of Parliament, I promise real solutions that improve the safety of our community based on evidence, not cheap, tough-on-crime rhetoric.

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‍ 🔴 Stephanie McLean, Liberal

For people living in the Capital Region, having a voice in government is key to getting our specific needs met including with public safety. I can be that voice.

When Pierre Poilievre was last in government, the Conservatives fired over 1000 border security personnel in a single day - on top of the cuts they made to policing services.

Our Liberal plan will actually improve public safety, instead of firing key personnel.

We will recruit 1,000 more RCMP personnel to tackle drug and human trafficking, foreign interference, cybercrime, and the criminal gangs behind stolen cars. We also will bolster land and sea border security by training 1000 new CBSA officers to crack down on drugs and guns. A Liberal Government will also target the smuggling of stolen vehicles with additional surveillance, including new border scanners, drones, and K-9 teams, to target suspicious  shipments at our borders, ports, and railyards.

The justice system will be strengthened with stricter bail laws for violent and organized crime - especially for repeat offenders - and harsher penalties and new criminal offences for victims of sexual and intimate partner violence.

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🔵 Grant Cool, Conservative

Public safety is one of the Conservative Party’s top priorities. If elected, we will put the safety of Canadians first—for a change. We will end violent crime by passing a Three-Strikes-and-You’re-Out law to keep dangerous criminals behind bars longer and bring home safe streets. This law will stop criminals convicted of three serious offences from getting bail, probation, parole or house arrest. The only way for these repeat criminals to obtain their freedom will be through spotless behaviour and clean drug tests during a lengthy minimum prison sentence. Earned release will be dependent on improving themselves and their life opportunities, such as by learning a trade or upgrading their education.

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🟢 Ben Homer-Dixon, Green

The Green Party’s vision for public safety in the CRD prioritizes equity, resilience, and prevention. We’ll introduce a Guaranteed Livable Income and eliminate federal income tax on earnings under $40,000, investments that support safety by reducing poverty and inequality. We’ll also establish a National Civil Defence Corps to strengthen Canada’s sovereignty, respond to emergencies, and create meaningful jobs. This transformative force will be ready to address climate disasters, protect infrastructure, and defend national security. In the CRD, we’ll support safer roads by prioritizing transit, walking, and cycling, including fare-free buses and exploring light rail (always a topic of interest on southern Vancouver Island), to reduce accidents and support sustainable communities.

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🟣 Nikita Heurtier

No campaign page or contact info was available for this candidate.

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⭕ Robert Crooks, Communist

Too many powerful elites in this country perpetuate the idea that people commit crimes because they are criminals. This circular logic will never lead to a real solution. It will only justify the continued sinking of more and more resources into reactive rather than proactive, preventative approaches. People commit crime because they are forced into a life of poverty. Living in poverty severly limits proper access to education, to adequate healthcare (including mental healthcare), to a living wage and to a home.

People who are presented with these conditions are far more likely to consider committing a criminal act. While every individual needs to answer for the choices they make, a properly functioning society should be held accountable for creating the conditions that lead people to a situation where the decision to carry out a criminal act seems rational. No just society forces people into poverty and then imprisons them for being poor. We need to be funding rehabilitation programs, expanding mental-health care and addiction services, and providing the most vulnerable with homes and appropriate employment opportunities.

The Communist Party of Canada calls to make the roads safer by boosting public transit and building public transit infrastructure so not so many people are reliant on automobiles. We are also in favour of investing in cycling and pedestrian infrastucture to make transportation more inclusive. For too long, urban planning has been designed around cars rather than social need. This must end. A more inclusive approach to transporation will make the roads safer and more efficient for everyone, including motorists.

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🟪 David Schaafsma, Christian Heritage

Improve public safety by putting violent offenders behind bars for their full sentence, especially if this is not their first conviction.

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⚫ Param Bhatti, Independent

• Guarantee a summer job or paid skills placement for every high school student in Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke — crime prevention starts with youth opportunity.
• Expand community-based mental health crisis teams to reduce pressure on police and ERs.

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Question 3: Health: What will you do to address our pressing health concerns, including the toxic drug crisis and the need for more access to medical care including mental-health care?

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🟠 Maja Tait, NDP

Canadians are proud that we have a public healthcare system - it’s what makes us different from our American neighbours. If it weren’t for Tommy Douglas and a small group of NDP MPs, Canada would not have a universal healthcare system. And, in the last Parliament, our NDP team delivered the biggest expansion of healthcare in a generation through the dental care and pharmacare program.

And still, our healthcare system needs more investment so everyone can have access to the care they deserve. The Liberals have said cuts are on the way, and it’s the last thing Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke needs right now. On the other hand, Pierre Poilievre has vowed to cut-and-gut our health-care system and will allow American-style privatization to creep in across the country.

The NDP wants to protect and expand our health-care system.

The NDP’s plan includes increased health care funding for provinces to recruit and retain more doctors and streamline the process for American health care workers to work in Canada. We’ll fund 1,000 additional residency positions each year for internationally trained doctors already living in Canada, and let doctors practice where needed with a pan-Canadian license.

New Democrats believe free, universal mental health care is the best future. We’re going to move in that direction, starting with guaranteeing that mental health care is covered under the Canada Health Act, and by providing free prescribed medication by expanding the national pharmacare program.

Too many Canadians have lost loved ones because of the toxic drug crisis in Canada, and I know this has touched the lives of so many here in the CRD. We must respond to the toxic drug crisis like the public health emergency it is. Our plan includes investment in prevention, education, and addressing the root causes of substance use. We must also invest in harm reduction measures that keep people alive while working to eliminate wait times for treatment and recovery support. The Liberals have let people down on funding treatment and recovery, and the Conservatives want to criminalize those suffering from addictions. We need a strong plan to ensure people get help when they need it, and the NDP will always be there to defend people and the care they need.

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‍ 🔴 Stephanie McLean, Liberal

Mark Carney’s Liberals will always defend the Canada Health Act and protect universal, fair, and accessible healthcare.

To increase access to healthcare here on the South Island, and across the country, we will expand medical school spaces, increase training opportunities for nurses and caregivers, and speed up the recognition of foreign medical credentials.

We are also committed to responding to the toxic drug crisis. This includes supporting those at risk from toxic drugs and addiction and addressing the flow of drugs into the country. We will invest in mental health services, emergency treatment, addiction recovery and supportive housing. We are also putting $500 million towards creating a Youth Mental Health Fund that will help 100,000 young people annually as well as bolstering the Emergency Treatment Fund. We will also continue investing in law enforcement so they have the resources needed to get toxic drugs out of our communities.

Keeping up with the cost of dental care and medications is a challenge for many of us. Mark Carney and I are committed to preserving pharmacare and dental care. Over 1.7 million Canadians have received care through the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), and more than 3.7 million Canadians have been approved for coverage. We’ll continue working with all Provinces and Territories to ensure that Canadians don’t have to choose between getting necessary dental work and filling up their prescriptions or putting food on the  table.

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🔵 Grant Cool, Conservative

Number one we need to focus on growing the healthcare workforce. This will be done by adding more doctors and making it easier for qualified professionals to work in Canada by cutting the red tape so they can join the system faster. The current pharmaceutical and dental agreements will be honoured and continue to exist. The Conservative Party’s goal is to add 15,000 doctors to our healthcare system by 2030.

We need to bring our loved ones home drug free. We will do this by funding treatment for 50,000 Canadians in treatment centres with a proven record of success at getting people off drugs. Funding will follow results. Ban taxpayer-funded drug dens from being located within 500 metres of schools, daycares, playgrounds, parks, and seniors’ homes and impose strict new oversight rules. Pause any new federal exemptions until evidence justifies they support recovery. Existing federal sites will be required to focus on connecting users with treatment, meet stricter regulatory standards, or be shut down.

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🟢 Ben Homer-Dixon, Green

I arrived at the University of Victoria after a tragic accident had taken the life of a student. It shaped how I think about the toxic drug crisis and the urgent need for compassionate, accessible mental health care. Substance use must be treated as a public health issue. We need universal access to mental health care, pharmacare, and dental care as part of our healthcare system, alongside robust harm reduction services and overdose prevention education. Early intervention in schools, communities, and prisons can prevent greater harm and higher costs. Federal and provincial collaboration is essential, and as your MP, I’ll work with all levels of government to make it happen.

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🟣 Nikita Heurtier

No campaign page or contact info was available for this candidate.

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⭕ Robert Crooks, Communist

The decision by the provincial NDP to walk back their policies on decriminalizing drug use has had devastating consequences in this province. Sixteen thousand people have died in BC since the toxic drug crisis was named a public health emergency in 2016. We cannot treat health issues such as addiction as criminal issues.

While politicians moralize about drug use, people are dying. We need to decriminalize use across the country and offer federally regulated safe supply to all users. And we need to do away with the policy that government provided safe supply needs to be consumed under supervision, since this severly limits access to this life saving program. The government needs to allow medical experts to lead on these projects to ensure that people’s lives aren’t at the whims of partisan bickering. Provincial governments turning to involuntary care is especially cynical when there are patients on waiting lists for voluntary treatment, which they cannot access due to a lack of staffing.

All of this is the result of government policies that result from the choice to defund public healthcare. The same is the case for mental-healthcare. Rich people, like those in government, can afford to go to psychiatrists or send their children to psychologists. For the rest of us, we may be lucky enough to receive prescriptions to help us cope day-to-day, if we can afford the cost at the pharmacy. But that leaves so many people whose mental health deteriorates due to the lack of treatment, leading to compounding crises.

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🟪 David Schaafsma, Christian Heritage

The problem of drug addiction is epidemic. We need to build more drug rehab facilities.

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⚫ Param Bhatti, Independent

• Introduce a federal pilot to cover eyecare, mental health, and dental care under universal care — starting with students, seniors, and low-income residents.
• Support the creation of long-term detox and recovery facilities in partnership with local Indigenous-led services.
• Fund mobile health clinics in underserved rural areas like East Sooke and Highlands.

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Question 4: Transit & Urban Growth

How will you advocate for better transit and infrastructure to support the CRD’s rapidly growing population?

🟠 Maja Tait, NDP

As the Mayor of Sooke and member of the BC Transit board, I have a strong track record of supporting public transit for our community. I advocated to expand and improve service to our community and to growing areas on the Westshore. The CRD is one of the fastest-growing places in BC, and our public transportation must keep up with this growing demand.

As Mayor, I have long advocated for the return of rail service going up the island. Finding new and innovative public transit solutions is essential to meeting the growing needs of our community, and that means an MP who’s able to work with Federal, Provincial, and First Nations partners to deliver for our community.

New Democrats believe in fare-free transit, and we’ll start moving in that direction to lower commuting costs. It's better for people and families, and the planet. The NDP will push for modernizing and expanding public transit, with the goal of electrifying transit by 2030 to cut emissions. We will make federal funding for public transit permanent and take the cost burden off transit riders and taxpayers, and help ensure service is convenient, frequent, and reliable.

Forward-thinking investments in our public infrastructure and transit systems like this are necessary so that people in our community have more options to get to work, to school, and enjoy everything our community has to offer in a more sustainable and economical way. We need progressive NDP voices to make sure these priorities are heard in Ottawa.

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‍ 🔴 Stephanie McLean, Liberal

Our growing communities in the Capital Region are seeing challenges with transportation and road infrastructure that are unique to our part of the country. I will ensure that our voices and concerns are heard, and I will work to ensure we find innovative transit and infrastructure solutions by working cooperatively with the provincial government and municipalities here in Esquimalt, Saanich and Sooke.

We will help municipalities speed up progress and get funding faster by streamlining federal processes. This includes access to the Canada Community Building Fund to help cities and towns upgrade or replace infrastructure.

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🔵 Grant Cool, Conservative

I will advocate for getting light rail transit – this is long overdue. We have significant population growth throughout the region. I will work with partners and stakeholders to ensure the current transit and infrastructure initiatives are implemented to ensure sustainable transportation solutions.

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🟢 Ben Homer-Dixon, Green

As someone who relies on biking and public transit to get around across southern Vancouver Island, I understand both the challenges and opportunities in our region. I’ll advocate for expanded transit infrastructure that meets today’s needs and prepares for future growth. BC Transit’s 25-year plan for Greater Victoria has potential, but chronic underfunding has stalled progress. I support federally funded, fare-free public transit and expanded service to rural areas. We also need better cycling infrastructure to improve safety and reduce emissions. Incentives for fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrids, and reinvesting gas tax revenue into bike lanes and climate action are practical steps toward a cleaner, more connected CRD.

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🟣 Nikita Heurtier

No campaign page or contact info was available for this candidate.

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⭕ Robert Crooks, Communist

Canada needs to undergo a huge overhaul of its public transit system. We need to place Air Canada, Bombardier, Alstom, and CN/CP Rail under public ownership to develop a publicly owned transportation system focused on delivering affordable and environmentally sustainable transportation for people and goods across Canada, including services up and down Vancouver Island, connecting all the different communities.

Whether it’s light rail or a publicly owned bus service powered by renewable energy, we need to replace privatized routes and cancel public-private partnerships that run public services like a for-profit business. Building publicly owned mass rapid transit vehicles and systems for municipalities will reduce private car dependence and curb carbon emissions. They will also democratize transportation by providing more mobility to those with no car. Since these ideas are not new, and are popular demands, if I were elected, I would work with grass roots transit advocates and any progressive elected official who championed public transportation to ensure these projects saw the light of day in BC.

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🟪 David Schaafsma, Christian Heritage

Traffic congestion, especially at peak commuting times is getting worse. We need to get either LRT or express bus lanes out to Sooke to reduce traffic grid lock on Sooke Rd.

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⚫ Param Bhatti, Independent

• Push for full federal funding of the West Shore rapid bus corridor and light rail feasibility studies.
• Ensure new developments in Colwood, View Royal, and Saanich are built around transit, not traffic — with walkable designs and bike networks.

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Question 5: Cost of Living

What will you and your party do to make life more affordable for everyday South Island residents?

🟠 Maja Tait, NDP

People are struggling to afford housing, groceries, and bills, while corporations are raking in record profits, and Trump's threats to our economy and sovereignty will only make it worse.

The NDP would push the government to cap prices on essential grocery items so people can afford to put food on the table. We’ll end handouts to big oil and gas and use those billions to retrofit Canadians’ homes, reducing energy costs and emissions. The Liberals allowed large grocery chains to keep gouging Canadians, and Conservatives believe that the government should give people less and corporations more.

To bring down rents, we need to ban big corporate landlords like Brookfield from buying up affordable rentals. These companies renovict tenants then raise prices to make their shareholders richer. We also need to build more co-op housing and truly affordable homes. There was a time when housing was affordable and when the government was building public housing.

We have announced our plan to bring in Victory Bonds. Every dollar raised will be dedicated entirely to public infrastructure, supporting shovel-ready projects that we will own for generations while boosting our economy.

The NDP will always defend Canadians, build our economy, and take on corporate greed to make life more affordable.

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‍ 🔴 Stephanie McLean, Liberal

Beyond the Liberal plan to increase affordable housing and decrease the cost for first-time home buyers, there are other measures to help people in the capital region make ends meet. For those facing the high cost of dental care, we are expanding dental coverage to Canadians aged 18-64 to provide access to around 4.5 million Canadians. We will be delivering a middle class tax cut, saving a two-income household up to $825 a year.

Mark Carney is committed to continue supporting families by ensuring daycare that doesn't break the bank. Thanks to the Liberal government’s leadership, regulated early learning and childcare spaces are already being delivered for $10-a-day and all other jurisdictions have reduced fees by at least 50%. We’re also seeing savings for families at the gas pump - our environmental plan will make big polluters pay instead of consumers. This means $200 less on gas bills every year and will save Canadians over $450 annually on heating their home.

For seniors, Mark Carney's government will protect retirement savings by reducing by 25% the minimum that must be withdrawn from a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) for a year giving more flexibility in choice for when to draw from retirement savings. Low-income seniors will also see a 5% increase in the Guaranteed Income Supplement - that's up to $652, tax-free.

To support people in these uncertain times we have additional support for workers and businesses affected by the Trump Tariffs. The one-week employment insurance (EI) waiting period is waived and workers won't have to exhaust severance packages before collecting EI. Businesses will get relief with the deferral of corporate income tax payments and GST/HST remittances from April 2 to June 30, 2025 which is providing up to $40 billion in liquidity to businesses.

A new training benefit for mid-career workers will ensure those impacted by tariffs have the necessary tools to pursue good paying jobs and advance their careers in priority sectors. This benefit will provide up to $15,000 for new skills training in priority sectors including health care, manufacturing, construction, A.I. and technology - working with employers, labour and industry to support retention and upskilling within companies.

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🔵 Grant Cool, Conservative

The Canada First Action Plan will reduce income taxes by 15%, allowing the average worker to keep an extra $900 annually, while dual-income families retain $1,800 more. We will axe the federal sales tax on new homes up to $1.3 million and incentivizing cities to lower development charges could save homebuyers $100,000. We will provide training to 350,000 new apprentices over five years and restore $4,000 in apprenticeship grants to create more union jobs. To get our workforce booming we will cut red tape and boost resource development to strengthen our economy.

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🟢 Ben Homer-Dixon, Green

The high cost of living affects all Canadians, and is one of the major issues the constituents I’ve spoken to want to see addressed. I’d advocate for a federal affordability strategy focused on housing, food, and tax reform. When it comes to food costs, I’ve learned so much from Metchosin farmers. They showed me how important it is to support local food—from small farms to “balcony farms” and community-led urban gardens. By broadening our idea of what farming looks like and encouraging partnerships between community groups and all levels of government, we can lower food costs, shrink our carbon footprints, boost Island food security—and enjoy delicious, local food while we’re at it!

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🟣 Nikita Heurtier

No campaign page or contact info was available for this candidate.

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⭕ Robert Crooks, Communist

The Communist Party of Canada proposes to raise minimum wage to a living wage, $25/hour and ensure that it increases automatically with the cost of living. We also recognize the importance of protecting workers rights, and would introduce card check legislation to make it easier for workers to form unions. We would also substantially increase social benefits such as Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security and the Canada Disability Benefit; introduce a Guaranteed Annual Livable Income, and establish universal childcare that is free to users. We also want to overhaul the tax system so that the rich pay their fair share. We sould eliminate income taxes for people making under $50,000, abolish HST, GST and provincial sales taxes. Finally, we would implement price controls on food, fuel and rent. These mechanisms have been used before, and in some cases, are currently in use in some capacity. They must be expanded to lessen the burden on working people.

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🟪 David Schaafsma, Christian Heritage

Make living more affordable. We need to cut the GST and encourage BC to cut the PST out of fuel costs for farmers and those growing food and for those transporting our food to market.

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⚫ Param Bhatti, Independent

• I’ll fight to expand basic care, eliminate out-of-pocket health costs, and bring down housing costs for renters and families.
• Launch a local Food Security Fund to support farms, greenhouses, and local grocers — to cut grocery costs and feed the community.
• Guarantee every student a summer job, and offer free federal skills training for workers in transition.

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Question 6: Environment

What are your top environmental priorities that you will commit to focusing on for the South Island if you are in office?

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Canadians are doing their part to fight the climate crisis. They deserve a government that does its part, too, to protect our air and water.

Despite promising to end fossil fuel subsidies, the Liberals are handing out an additional $12 billion of public money to Big Oil, even though these companies are already making record profits. They are keeping tax breaks for oil and gas exploration and development expenses that cost $1.8 billion annually. They have flip-flopped on their position on a strong emission cap. They have let Canadians down.

While big oil hides behind Trump’s threats and rising costs to dodge their responsibility, my New Democrat colleagues and I are putting forward a plan that makes polluters pay, meets our climate targets, and puts people first.

The NDP will cancel subsidies for oil and gas CEOs and protect families that are paying the ultimate price for this climate crisis. We’ll make industrial polluters pay more, with strong industrial carbon pricing and a hard cap on oil and gas emissions. We will eliminate $18 billion in oil and gas subsidies and put that money towards retrofits that work for people, lowering energy bills and creating thousands of good jobs in construction, clean tech, and manufacturing.

While other parties protect those at the top and big companies, New Democrats defend our environment and will not stop letting big polluters off the hook.

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‍ 🔴 Stephanie McLean, Liberal

Mark Carney was in the Capital Region earlier this month to announce the plan to advance 10 new National Parks and Marine Conservation Areas, create 15 new National Urban Parks, and make national parks and historic sites free for this upcoming summer. While Pierre Pollievre says we have to choose between growing the economy and fighting climate change - we have a plan to do both. This will be done with a climate policy that is unifying, credible and predictable and meets key objectives to reduce emissions and drive the economy. We will provide incentives to households to do home retrofits, embrace responsible transportation and zero emission vehicles.

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🔵 Grant Cool, Conservative

I believe environmental stewardship is vital – this means working with Indigenous communities and local governments to protect ecosystems and biodiversity.

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🟢 Ben Homer-Dixon, Green

Tackling climate change and environmental degradation are my top priorities - they demand urgent national action. The Green Party has a smart, pragmatic plan to cut pollution, build clean energy, and protect Canadians from climate disasters. With sun, wind, and hydro power in abundance, we can lead the world in clean energy innovation while creating thousands of good jobs and lowering energy bills. I’m especially excited about establishing a Youth Climate Corps, a program to hire young people for meaningful, green jobs that support climate resilience, food security, and community development. It’s a win-win: practical experience for youth and real benefits for our environment and economy.

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🟣 Nikita Heurtier

No campaign page or contact info was available for this candidate.

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⭕ Robert Crooks, Communist

Locally, we need to look into preserving our marine ecosystems, protecting our farm land and regulating our logging industry.

We must end government subsidies to oil corporations. A recent report has shown that fossil fuels and petrochemical sectors received $30 billion of our public tax money in 2024, comparable to our entire annual defence budget. This is something that not only destroys our environment but also directs public resources away from social programs that are starved for funding. These subsidies could fund the acceleration of the transition from oil and gas to more environmentally sustainable forms of energy.

The traffic of oil tankers to our ports have increased tenfold without a comparable expansion of safety infrastructure. This is a ticking time bomb. We need to make this change before this creates irreparable damage to our waters, which will in turn have an effect on all of our industries in BC.

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🟪 David Schaafsma, Christian Heritage

A clean and sustainable environment is important for everyone. We need to make sure that our CRD park system is well funded so that our green spaces can be well maintained.

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⚫ Param Bhatti, Independent

• Invest in a South Island Clean Energy Corps, employing local trades to retrofit homes, install solar, and build community-owned renewable projects.
• Partner with local Nations to protect old growth and restore salmon-bearing streams like the Goldstream and Colquitz rivers.

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Question 7: US Relations

The US has taken an increasingly aggressive stance on trade, security, and global policy. How will you and your party protect Island interests, including tourism, commerce, and the environment, while maintaining a stable relationship with our neighbours in Washington state?

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🟠 Maja Tait, NDP

Canada faces serious threats to our economy and sovereignty. Here on Vancouver Island, we look out for one another, and we need our government to do the same. We need to build a stronger, fairer, and more resilient Canadian economy, not just to weather the storm of Trump’s trade war, but for the long term.

The NDP would ensure every dollar collected from Canada’s counter tariffs goes directly to support workers and communities hit hardest. We would immediately push for expanded Employment Insurance so workers and families don’t fall through the cracks, and we would provide financial support to workers and small businesses in the event of a prolonged trade war.

We also need to build more and support our economy with good-paying local jobs. That's why the NDP announced our plan to bring in Victory Bonds. Every dollar raised will be dedicated entirely to public infrastructure, supporting shovel-ready projects that we will own for generations while boosting our economy.

Our economy here, especially our tourism economy, is tied to our neighbours in the South. We need to continue to work with elected officials along the coast, who have been allies with us and continue to welcome Americans to our beautiful island to contribute to the local economy here. We can also attract more visitors from BC and the rest of Canada, as we support Canadians avoiding vacationing in the US.

We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful and unique place that people around the world want to visit. That is why we need to invest in our community and invest in infrastructure so that we can not only support families and workers in our region but also support the tens of thousands of people who want to come and experience the beauty of Vancouver Island.

Canada is better with strong, progressive New Democrats in Ottawa. We will defend Canadians, build our local economy, and take on corporate greed to make life more affordable.

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‍ 🔴 Stephanie McLean, Liberal

We can’t control President Trump. Mark Carney and I are focused on what we can control and doing what we can to make it easier for Canadians to  weather the storm.  We will fight the U.S. tariffs with retaliatory trade actions of our own that will have  maximum impact in the United States and minimum impacts here in Canada.  We will protect our workers and our industries during this difficult period, but above all, we will build a new Canadian economy.

We need to work in partnership with the provinces, territories and Indigenous  peoples to decide on major projects in the national interest, to remove barriers and encourage collaboration to  better manage our resources and projects and cut red tape to speed up energy project approvals. This plan will get major projects built in the energy and resource sectors, attract  more investments to Canada, and create more jobs for Canadians.

It’s clear that we can no longer rely on the United States. Now more than ever, we need to secure Canadian sovereignty by strengthening our military, making our communities more resilient, and protecting against growing threats.  A government led by Mark Carney will ensure that military personnel have the  proper equipment they need to serve effectively. This includes expanding Canada’s defence with new submarines, heavy icebreakers, and advanced drone capabilities, and integrating the Canadian Coast Guard into Canada’s defence capabilities to better protect our coasts and reinforce our sovereignty. We will also fix the CAF member shortage by modernizing recruitment and investing in the members of the Canadian Armed Forces — giving them a well deserved raise, building on-base housing, improving access to doctors, mental  health services and child care, and better supporting them and their families.

With threats to our economy and sovereignty coming from the south, many Canadians are choosing to vacation this side of the border when school lets out. To make it easier and more affordable for families to vacation at home, including here on Vancouver island, Mark Carney's Liberals will offer a Canada Strong Pass so kids and young families can discover Canada this summer which builds on making National Park and Historic Site access free this summer. The Canada Strong Pass will run June to August 2025 and allow those under 18 free access to national galleries and museums and seats for free when traveling with their parents on VIA Rail. There will also be discounted access and fares for Canadians aged 18-24.

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🔵 Grant Cool, Conservative

As your Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke Member of Parliament, I’ll fight to make sure money from counter-tariffs goes straight to the workers and local businesses that need it. These are our neighbours and the heart of the Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke economy. I support real, practical help—like low-interest loans, targeted support to save jobs, and tax relief for those hit hardest.

I’ll also push to remove trade barriers between provinces so our businesses can grow across Canada. It’s not just about dealing with today’s problems—it’s about creating a stronger, more self-reliant future for our communities. This can be achieved only by working together to ensure a realistic and sustainable future for our communities in the riding.

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🟢 Ben Homer-Dixon, Green

Addressing national security and building economic resilience requires real collaboration across all levels of government. That’s why the Green Party supports creating a Council of Governments—bringing together federal, provincial, municipal, and Indigenous leaders to align priorities and work together effectively. Here on Vancouver Island, we should strengthen cross-border relationships with Washington State, building on successful partnerships like Destination Greater Victoria and the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority. Our Pacific location positions us to diversify trade while protecting the Salish Sea. Let’s add value to Canadian resources locally, support Island-based businesses and skilled workers, and eliminate interprovincial trade barriers. That could grow Canada’s economy by up to $300 billion. Real progress starts with collaboration - and putting community before politics. Let’s get to work.

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🟣 Nikita Heurtier

No campaign page or contact info was available for this candidate.

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⭕ Robert Crooks, Communist

The way to respond to the US tariffs is by re-industrializing Canada by bringing back value-added manufacturing and secondary industry so that we aren’t simply an exporter of raw materials. We would create jobs through massive public investments, and bring the major industries including the energy sector, banking and the auto industry, under public ownership and democratic control. We would also diversify our global trading partners and develop mutually-beneficial relationships with countries like China, instead of continuously provoking them at the behest of the United States government.

Vancouver Island is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and by making changes to accessible transit, environmental protection laws and poverty reduction, we will only improve our profile as a tourist destination. We must maintain productive diplomatic relationships with all countries, and in the case of the United States, with the state of Washington and other West Coast states that do not approve of Trump’s agenda regarding Canada.

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🟪 David Schaafsma, Christian Heritage

US relations are rocky right now. I would like to increase our advertising dollars that encourage Americans to come up and visit our wonderful Island, especially Victoria and the Westshore.

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⚫ Param Bhatti, Independent

• Propose a Canada-Washington Green Tourism Corridor, linking ferries, Indigenous tourism, and eco-travel across the border.
• Work directly with coastal U.S. communities to protect shared waters, salmon stocks, and marine habitat from corporate exploitation.

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Question 8: Your Commitment

In one sentence: Why should Victoria voters choose you?

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🟠 Maja Tait, NDP

Victoria voters should vote for me because I care about people - as a mom and three-term Mayor (and two-term councilor), I have shown that I am in it to serve.For decades, the South Island has elected New Democrats because we have a track record of delivering for people and stopping Conservatives — and when times get tough, people can count on me to protect what matters most - their health care, pensions, jobs, and environment.

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‍ 🔴 Stephanie McLean, Liberal

Our community needs proven leadership that can build for the future and steer Canada through this crisis - as a former provincial Cabinet Minister myself, I know that Mark Carney and our Liberal team are the only ones who will stand up to Donald Trump and keep American-style politics out of Canada.

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🔵 Grant Cool, Conservative

If elected, my first promise would be to listen to constituents to better represent them on Parliament Hill - to ensure our communities, elders, and especially our children and grandchildren have prosperous futures.

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🟢 Ben Homer-Dixon, Green

Now is the time to be bold—vote for a leader with the courage, energy, and vision to fight for our future and our community's economic and environmental interests.

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🟣 Nikita Heurtier

No campaign page or contact info was available for this candidate.

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⭕ Robert Crooks, Communist

People should vote for me because capitalism is killing the planet, stealing all of our resources, and blindly driving us towards world war three.

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🟪 David Schaafsma, Christian Heritage

I know the challenges that the people of my electoral district face, many of whom have come to me for Optometric Eye Care for over 25 years, and I have practical ideas to find solutions to those challenges.

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⚫ Param Bhatti, Independent

I’m not a politician — I’m a neighbour who’s lived here over 30 years, and I’m running to fight for a future where everyone has a good job, a decent place to live, and a real chance to get ahead.