John Weston is running again to represent West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast–Sea to Sky Country in the upcoming federal election. The Conservative Party of Canada incumbent was first elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2011. The Squamish Chief caught up with him on the campaign trail to compare this campaign to past ones and to discuss issues that impact Squamish.
Q: What are the big issues of the campaign for you?
A: The big issues are:
Encouraging projects that add value that can bring about prosperity and projects that will allow us to be able to afford our country’s expenses, such as our health-care costs that are up to $150 billion.
Environment and economy: My opponents would say there has to be a balance and that the two are always in opposition. I don’t agree with that framing. I would say environment is the economy.
Lower taxes: There is a real distinction between our campaign and all my opponents – all would say increase taxes. Our government has the lowest federal taxes since the 1960s.
One Canada, no veto rights. We celebrate our diversity, but we must also make sure no one group has a veto over any other.
Q: This isn’t your first kick at the can politically. How is this campaign different, or is it?
A: This time, issues are more focused, and there is more of a distinction between us and the other parties.
Concerning value-added projects, which are so critical to the economy in Squamish and other places, you have in the NDP a party that is generally opposed philosophically to natural resource extraction and value added projects. In the case of the Liberals it is imposing so many conditions [on LNG] that they would effectively end up in the same camp as the NDP.
My perspective: It shouldn’t be politicians, but scientists and engineers who are driving these decisions. Independent, objective, science-based and stringent processes that enable us to do world-class, value added projects. This is key for Squamish for a couple of reasons: Squamish residents typically on average pay eight per cent more than the typical British Columbian in real property taxes, and the debt service costs for Squamish increased some 20 per cent between 2013 and 2014. So you have the increasingly clear picture of a community that needs an industrial base, but we all understand that anything that is done, whether it is Woodfibre LNG or any other project, is consistent with these stringent standards that I would uphold.
Q: What do you make of the mid-August Environics poll that showed you were one of the incumbents trailing?
A: The only poll that matters is the poll on voting day, and the people in Squamish know where I stand, and I will continue to stand for them.
Q: How is the campaign going so far?
It is going great. I think we have a real great movement of volunteers who are responding to the big issues of the campaign. I take huge pride in the riding I have represented.
For more on Weston’s campaign platform, check out his website re-electjohnweston.ca. He is up against the Green Party’s Ken Melamed, NDP candidate Larry Koopman and the Liberals’ Pamela Goldsmith-Jones. Election Day is Oct. 19.
