ROLY RUSSELL - BC NDP - CANDIDATE ANSWERS

ROLY RUSSELL
BC NDP Candidate
BOUNDARY-SIMILKAMEEN


 

ROLY RUSSELL SAYS: 
I know that working together with our local Chamber of Commerce, municipalities, tourism organizations, and other regional leaders is key to ensuring the success of our rural communities. I have been tackling that work across our province for the last 4 years. Committing to an active and ongoing dialogue is critical and over my last few years I’ve identified better models of delivering that – models that I look forward to implementing going forward if I get the chance!  A set, regular communication opportunity to engage the Chamber and members would be mutually beneficial.  I look to the organisations on the ground to help identify how that works best.  As you mention, and I whole-heartedly agree, small town leadership that sets aside egos and works in partnership delivers better results for everyone, and I’m committed to helping that however possible!

I’ll address a few of the specifics that you highlighted as important issues flagged by your members.

I have clearly heard that running a business in rural BC is increasingly challenging, with rising costs such as commercial insurance making it harder for small businesses to survive. Dialogue with the Insurance Council of BC, and the Insurance Bureau of Canada to highlight challenges such as these for our business community, and I encourage them to increase predictability and transparency. I will also continue to support the BC NDP’s Enhanced Care System, which has lowered insurance premiums for many, ensuring it remains beneficial for both personal and commercial vehicle owners. Beyond this, we are working to address wage policies that balance fair compensation for workers while considering the needs of small businesses, offering wage subsidies and training programs to support local enterprises.  I’ve also been working with the post-secondary institutions to support our collective expansion of the opportunities for more education and training in-community to get more local people into the positions they want, and in turn, support the local business community on the labour side of things.

In the South Okanagan, wineries are central to much of our economy, and I’ve dedicated to helping them overcome the challenges they face. I’ve fought for replant for grape and apple growers, and we delivered it.  I fought to resolve the regulatory barriers facing our wineries, archaic regulations that were keeping wineries from providing the best customer experience possible, and we delivered at least some of those.  I was one of the primary advocates for the temporary relief for wineries that had serious grape shortages this year, and we delivered the 2024 temporary relief package to import Washington grapes to keep them operating and their staff hired, ready to buy our BC grapes again as soon as that crop recovers.  I was leading the charge against Albertan restrictions on direct-to-consumer shipments that they had imposed – we got the support we needed. The wine sector and associated tourism supports a great deal of our economy, whether you’re an electrician or a florist - I’ve been fighting to ensure wineries and grape growers are able to access the support they need to succeed.

I am happy to discuss the olympic average question in more detail when we have the opportunity.  Similarly, I know that the replant program needs improvements and particularly more attention and support; I thought hard to get the funding, and be sure that industry guided the development of the architecture of the program, but I have heard a number of frustrations since it was announced.  My understanding was that we expected to be revisiting the structure of the program soon to ensure it delivers the intention of the policy.

Agriculture more broadly is a cornerstone of our region's identity, and it’s been a brutal few years for farmers, capped recently by the closure of BCTF Co-op. Addressing the many challenges there, including labor shortages, is crucial. I’m working to expand local training programs and streamline the hiring of temporary foreign workers, pushing the Feds to ensure the TFW program works well for our farms, and advocating for more flexibility in federal regulations (and ensuring they don't increase the rates for agricultural workers to the provincial median!). Following the closure of the BC Tree Fruits, we engaged an all-of-government response, and I was regularly in discussions with the Minister of Agriculture, the Premier, the Attorney General, Minister of Jobs, and others involved with supporting the community and industry.  I’ve been advocating for financial relief and securing alternative processing and storage options to help farmers weather this challenge. We got debts paid to co-op growers, and stood up an emergency table to address the gaps with the co-op closure.  Investing in local food processing infrastructure will be critical to ensuring our farmers have sustainable options for processing and distributing their products, supporting food security and the long-term viability of our agricultural sector.  My roots in agriculture are deep, I won't stop fighting to provide farmers with more support, and ensuring we can do what's possible to support our food system in BC.

I’ll keep fighting for you.  Together with your collaboration, clear communication, and a government that cares, I’m confident we can continue to clear the runway for the great work that our local businesses do!