Surrey-Cloverdale

Liberal Candidate: Marvin Hunt

Marvin Hunt has been the MLA for Surrey-Panorama since 2013, and has served as a Surrey City Councillor for a total of 23 years.

“I’m running because I am a free-enterpriser. I believe in a small government [and] low taxes, so that the individuals can fulfill their dreams and vision, and prosper and build the community,” he says. “We want to be able to have the resources available in our post-secondary education system so individuals can develop their full potential.”

Hunt feels that Surrey has been “underserved in post-secondary education,” and that it shows in the municipality’s low participation rates in local post-secondary institutions. However, he also believes that the arrival of SFU’s campus here and the growth of KPU is “something we continue to work on.”

NDP Candidate: Rebecca Smith

Rebecca Smith is the Executive Director of the Surrey Hospice Society and the B.C. Psychological Association, and has been a small business owner and operator of her own consulting firm.

“Every day, I hear from families who are struggling to make ends meet. Families can’t find affordable child care. They worry about their rising debt-levels and spend far too much time stuck in traffic,” wrote Smith, in the media release published following her nomination. “$10 a day childcare will not only help families, but also help grow the economy. The B.C. NDP will work with municipalities to get needed transportation infrastructure built.”

Smith stands with the NDP’s platform promise of raising the minimum wage to $15, wants to focus on improving the province’s health care system, and and would like to see greater investment in clean energy and technologies.

Green Candidate: Aleksandra Muniak

The issues Aleksandra Muniak is focusing on are “housing affordability, education, reform within the MCFD and homelessness,” as well as mental health and addiction.

“The B.C. Greens align with my values on so many of the issues I find particularly important, including the need for increased standard of living, quality education for all income groups, and strong healthcare that includes care for those with addictions, seniors and those requiring mental health services,” wrote Muniak, following her nomination.

When asked why the people of her district should vote for her in the Elections B.C. candidate survey, Muniak responded, “I consider myself the best candidate to represent Surrey-Cloverdale because I am in touch and understand the struggles of many families.

Langley

Liberal Candidate: Mary Polak

Mary Polak has been the incumbent Liberal MLA for Langley since 2005, winning three consecutive terms. Most recently, she has served on the Executive Council of B.C. as the Minister of the Environment, but she has also been the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, Minister of Children and Family Development, Minister Responsible for Child Care, and Minister of Healthy Living and Sport.

Polak is a member of the Cabinet Working Group on Liquefied Natural Gas and the Priorities and Planning Committee. She also vice-chairs the Environment and Land Use Committee. Before her involvement in B.C. politics, she was the chair and a trustee on the Surrey School Board.

NDP Candidate: Gail Chaddock-Costello

In a town hall meeting on April 25, Gail Chaddock-Costello said that the provincial government needs to “improve health care, and so the NDP plan is to look at centring acute care centres across B.C.. They’ll be in remote areas in the Lower Mainland, and will be available 24 hours a day to address the acute needs of individuals with mental health needs, as well as [other] care issues.”

“My reputation in Langley is one of commitment to the people I serve, a drive to accomplish goals, and an ability to keep the lines of communication open to ensure the work continues to represent the needs of the community,” she wrote in her candidate statement. “As a parent and community member I understand the unique challenges of Langley and am eager to work with the community to use my experience and skills to get the job done.”

Green Candidate: Elizabeth Walker

“I’m not a politician,” said Elizabeth Walker, in her media release. “I’m a responsive and compassionate small business owner motivated to work each day to ensure the needs of our community are understood and are accommodated fairly and effectively. My key passions include education, clean energy, the environment, and building strong communities.”

“People often want to peg the B.C. Greens as left wing or right wing—those are really outdated terms,” said Walker, at an April 25 town hall meeting. “We are about good policy and evidence-based decision making, which is not fixated on either side of the spectrum.”

“I think we can do better in government,” she said. “I hope to be one part of that agent of change along with my B.C. Green colleagues that are running in the election, because we are concerned about the future of our province and where we’re headed.”