ELECTION 2025: Meet the Cariboo-Prince George Candidates

The Federal Election is set for Monday, April 28th.

My PG Now reached out to each candidate running to become the Member of Parliament for the Cariboo-Prince George riding for their responses to the following five questions:

1. Tell us about yourself?
2. What makes you the best candidate to represent your riding?
3. What are the most important issues in your riding and why?
4. What is your position on tariffs?
5. Are there any final thoughts on any topics that you would like to share?

IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (Last name)

Angie Bonazzo, NDP:

A healthcare worker for the Northern Health Authority since 2007, I have labored on the wards of hospitals and nursing homes, noted for my dedication and commitment to excellence in patient care. I am a active and engaged labour activist with the largest healthcare union in British Columbia, having serving on the previous bargaining committee that negotiated the greatest gains for 57 000 union members.

Jodie Capling, Green Party:

My name is Jodie Capling and I’m stepping forward as a candidate for the Green Party because I believe that all Canadians should have a choice to vote for a party that represents their values and their vision for Canada.

Growing up in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, I spent a great deal of time outdoors, camping and enjoying our beautiful lakes. These early years shaped my appreciation for our natural environment.

After completing a master’s degree in resource management, I worked in energy efficiency in the private sector for five years. My partner and I then made the great decision to move back to the Cariboo, where I was able to stay home to raise our children.

I have been active in promoting action on climate change in many of the communities I’ve lived in over the years. This includes organizing public meetings and local events to support national and global movements and attending events hosted by others.

By participating in this election, I hope to show that, even in a traditionally conservative electoral district, there are people who have a different vision for Canada, especially with respect to climate change, the environment and the ways that we can achieve a more just and resilient society for all.

Todd Doherty, Conservative Party (incumbent):

I’m Todd Doherty, incumbent Member of Parliament for Cariboo—Prince George. My wife and I both grew up in Williams Lake, and as your member of Parliament since 2015, I have been a steadfast advocate for our communities. My passion is mental health, suicide prevention, and the well-being of Canadians.

In October 2022, I was appointed as the Conservative Party’s Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, a role that reflects my deep commitment to addressing Canada’s mental health crisis.

One of my most notable achievements is my relentless advocacy for the implementation of Canada’s national three-digit suicide prevention hotline, 988. Thanks to my efforts, Canada launched the service in 2023, providing a simple, accessible resource for those in crisis. My work on 988 has been widely recognized as a significant step forward in improving mental health support across the country.

My commitment to mental health also led to the successful passage of Bill C-211, which established a national framework to address post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among first responders, veterans, and military personnel. This groundbreaking legislation ensured that those who dedicate their lives to protecting Canadians receive the mental health support they deserve.

My work continues to make a lasting impact on Canada’s mental health landscape, ensuring that those in crisis have access to immediate help and that mental health remains a national priority.

Prior to my political career, my wife Kelly and I were small business owners for over 20 years, and I worked as an aviation executive, collaborating with various levels of government to promote national trade, tourism, and aviation opportunities both at home and abroad.

Clinton Emslie, Liberal Party:

Clinton Emslie is the Liberal voice of reason, resilience, and results for Cariboo–Prince George in the 45th Canadian General Election. Born on September 9, 1974, in Durban, South Africa, Clinton was raised in modest circumstances in coal mining and farming communities. With a father who worked in the mines and later became a motor mechanic, and a mother who transitioned from homemaker to secretary, Clinton learned early on the values of hard work, humility, and perseverance.

Determined to rise above financial hardship, Clinton put himself through university while working, eventually earning two degrees—in Business Management and Production and Operations Management. That drive would become a hallmark of his life.

In 2016, Clinton immigrated to Canada with his spouse—a dedicated mental healthcare professional—and settled in Mississauga, Ontario. There, he made a name for himself through grassroots environmental and social efforts, helping keep reusable items out of landfills and passing them along to those in need. This work earned him a Community Leadership Award from the Prime Minister of Canada in 2018.

In 2023, Clinton and his spouse moved to Quesnel, falling in love with the Cariboo–Prince George region. As a pragmatic problem-solver with lived experience overcoming adversity, he is ready to be the region’s champion—working collaboratively with residents and First Nations communities to build a better future.

“I may be the new guy on the block—but I come with deep commitment and the knowledge to help our communities rise. I’ve lived the challenges. I’ve built solutions. And now, I’m here to share that strength with you. Let’s lift each other, succeed together, and lead Cariboo–Prince George toward lasting prosperity. That is my promise. That is my goal.”

Rudy Sans, People’s Party of Canada:

I was born and raised in a northern suburb of Paris, France. At the age of twelve, my family and I embraced the opportunity to immigrate to Canada. Despite the challenges of adapting to a new country, my primary focus was always on assimilating and embracing my new home. My career started in retail, and after a couple years working in BC Corrections, I am now a Deputy Sheriff at the Prince George Law Courts.

On my spare time, I enjoy lakes and rivers, automotive racing and mechanical work, playing soccer and coaching rugby. Deeply concerned about the daily struggles of many Canadians, I have spent the last seventeen years studying critical thinking and geopolitics to better understand the root causes of Canada’s economic and social challenges. Witnessing people struggle to maintain a basic standard of living and facing limited opportunities for prosperity has driven my passion for seeking solutions and real change.

Now 47 years old, I am honoured to represent the People’s Party of Canada, a party that prioritizes Canadian citizens over private interests and globalist agendas. Outraged by the decline of the country under career politicians who refuse to defend Canada’s sovereignty and citizens’ rights and freedoms, I am committed to fighting for a future where Canadians can live prosperous and free.

Kenneth B. Thomson, Independent

My life began as being part of a family which was the first generation off the farm. During my early years I spent time driving a tractor, shovelling grain in a grainery, stacking hay bails, feeding and tending to pigs, chopping wood for the winter, and doing other tasks that were necessary to survive on a farm to the south-west of Edmonton in the 1950s and early 1960s.

During my high-school years, I worked and lived at a dude stable in the White Mud Creek valley in southwest Edmonton where I helped to take care of 70 head of horses. During that time, I became an accomplished horseman. My relationship with horses was such that I played the part of a picador in the opera Carman riding a horse across the stage while the actors/actresses sang with the accompaniment of a full symphony orchestra.

I excelled at school. During high-school I was awarded a United Nations scholarship and a Royal Canadian Institute of Science scholarship. I also received my high-school letter in athletics.

Since graduating from the public school system, I have had four separate careers: large retail store management; software developer/systems architect; subcontractor; and lawyer. Interspersed, I have taken time to myself, travelled and acquired three university degrees which include a B.A., B.Sc. and J.D.

My career in large retail store management was spent as part of the Woolworth/Woolco management team. I started out as a stockboy and worked my way up to being the acting general manager of the Prince Rupert’s Woolworth store.

My career as a software developer/systems architect included designing a fault-tolerant system for controlling a nuclear power plant and developing and marketing software for the control of computer communication devices.

During my career as a sub-contractor, I worked as a labourer, foreman, and eventually as a finisher.

Currently I am working as a lawyer focused primarily on family and criminal law.

Jake Wiens, Christian Heritage Party:

Jake Wiens has worked as a teacher for most of his career: seven years as an elementary school teacher in Williams Lake public school system and 21 years at Cedars Christian School in Prince George. Here he taught a variety of high school courses and served as well as teacher – librarian in the K-12 library. Of interest would be the many school trips he made with Grade 11-12 students both to Mexico (building homes for the poor and children’s Bible Day clubs for street kids). He also led the annual class trip for the Grade 11 class to Vancouver East side. The purpose of these trips was primarily to help young people develop roots for their faith and gain added life perspective for the decision-making years ahead. He took a break from teaching after the 7-year stint in Williams Lake to work in Germany as a church pastor assistant. These overseas years did help develop greater perspective in understanding our own cultural moment.

Jake retired in 2014, spent the next season of his life building their retirement home in Prince George. During this same time, he authored a book to provide some answers for the question as to why the church and Christian school community continues to lose so many young people to the faith after they have left the safety of the Christian School and the church youth groups. Life’s Ultimate Questions: Exploring the Stories that Shape our Everyday This book has since been revised and is available on his website.

As a culture watcher Jake is keenly aware of the critical cultural moment we are in. The foundations of our country are being eroded at an alarming rate. The Christian foundations created such a great advantage for this country and western culture.  His passion is to speak truth to culture; only truth can restore the fortunes of our country. Running as a candidate for the Christian Heritage Party was just a natural fit.

Jake Wiens is married and together they have raised 4 sons.  All are doing well in career, family, and faith.

What makes you the best candidate to represent your riding?

Bonazzo:

I am deeply connected to a vast cross section of citizens in this area and beyond having a deep understanding of the pressures our community members face whether it be from job security, housing costs, accessing healthcare and farming challenges. As a working person I feel my understanding of these challenges gives me a firm grasp that is in touch with the constituents of this riding.

Capling:

I believe that everyone who puts their name forward as a candidate does so because they care about their community and making Canada an even better place to live. I think most Canadians want very similar things including safe affordable housing, good jobs to provide for their family, access to health care and education, and a way to protected our environment and have a strong economy.

The way that different political parties propose to meet these needs is different and I think the Green Party’s commitment to sustainability, ecological integrity, social equity, and democratic principles sets us apart. My ability to listen, to be curious and open to diverse opinions and ideas, and my aptitude for leadership would be a benefit to the people in our riding.

Doherty:

I’ve been honoured to have the support of this region for the last 10 years of being your MP. My wife and I were raised here. This is our home. Many of you have known me for years. You know I listen to you, I fight for you, and I deliver results. I’m running again because Cariboo—Prince George deserves strong, experienced representation that reflects the values of our region. I have that experience. I know how Ottawa works, and how to get things done for our region. But there’s still work to be done. Over the years, I’ve fought for lower taxes, safer communities, and a responsible government. But we need to go further to ensure Canadians get real relief from the many crises we face, and I’m committed to seeing that through.

Emslie:

As a resident in Cariboo-Prince George, I am invested, I am affected by all the same things our residents are, and as a community champion, I am committing to fight tooth and nail for our community to get the services, the funding, the resources that we need to build Cariboo better, to uplift our community into prosperity once again, and to work with our communities to achieve things never done before.

Addressing our Trade Crisis is a first priority, along with our healthcare crisis, as these are passionate things to me, they affect everyone equally. I am a fighter, and i will fight for our communities until we get what we deserve and need.

Sans: 

I offer voters in the Cariboo-Prince George district a real alternative to what we currently have in the Federal Government. I want Canadians to be able to elect someone who is not a career politician and who understands the struggles citizens experience everyday. I want to put people first and represent them accordingly.

I am running in this Federal Election to represent those who share the values and solutions offered in our platform and understand the need for a limited and fiscally responsible Government.

Thomson:

I believe that I am the best candidate. I acknowledge that there are other candidates who also have much to offer. However, I believe that I am the better candidate because I am not burdened by having to conform to party policy, and that I would be a stronger advocate for our riding.

Probably the two most important qualities that make me an exceptionally good candidate, is that I relate well to people regardless of who they are and I am generally able to come up with creative solutions for whatever challenge I am confronted with.

There is also the question of independence. Yes, a member of parliament has to consider the well-being of all Canadians but at the same time one is in parliament to represent their constituents. As an independent I only have to answer to the members of my riding and my best wisdom. Candidates affiliated with a political party have also to answer to their party. Depending on the riding being represented, there will be more or less times that a representative’s position will be compromised by their party affiliation. For our riding, it will be not uncommon that a compromise is made.

I have lived through the changes that Canada, and the world, has experienced over the last 70+ years. The first time I saw television I was already 10 years old. The first telephone I used was a crank telephone on a party-line.

Over the years I have witnessed the competition of public interest and private interest vying for the control of parliament. I have witnessed corporate interests, often with the backing of other nations, seeking to compromise our sovereignty and claim our national resources for themselves.

We have to stop reacting to current events and take a longer view to restoring our sovereignty and restoring public interest as the primary focus of parliament.

I am the best candidate because I understand what the needs of our riding are and I am the only candidate unfettered by party or ideological influence.

Wiens:

Our riding is conservative, and at a deeper level Judeo-Christian in worldview. With a robust discussion our riding would, to a majority degree, rest on the same moral values issues as I do. I have lived in the riding for 45 years, 7 in Williams Lake and now in Prince George.

What are the most important issues (up to three) in your riding and why?

Bonazzo:

1) Healthcare: improving access to long term care, access to family doctors, and ensuring a robust funding model from Ottawa to British Columbia to maintain our healthcare system.
2) Our forestry sector: too many mills have closed, and we have lost good paying jobs
3) Interprovincial trade barriers that directly impact our livestock farmers processing and selling their products.

Capling:

While listening to people in our riding, I’ve heard a wide variety of people’s top concerns, ranging from the high cost of living, the need for a sustainable economy, dealing with US tariffs, to the need for freedom of speech.

Many of these concerns are based in the economy and the environment. To address this we have to build a sustainable, low carbon economy that provides good jobs for Canadians. This includes moving away from shipping our raw or minimally processed resources straight out of the country. By promoting value-added processing of Canada’s natural resources, we create jobs for Canadians and increase the value we receive from the use of our natural resources.

Doherty:

Take a look around our communities. Can we honestly say they look the same after 10 years of Liberal government? Drugs and prolific offenders have brought crime and chaos into our communities. A new government will launch the biggest crackdown on crime in Canadian history, repealing Liberal catch-and-release policies, bringing in life sentences for fentanyl, gun, and human traffickers, and launching a “three strikes and you’re out” policy that will ensure repeat offenders remain behind bars where they belong.

Another massive issue facing our region is affordability. Whether it’s gas, groceries, or homes, life has become unaffordable in Canada after the last 10 years of Liberal governance, especially for younger Canadians. We’ve never seen 2 million Canadians accessing food banks before. We’ve never seen an entire generation watch the dream of home ownership slip out of reach. We’ve never seen so many job losses and mill closures in our region. The Conservative Party will address affordability by lowering your income taxes by 15%, controlling inflation by balancing government spending, cutting the red tape and bureaucracy to build more homes faster, and unleashing our resource sector to bring home good paying jobs right here at home.

Furthermore, it’s no secret that mill closures and job losses in the forestry sector have hit our region harder than perhaps anywhere in Canada. Forestry isn’t just an industry here, it’s part of our heritage, our identity. Mills feed families—but Liberal policies are shutting them down, causing tens of thousands of British Columbians to lose their jobs. A new Conservative government will fight for our forestry sector. We will renegotiate our trade deals to finally get a fair softwood lumber deal with the U.S. after 10 years of Liberal incompetence. We will axe the industrial carbon tax that punishes our forestry sector. And lastly, we will fast-track major resource development projects to get our people working again.

Emslie:

1. Protect and Grow the Forestry Sector – This is the backbone of the Cariboo Industry, and when that’s under attack, we are all under attack. Protecting this industry is our most important priority, alongside developing new a new vibrant industry in Tourism as an alternative to Forestry.
2. Addressing the Healthcare Crisis, which includes Mental health. Breaking down the barriers within the context of Provinces is vital to ensuring we can attract healthcare workers to our riding. Addressing the shortage is first and foremost the thing we need to tackle, and find solutions for.
3. Building a Resilient Community, which means addressing Cost of Living, affordable housing, affordable fuel, wildfire preparedness, and skills development to ensure our people are skilled to do the work we need to build our community stronger.

Sans:

Affordability and rising inflation issues. Our Party’s commitment is to cut wasteful spending
across the board in order to balance the budget and get the Bank of Canada’s current inflation target of 2% down to 0%. The resulting reduction in inflation and our commitment to overall tax cuts would render all products and services much more affordable.

The opioid crisis falls under National Security because it is a direct attack on our society. I would focus our efforts on Border Security to stop “street” opioid products from entering our Country. In addition, any suspicious shipments of substances that are reasonably believed to be used in the manufacturing of opioids need to be tracked as to assist in investigating the criminals involved in this process.

Thomson: 

1. Preserving the viability of our forestry industry.
2. Addressing the needs of the youth in our community.
3. Reducing the financial pressure on people.

Preserving the viability of our forestry industry is essential to the well-being of communities because so many families and individuals are dependent on forestry as their primary source of income. Past governments have allowed the consolidation of the industry and a dependency on a single market. We need to diversify the market for our forestry products. Whatever initiatives we take to diversify the economy we need to keep people employed.

Addressing the need of the youth is a priority as we cannot afford to lose our youth. Our communities will only continue to flourish if our youth stay in the community without falling victim to homelessness and addictions.

Many of our youth have already succumbed to drug addiction and then there are those who could be the next generation of victims. We have to prevent the problem from becoming larger. We need to remove the blanket of hopelessness that is smothering many of our youth. Those already on the street will require individual supports but we also need to provide reasonable affordable housing, and reasonable and diverse career opportunities to prevent others from ending up on the street.

We need to have an effective program for low-cost housing. We need to have youth training programs which give our youth an opportunity to fill skilled labour positions for which eligibility does not terminate before our youth have had an opportunity to decide on a career direction. We need to support the production of local products and to diversity employment opportunities.

We need to make living more affordable by implementing programs to provide affordable housing. The portion of people’s income that goes towards housing is too high. We also need to reduce the price of food by providing more local produce.

Wiens:

1) Western alienation. Ottawa pushes its agenda on our riding. We have zero clout in Ottawa to shape policy. Toronto – Montreal belt has it all. The truckers convoy – a western protest movement that became nationwide and went viral globally was brutally dismissed and continues to be maligned without the grievances ever having been addressed.
2) The moral issues destroying the very soul of our country, and its future. Protecting the children in the womb / and in the classroom. Euthanasia destroying the wisdom of the elders. The drug crisis – hopelessness among our young people. they have been priced out of the housing market. Good long term jobs are available only to the few. Confusing cultural messages as to what leads to wholesome fulfilling relationships and life.
3) Canada is an immature country and refuses to grow up. Trade barriers between provinces, a transnational energy corridor, western alienation, equalization payments (nothing more than the raping and pillaging of the West for the benefit of the East), unequal power sharing, Toronto has more power that the West has,. etc. all become election issues every cycle and then promptly forgotten.

What is your position on tariffs?

Bonazzo:

Trump’s tariffs mean job losses for Canadian workers, higher prices for Canadians, not to mention havoc in the stock market and a weak Canadian dollar. There is no good to come of tariffs. I support a build Canadian buy Canadian strategy to build what we need here, built by Canadian workers. We need to stop relying on the States as a key trading partner and search out and strengthen new trading relationships.

Capling:

The Green Party proposes a multi-faceted approach to address US tariffs, focusing on building economic sovereignty, fostering international alliances, and taking retaliatory measures when necessary.

The Green Party supports building long-term solutions that make Canada’s economy more resilient to foreign tariffs, trade disputes, and changing economic situations. This includes creating better trading relationships between our provinces and diversifying our international trading partners.

In the short-term, we propose strong financial support for Canadian-owned small and medium businesses that may be impacted by U.S. tariffs.

Doherty:

A new Conservative government will not back down to President Trump. We will never be the 51st state. We will fight back with reciprocal tariffs if necessary — on goods that we can either make here at home or purchase elsewhere. Every dollar generated from reciprocal tariffs will be used to support Canadian workers and businesses. Furthermore, we will break down interprovincial trade barriers in Canada to get our goods to market here at home.

Emslie:

The tariffs are completely unnecessary, and go against everything that was agreed to in the CUSMA agreement 4 years ago. We have been attacked, we have been insulted, our workers have been insulted, and our response has been to stand up and fight. We will not become part of the USA, ever, and we will do all we can to defend our workers, our industries and everything that it takes to turn Canada into an Economic and Energy Superpower is being unfolded right now. This is how we fight. We build and we find new trading partners firstly inside Canada, by removing interprovincial trade barriers, and by building new international alliances, that remove our dependence on the US economy.

Sans:

Presuming you are referring to the current tariff issue with the USA, our plan is to negotiate with the U.S. Administration and address all concerns and issues regarding our long standing trading relationship. We do not support a trade war.

In our view, it will only deepen the affordability crisis for all Canadians. Reciprocal tariffs are another tax that would affect all Canadians. We advocate for free trade and the elimination of supply management. We cannot win a trade war against the USA.

Thomson:

The common view that the Trump administration is acting erratically and without a plan is not correct.

The Trump administration’s tariff policy is being guided by two objectives: re-industrializing America and containing China. The tariffs on steel and aluminum, and automobiles is meant to contribute to the re-industrialization of the U.S.

The imposing of tariffs on almost every country in the world is to gain leverage in negotiating new trade agreements. Countries have been given 90 days to reach a new trade agreement. In exchange for the removing or reducing of the threatened tariffs, the U.S. will be demanding that the country agrees to limit their trade with China.

We need to calm down, be realistic about the circumstances we find ourselves in, and not cave-in to the extortionate behaviour of the American administration. We need to understand what is happening and carefully consider our response. We need to stop reacting and start planning how we are going to protect our sovereignty going forward. If we want to continue being a sovereign nation we need to behave as a sovereign nation.

Recently there has been an emphasis on strengthening our national economy. Initiatives such as reducing interprovincial trade barriers are important first steps but they are only the first steps. We have to go a great deal farther if we want to assert our sovereignty. We have to become more self-reliant and not just claim that we are an independent nation.

We need to decouple ourselves from the United States and other relationships which compromise our sovereignty. This applies to economic relations, defence arrangements and political alliances. We need to seek trade relations with other countries which benefit Canadians while not compromising our ability to become self-reliant.

We may have to impose import and export tariffs on trade in the short-term to gain leverage in negotiating with the U.S. but we need to develop an overall tariff strategy which benefits Canadians.

Wiens:

Canada could never have developed a meaningful industrial base without our trade with the US. Canada can never survive with out that trade with the USA. The current rough waters need to be seen as temporary, must be negotiated with care not belligerence. We need to to be very aware that the USA just wants to fix its own economic woos. Trump was elected to do that. We may not like his approach, but do wish that our leaders cared as much about Canadian concerns as Trump does for US concerns. The move towards closer relations with Europe or God-forbid to China, at the expense of our relationship with USA will spell the doom of Canada.

Are there any final thoughts on any topics that you would like to share?

Bonazzo:

Do not underestimate my dedication and hard work to serve the people of Cariboo Prince George. I will be the voice of this area in Parliament. I am in it for you!

Capling:

I would like to thank your readers for taking the time to be involved in our democratic process. I encourage everyone to get out and vote!
If you can’t make it to the polls on April 28th, there are multiple alternate options to vote, including advanced polling days, voting at a local Elections Canada office, and voting by mail.

Doherty:

Since 2015, I’ve done my best to ensure that all my constituents feel represented and heard. No matter where you live in Cariboo—Prince George, and no matter who you vote for in this election, I will be your voice and your champion. That’s my promise to you. I know the people of Cariboo—Prince George. You don’t ask for much — just a fair shot, a good job, safe communities, and leaders who listen. You want a government that respects your work ethic, protects your freedom, and leaves more money in your pocket — not less. That’s why it’s time for a change, a real change to a new Conservative government that will cut taxes, build homes, unleash our resources, fix our budget, restore law and order, and put Canada First—for a change.
But most importantly: I love this community. I’ve spent 10 years fighting for you—and if I have the honour of being re-elected, I promise you I’ll keep fighting. I’ll keep showing up, I’ll keep listening, and I’ll keep working every single day to make life better for the families, workers, and seniors of Cariboo—Prince George. Thank you, and I hope that I can count on your support once again.

Emslie:

This election is the most important one in our lifetime. We need to choose a strong leader to guide us through the next 4 years, so that we are well equipped with skills, experience, and qualifications at the top, and Mark Carney is that person. There is no other logical choice at this point in time, no one else comes close. It is thus important for our community to put emotion aside and think about choosing the best person for the role. Our future depends on it. And further, to think about that when choosing their next MP to sit at the table in Ottawa. Its is far better for a community to have an MP at the table from the ruling party, as simply put, that gets you better services, better funding, and better results.

Sans:

My vote is all I have. I want my vote to have value. The People’s Party of Canada is the only party that gives me that, and I refuse to support any other party because they have nothing to offer that’s of any value. It’s that simple and everyone should understand that. I don’t vote for the lesser of two evils because I don’t support evil. I don’t vote out of FEAR! I vote for what I believe are concrete solutions and principles. If anyone disagrees with me, that is your choice, and I respect it. I encourage everyone to go vote.

Thomson:

One of the reasons why I am running is that over the last forty years plus I have witnessed the degradation of the standard of living for the majority of Canadians and particularly those living in smaller/rural communities. If we allow this trend to continue, the middle class will largely be eliminated.

The gradual transformation from ‘public interest’ being the measure of government policy to that of private interest becoming the decisive factor in deciding policy has been the primary cause of this degradation.

The reality is globalization and the consolidation of industries within a few corporate entities has allowed the private sector to now control the world’s economy and our economy and dictate government policy.

Another reason is that there are persistent issues that are not being addressed.

Why has the issue of clean water for first nations communities never been solved? Why has the government not taken meaningful steps to address homelessness and the drug crisis?

I am running as an independent because national political parties are not consistent with being a representative democracy. National political parties compete to gain control of parliament which means that they have to win the large metropolitan cities. The issues specific to ridings such as Cariboo – Prince George are not what wins the party seats in parliament and allows them to form government or even to be the official opposition.

Party representatives may desire to represent the voters in their riding but they must take a position on the issues that the party dictates or they will no longer be able to sit in caucus or run in the next election as the party’s nominee.

National parties only truly represent major voting blocks. They are really only regional parties.

The Cariboo – Prince George riding will only have meaningful representation in parliament if we elect an independent candidate whose has no other responsibility than representing the people living in the riding.

Wiens:

I see the liberals as the “little band aid party” They only want the band aid to stick till after the election and then back to their globalist agenda, something that Canadians do not want – but the liberal establishment do not care about Canada’s wellbeing.
I see the Conservatives as the “big Band-Aid party” busy addressing the economic issues all the while essentially ignoring the moral issue. But the lie deceives, the lie destroys, the lie kills And the liberals push to embrace the moral lies, and the conservatives attempt to ignore the lies will destroy this country probably sooner rather than later.