2024 Election Insights: Hear From BC Green Party Candidate Maureen Curran
At Downtown New West BIA, we are committed to serving our business community and using our digital platforms as an inclusive and safe space to amplify their concerns and help our community thrive. We believe that open communication and constructive debate are founding pillars of our society and it is our duty to foster them through our channels.
Below, you will find responses from BC Green Party Candidate Maureen Curran, offering insights into their platforms and priorities for Downtown New Westminster. We also reached out to NDP Candidate Jennifer Whiteside (read here), and Conservative Party Candidate Ndellie Massey. Candidate Ndellie did not respond to our request. We hope this helps you make informed decisions as we head to the polls.
Here are the questions we asked:
Do you support targeted investments to improve community safety, including the implementation of a comprehensive policy framework and required investments that shifts the focus from just harm reduction to include prevention, treatment and enforcement? Explain how you plan to address these complex issues.
What specific plans, policies and targeted investments will you undertake to address the significant challenges associated with mental health, addictions and housing? Again, please be specific.
How will you achieve concrete results with the federal government to address the significant issue of chronic violent and non-violent offenders?
Do you support a review of the five-day sick leave policy, and reducing the financial impact on small and medium-sized business owners and operators?
Do you support the improved delivery, increased access and awareness of the Securing Small Business Rebate Program? And will you extend the program beyond its current end-date of January 2025?
Will you create a dedicated/stand-alone ministry of Small Business?
Do you support the current model and mandate of the City of New Westminster’s Three Crises Response Pilot Program, and how does the province plan on working alongside this City-lead team to accomplish their goals and advocacy actions?
Do you support the Vacant Property Tax on Commercial and Industrial Properties endorsed at UBCM 2023. How do you envision the City of New Westminster implementing this?
Your voice matters—take the time to read through their answers and participate in shaping the future of our community!
1. Do you support targeted investments to improve community safety, including the implementation of a comprehensive policy framework and required investments that shifts the focus from just harm reduction to include prevention, treatment and enforcement? Explain how you plan to address these complex issues.
2. What specific plans, policies and targeted investments will you undertake to address the significant challenges associated with mental health, addictions and housing? Again, please be specific.
3. How will you achieve concrete results with the federal government to address the significant issue of chronic violent and non-violent offenders?
7. Do you support the current model and mandate of the City of New Westminster’s Three Crises Response Pilot Program, and how does the province plan on working alongside this City-lead team to accomplish their goals and advocacy actions?
- Maureen Curran: These questions combine to cover one of the core elements of my campaign - we have not had enough done to provide an integrated and well funded response to the present triple crises of homelessness, drug addiction and mental health. Presently our health care and justice systems are both being overwhelmed by the constant day to day struggles created by having so many unhoused people who are often also struggling with mental health issues and/or addictions.
The Green Party has an excellent plan to tackle prevention through increased access to housing as well as mental health supports starting right in schools to catch as many as possible before it becomes a crisis (prevention is always the cheapest). We have the most comprehensive plan to get more affordable rentals so that fewer people end up unhoused due to solely the present financial strains of an unaffordable market.
We also need to rapidly expand addiction treatment options so no one is left on waitlists AND follow it up with supportive housing or integration services since voluntary treatment is the most effective, but relapses are far too common when there is no follow up support to reintegrate folks back into a healthier community.
The present temporary shelter system is horrible and inadequate, we need to change the plan so we are no longer abandoning dozens of people on our streets and instead can provide smaller, well staffed and fully serviced 24 hour facilities where they are able to access the help they need. The city's plan to have supportive housing spaced out so as to be less of a strain on one area is a good one, but it needs funding - urgently!
Right now 60% of our jailed population is ill from mental health or addictions and that is causing a massive strain on that system - it's not what it was built for. We need to make sure our justice system is more streamlined and that it has the tools that it needs to keep everyone safe; it should be able to identify and work more effectively with those who can be redirected and rehabilitated and effective tools for those that are not showing they are able to function safely in society.
4. Do you support a review of the five-day sick leave policy, and reducing the financial impact on small and medium-sized business owners and operators?
5. Do you support the improved delivery, increased access and awareness of the Securing Small Business Rebate Program? And will you extend the program beyond its current end-date of January 2025?
6. Will you create a dedicated/stand-alone ministry of Small Business?
8. Do you support the Vacant Property Tax on Commercial and Industrial Properties endorsed at UBCM 2023. How do you envision the City of New Westminster implementing this?
- Maureen Curran: I am in favour of more supports to small businesses and finding ways to help our local economy thrive, including continuing the Securing Small Business Rebate Program following appropriate reviews and evaluation of how well it is working and what needs to be done to make it more effective (which is of course something that should be done after implementing any new program).
Allowing people to stay home when sick is critical for not spreading illness, but it is a public good and should be supported. We need to work in partnership with businesses to figure out how keeping workplaces healthy is most viable.
I'm also strongly in favour of the vacant property tax so that there are fewer neglected sites in our downtown and across BC, with the funds gathered targeted towards reinvesting in the community and local improvements or economic initiatives.
