Castanet Vernon speaks with all five North Okanagan-Shuswap federal candidates

As the Sept. 20 federal election nears, Castanet Vernon is speaking with the five North Okanagan-Shuswap candidates.

Each political hopeful was given five minutes to present their stance on several issues.

Each candidate was asked to speak on one or more of the following topics: housing affordability, pandemic response, climate change, debt/taxation, government transparency/honesty and First Nations reconciliation.

Each candidate also submitted a written article.

Kyle Delfing is carrying the People's Party of Canada banner into the national election.

I am a local businessman, father to be, and a Canadian.

The People’s Party of Canada is doing politics differently, governing on behalf of Canadians.

With housing affordability out of control, we are offering Canadians a fresh approach that takes the government out of the housing market altogether. We will promote a target inflation rate of 0% and work with provinces to curb speculation and money laundering by non-resident foreign buyers in Canada’s land and housing markets.

Debt and taxation are also adding up quickly, increasing the cost of living, from a national debt that rose by over 84% since 2020 to a deficit that has ballooned to over $300 billion.

Canadians see out-of-control spending coming from Ottawa, and no party in the House of Commons has stood up to stop it.

The People’s Party would see Canada eliminate its deficit as fast as possible, negotiate a settlement to our debt, lower taxes for the average Canadian to 15% from $15,000 to $100,000. We would also encourage economic growth within Canada by opening up provincial trade barriers, eliminating Bill C48 and C69 getting our energy sector back to work.

Eliminating the capital gains tax will encourage investment in Canadian start-ups and R&D. The People’s Party understands a healthy economy brings down the cost of living for everyone. Government endlessly borrowing money is not the way to create a healthy economy.

Climate Change is real. The fact is, the carbon tax doesn’t work. We need to bring the focus home.

The Monte Lake fire brought something to my attention. The way we respond to forest fires has changed. The response is inhibited by bureaucratic red tape.

The People’s Party would leave the Paris Accord, eliminate the national carbon tax, which has affected the price of food and goods over the last few years. We would begin to focus on responding to the effects of climate change, mitigating our environment to protect Canadians and their homes the best we can – local solutions for local problems.

Our First Nations have been given the short end of the stick in Canada for far too long. The People’s Party of Canada is proposing we dismantle and abolish the Indian Act. We need to bring equal status to all Canadians no matter where they are in the country.

Normal, we deserve to have it back, without vaccine passports.

Canadians have dealt with enough. The time to reopen Canada’s borders, get Canadians back to work, open up hospitals for surgeries and stop the COVID narrative has come.

Only one party is offering to stop the vaccine passport program. Whether you are vaccinated or not, it will affect you negatively. This is an unconstitutional system, one that should never be implemented in Canada.

The most important job the government of Canada has is protecting life and liberty. The PPC will not let Canada become a segregated society. Canadians deserve a voice of reason.

Vote splitting is not an issue in the North Okanagan. At an even tie, the CPC and the Peoples Party of Canada would have over 19,000 votes each. More than enough to keep the Liberals and NDP in third and fourth place.

The North Okanagan has an opportunity this election. There is one big question on the ballot: Vaccine passports for all, or freedom.