Since announcing his plan to run for MP in the Kootenay-Columbia riding in early March, NDP candidate Wayne Stetski has been maintaining a presence in the area.
“I have been quite active around the riding,” the former Cranbrook Mayor said. “As often as I can, I go door knocking in communities.”
When Stetski announced his candidacy early this year, he said he was persuaded to run in the 2015 federal election after experiencing what he viewed as the erosion of Canadian values, including the poor treatment of veterans and cuts to CBC’s workforce, where 657 jobs were eliminated earlier this year.
Today, his stance remains the same.
“The number one thing that I hear from people going door-to-door is that the Harper Conservative government has to go, that’s the number one comment,” noted Stetski. “This election, more than any other that I’ve seen in my lifetime, is about Canada and our Canadian values that quite frankly have been under attack by the Harper Conservative government.”
In recent months Stetski has been launching his campaign in various communities around the Kootenay-Columbia riding, including Fernie, where he kicked off his campaign on the evening of June 16.
Stetski highlighted the importance of introducing himself to the public and discussing important issues with them, including the introduction of a small business tax cut, which would reduce the tax rate from 11 per cent to nine per cent and the $15 a day national daycare plan the NDP party has proposed.
“A lot of families are struggling with daycare costs,” Stetski explained. “It’s important that people know that I care. Showing up in the community and inviting people to come for a meet and greet and then going door-to-door to find out what their concerns are and to provide an opportunity for us to meet face-to-face, basically for me, it shows respect, it shows that I care and it shows that I very much want to be their Member of Parliament.”
Stetski said he believes his experience serving the public will allow him to flourish if he is elected as Kootenay-Columbia’s MP.
The NDP candidate served as Cranbrook mayor from 2011 to 2014 in addition to formerly holding the position of Kootenay Regional Manager for the British Columbia Ministry of Environment.
“I really like people,” Stetski admitted. “I like to be able to represent their interests in a strong way.”