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Stikine candidates share their point of view: Jonathan Dieleman, Conservatives

The Interior News gave each candidate 500 words to discuss homelessness, health care and the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline.

The issue of homelessness has been with us for years and is one that has no easy answer.

Social programs, such as subsidized housing, seem to have become a government responsibility.

Government is then left trying to balance the social needs of society without increasing the tax burden.

These programs require substantial funding and without a strong economy it becomes increasingly harder to fund.

We need to look at the definition of homelessness, addiction and mental health are the cause of one type and then there are single parent families who cannot afford to get into the housing market.

There could be a tax incentive to build housing that would accommodate these different needs.

Municipalities would be responsible for providing land.

Perhaps there could also be some personal responsibilities (when and where clients are able) to pay for services to maintain the accommodation.

A non-profit society should be responsible for the properties and tenants.

Healthcare is the largest expense of the government.

Being paralyzed and in a wheelchair, I have gone through the medical system quite extensively.

We have a great medical system that provides a good service but we need to reassess the way the funding is distributed.

Right now 42 cents of every tax dollar is going to health care and at the rate funding is increased it will eventually be 100 per cent.

I am new to politics, but I can see that we need to look at the way the money is spent and find ways to spend that money smarter.

Closer to home we need to make wait lists shorter and find properly trained staff to run specialized equipment such as a dialysis machine.

We should also look at different hospitals specializing in delivery of different levels of health care.

We cannot continue to have health care facilities deliver all levels of care.

Pipelines would create a large boost to the economy of northern B.C.

The construction, operation and maintenance of the proposed pipeline project would provide many high-paying jobs.

This increased employment wold provide a higher standard of living.

I also think that we live in the most beautiful place in the world and have a responsibility to keep this place as beautiful as we can.

We need to ensure that these projects are done to the highest safety standards and make sure these companies give back to the local communities they will affect.

I also think that the environmental assessment process is there for a reason and that we shouldn’t adamantly oppose anything until the process has been completed.

There are multiple pipelines being proposed across he north and I think that the possibility of these pipelines being brought though one corridor should be considered.