From the reduction or elimination of bridge tolls to support for trades training, candidates for the Langley riding addressed a wide range of topics affecting residents south of the Fraser, in an all-candidates meeting at Kwantlen Polytechnic University on Tuesday night.
During the forum, co-hosted by the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce and the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, the five candidates vying for the seat — incumbent Mary Polak (Liberal), Gail Chaddock-Costello (NDP), Elizabeth Walker (Green), Justin Greenwood (Conservative) and Rob Pobran (Libertarian) — were challenged to address each question fired at them in just 30 seconds.
Questioned on whether they would reduce bridge tolls to $1 across the board in the Lower Mainland, Polak responded that such a move would require a public referendum. The Liberals will instead make tolls more affordable for motorists, by capping drivers’ payments at $500 per year.
Chaddock-Costello noted that her party’s plan is to go even further and eliminate tolls on both the Port Mann and the Golden Ears Bridges. “We believe the election is the referendum,” she said.
Walker called the tolls an “unfair tax on those who depend on the bridges,” adding their effect is to simply force congestion onto other bridges.
As a Libertarian, Pobran said he doesn’t support any taxes or tolls, and that it is the high cost of building roads and bridges that needs to be addressed.
“Tolls are not the problem,” said Greenwood. Rather, he said, it is the 17 cent per litre tax that residents of the region pay to TransLink, for which they get little in return.
Candidates were also asked to give their stance on road pricing, a $15 minimum wage, a new value added tax, corporate and union campaign donations and public funding for private schools, among a host of other topics — most of them issues of specific interest to the local business community.
Candidates for the riding of Langley East will face off on Thursday night in the west gymnasium at the Langley Events Centre. That forum, also hosted by the Chamber and the FVREB, will begin at 7 p.m.