Thursday September 7, 2023 | VANCOUVER, BC [Updated September 13, 2023]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The BC Greens are running a former surgeon as their candidate for MLA in what will be called Vancouver-Renfrew for the 2024 provincial election (presently Vancouver-Kingsway) — the same riding currently held by BC NDP MLA Adrian Dix who has been the province’s health minister since 2017.
This foretells a possibly dramatic election race in that riding next year — and even more broadly between the BC Greens and the BC NDP (the next provincial election is presently scheduled for October 19, 2024).
Flanked by BC Green Leader Sonia Furstenau and national Green party leader Elizabeth May at today’s announcement held outdoors in what will be called the Vancouver-Renfrew riding, Dr Gandhi said he was inspired to shift into politics after meeting a few times with Furstenau — who came across as truly concerned and not as a ‘typical’ politician, he recalled.
“The BC Greens are not strong in Metro Vancouver but that’s why I’m here,” said Gandhi. Among other things, he wants to “put a provincial spotlight on a respectful discussion of where health-care needs to go.”
National Green Party leader Elizabeth May chimed in about how she ended a 17-year-run of Conservative MLAs in Saanich-Gulf Islands when she was first elected in 2011. “Only the voters decide who the strong candidate is,” said May. She has held that riding for the federal Greens ever since.
Changes needed in BC health-care:
Gandhi said a lot of changes are needed in the current health-care system in BC, noting the number of people without access to a primary care physician and how the bureaucracy gets in the way (specifically mentioning that in seven BC health authorities there are 64 vice-presidents).
While Gandhi said that health-care and politics are a mix that can be detrimental to the delivery of health-care and generating more well-being among British Columbians, Furstenau said that health-care needs to be approached in a “more holistic way” including around handling of the toxic drug crisis and deaths resulting from that.
Dr Gandhi said the health-care system needs to be “cultivated, refined and expanded”, but that just throwing money at the system into “buildings and equipment” is not sufficient. Hospitals are overwhelmed, he said, including emergency rooms that are “over capacity”. The toxic drug crisis is worsening and there is minimal access to primary care providers, he added.
“Everyone deserves access to great health-care” regardless of income or any other factors, he said. “Health-care is about taking care of people, not diseases.”
“The things we want to do are not difficult. And they don’t require political will, they just require knowledge and courage to make health-care accessible to all. And it’s not just about health-care. All the problems we have in this province — whether it be housing, income inequality, the environmental crisis — they all interact with health-care.”
Deal with widening economic gap:
Apart from health issues, Gandhi is very much on board with the BC Greens perspective that there is a “widening economic gap” between the elite and what might still be called the middle class.
The environment:
Running as a Green candidate, of course Gandhi would mention environmental issues. A father of three, he said that the climate crisis is about “the world we leave behind” and that he wants to promote sustainable energy.
Politicians need real-life experience:
Already in campaign mode and giving evidence of his deeper thought about why he has chosen a political path, Gandhi said: “Politics has seeped into every crevice of our health-care system.” He said that health-care should be “based on science and people needing treatment”.
He took a hit at ‘career politicians’ instead saying that elected officials should have more experience. He said that politicians “have their priorities a bit mixed up” — looking to stay in power instead of oftentimes missing opportunities to make effective policies and changes.
“If we had people in government who actually understood the problems that they were managing we’d be far better off,” said Dr Gandhi.
Gandhi points out that all the current BC Green MLAs (Sonia Furstenau and Adam Olsen) as well as Dr Lisa Gunderson (BC Green candidate for Oak Bay-Gordon Head) come from a “non political background”. These are “people with real life experience who want to make a difference”.
A good political representative should have “insight, foresight, humility and unwavering courage”, said candidate Gandhi, whose opening statement including reference to “a person who shares his last name” saying to “be the change you want to see in the world”. He wants to “make a difference with his knowledge”.
===== RELATED:
BC Greens launch Ned Taylor as MLA candidate in Saanich South (September 12, 2023)
Dr Sanjiv Gandhi to run as BC Green MLA candidate (September 6, 2023)
===== ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
Island Social Trends reports on news of the day as well as longer socioeconomic trends, including the political component of things. Founding editor and publisher is Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., Cert PR.
She launched IslandSocialTrends.ca during the pandemic, evolving the previous print/PDF publication West Shore Voice News into a regional and nation-wide portal for discussion about the important issues of our time.
Ms Brooke holds a B.Sc. in nutrition and health, along with studies in consumer education and sociology. She is the mother of four now-grown children who are experiencing the world as previous generations have left it.
In addition to journalism, Mary Brooke is fostering a greater awareness of urban food resilience — both in the Food Security News section of Island Social Trends but also with public presentations in the community.
