Friday October 18, 2024 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted at 7:38 pm]
BC ELECTION CAMPAIGN DAY 28 of 28
Political analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Your 28-day voter’s guide for BC Election 2024
On this eve of the 43rd BC provincial general election, Tim Thielmann is hoping to win the Victoria-Beacon Hill riding in the core area of the capital city.
The riding with 42,933 registered voters (37.3% of whom have already voted in advance voting during October 10 to 16) is home to the BC Legislature buildings themselves, and also happens to be a fierce battleground in this election between the BC NDP incumbent Grace Lore and BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau.
Both of these powerful political women have led strong campaigns over the last 28-days. They both carry a lot of weight in high places (Lore having been the cabinet minister of Children and Family Development this year, and Furstenau of course steering the BC Green Party).
Furstenau’s campaign has had added might given her thirst to see more than two BC Green MLAs elected to the 93-seat BC Legislative Assembly as tomorrow night’s October 19 election results roll in.
Where does Tim Thielmann fit into this?
Vote-flipping:
Thielmann told Island Social Trends last week that on the doorstep he hears a sentiment of people being fed up with the BC NDP, enough that they will flip their vote to BC Conservative this time. His own estimate is that about 32% of the riding will vote blue.
He and his team have visited 7,000 to 8,000 doors in the riding since January. “I have a pretty good sense of what’s on people’s minds,” he says. That includes public safety issues and concerns that seniors have. He’s met with young professionals, health-care professionals, and met with the public at open events and debates.
Given that the party philosophies and values are quite different, this polarized vote change — if it happens — is more likely driven by frustration at today’s challenges (cost of living, low housing supply, high rents for apartments, drug overdose crisis, public safety issues, etc) rather than a shift in political philosophy.
But Thielmann has good reasons for people to vote blue. He supports a two-tier health-care system which he feels will end up serving everyone instead of some having to wait.
He also feels that the proposed changes to the education system that BC Conservative Party Leader John Rustad has outlined will offer better results.
In particular he agrees with pulling the current SOGI program and instead bringing in an anti-bullying program (which SOGI was in its original form). “There are different kinds of families — some with two moms, some with two dads, some are Muslim or Christian or atheist,” says Thielmann as a way to explain how people have a “broad level of respectful and tolerant viewpoints and values”.
“Anti-bullying protects every kind of kid,” says Thielmann, who is a lawyer and a parent. He aligns with the BC Conservative leader’s view that parents should be informed about what is taught and what is happening to their children in school.
This all stems from the ‘common sense’ approach that Rustad has hammered home throughout 2024 leading up to the 28-day campaign that started on September 21 and ends tonight.
Election night victory:
If Tim Thiemann wins in Victoria-Beacon Hill on October 19 and even more so if the BC Conservatives form government, the SOGI issue will be on the front burner for him. “It’s a crisis in our province,” says Thielmann.
If elected, overall he will “faithfully and diligently try to make life better” for people.
Tim doesn’t mind talking about how he is legally blind (no vision in his left eye and 10% use of his right eye), having had vision issues all of his life. He uses a white cane. While he may joke that he makes a lot of typos he notes that today’s digital technology is very helpful including text-to-voice.
Thielmann has tried to use “humour and positivity” in this campaign, as “that’s how campaigns should be run”, noting that province-wide the election had become nasty.
He feels that Eby is part of the slide in the BC NDP’s momentum for this campaign, comparing him to the previous BC NDP premier. “Horgan was a hard-working blue collar guy who supported labour and had common sense. He spoke to issues that people felt,” said Thielmann last week.
“Good leadership brings out the best in people,” says Thielmann, that being something he hopes to do as MLA after October 19.
===== RELATED:
- Eby’s last day of campaign 2024: connecting with community but missing some spark (October 18, 2024)
- Who’s gonna win BC Election 2024? (October 16, 2024)
- Heavy-hitters Lore & Furstenau in Victoria-Beacon Hill (September 23, 2024)
- NEWS SECTIONS: POLITICS | VANCOUVER ISLAND | BC ELECTION 2024
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