Candidate: Keefer Pelech
Riding: Richmond East-Steveston
Party: NDP
Where do you live (city and neighbourhood)? Richmond, in the South Arm neighbourhood
Contact information
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://keeferpelech.ndp.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keeferbythesea/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeeferPelechRichmondBC/
Why are you running for federal office?
I am running because I know that governments can be a force for good - when they work for everyday people, not just the wealthy and well-connected. Right now families are struggling with the rising cost of groceries and housing. We need leaders who will focus on people - not just corporate profits.
What is your professional background?
I work for the provincial government helping leaders tackle big challenges like safely reopening schools during COVID and expanding mental health and addiction services. As part of this work, I have also helped people advocate for better policies that support people and ensure that those affected are at the table when decisions are made.
If elected, how will you ensure you are available to your constituents?
I have worked as a constituency assistant in an MLA’s office and know how important it is for elected representatives to be available to their constituents. I am passionate about helping people navigate government in order to access services and make positive changes for our community. Therefore I will prioritize meeting with constituents and create spaces where dialogue can occur such as town halls and public forums.
What are your top three campaign promises?
My top priorities for this campaign include building more affordable housing, providing immediate relief to families that are hurt by inflation and the rising cost of daily expenses, and expanding access to the healthcare services that Canadians rely on such as mental health, dental and pharmacare.
One example of how we can support people right away is by removing GST from essentials such as groceries and baby supplies, home heating and cell phone bills. This will provide support to Canadians right away while we deal with the economic uncertainty of Donald Trump’s tariffs.
How will you and your party approach the changing relationship with the United States?
The United States have been our closest allies but that has changed with the election of Donald Trump. The NDP is proposing a jobs war room that includes provinces, unions and business leaders to coordinate a sustained, well-organized, well-resourced outreach campaign to U.S. counterparts – our countries should be partners, not combatants.
However, we also need a Build Canadian Buy Canadian strategy to build more of what we need here and prioritize products made by Canadians in public procurement.
Now is also not the time for cuts to services that Canadians rely on in times of uncertainty.
With threatened annexation by the U.S. president, do you and your party support an increase in defence spending?
The NDP have pledged to increase defence spending to two per cent of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product by 2032. We will prioritize investments that support Canadians, communities, those who are serving in the Canadian Armed Force and veterans. That includes building military equipment within Canada and building 5,000 new affordable homes for military families who currently face a housing shortage.
How will you support Richmond businesses and citizens in the face of uncertain economic times?
Small businesses were hit hard by the pandemic, and then by supply chain issues. And now they are caught in the middle of a trade war.
Liberals and Conservatives have shown that they are only concerned with the biggest corporations. My first job was at a local produce market that bought directly from Richmond farms. The Liberals gave millions to Loblaws and Costco to buy new fridges instead of supporting small business like the one I worked at. New Democrats want to see greater supports for business to help them maintain jobs in the face of the trade war.
Given the housing crisis, what should be done to get homes built faster?
New Democrats have a plan today to build three million homes by 2030—doubling the current pace—by speeding up construction, building 100,000 publicly owned affordable units on public lands and training the workers needed to deliver it.
While Mark Carney has no plan for renters and won’t commit to rent control, and Pierre Poilievre wants to hand the crisis to speculators and developers, New Democrats are ready to build homes people can actually afford.
How will your party support renters?
Rent has gone up by 80 per cent since the Liberals first formed government in 2015. We have watched more and more friends and family leave Richmond because they cannot afford rent in our community. To support renters we will ban corporations from buying up homes that are still somewhat affordable and crack down on corporate landlords like Brookfield using AI to fix rent. In addition, we will use federally owned land to build more public housing to increase the affordable housing supply.
How will you and your party improve income support for seniors and people with disabilities?
The disability community has been hard hit by rising costs like food, rent, medication, transportation and other basics they need to live. The NDP have fought the Liberals to include income support to lift people living with a disability out of poverty.
They also shouldn’t have to worry about the cost of their medication and their dental work. The NDP forced the Liberals to deliver on pharmacare and dental care so people can get help without worrying about having to skip a meal to afford it.
Canada's overdose epidemic is a national crisis. What will you and your party do to combat this crisis?
The toxic drug crisis has torn families apart, terrified parents and destroyed lives. New Democrats want to keep people alive and help them pursue recovery when they’re ready. That means listening to experts and supporting harm reduction measures that reduce the risk of death from the toxic drug supply. But prevention and early treatment are also key. Mental health is health, and we will work towards ensuring all Canadians can access services like psychotherapy and counselling using their health card, not their credit card.
How will your party improve the health-care system and support provinces to bring in more family doctors?
The NDP has a plan to hire 35,000 new nurses by 2030 through targeted funding and retention strategies with provinces, fast-track accreditation for internationally educated and U.S. nurses, and recognize the work of 780,000 nurses and PSWs with a $5,000 Canadian Healthcare Workers Tax Credit. We will also bring in full universal pharmacare because Canadians should not have to decide between life-saving medication or paying for rent.
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