A former Sooke councillor is taking a run at provincial politics.
Herb Haldane, who served on Sooke Council for two terms from 2008 to 2014, earned the nomination on June 24 to run for the BC United Party in the new Juan de Fuca-Malahat riding.
Haldane, a lifelong Sooke resident, said he's honoured to represent BC United and the people of Juan de Fuca-Malahat in the upcoming provincial election.
“Under the current NDP government, our community has faced numerous challenges, from inadequate infrastructure to unsustainable development practices," Haldane said. "I think all levels of government lack leadership, especially at this time. I am committed to addressing these issues head-on and ensuring that the voices of our residents are heard and represented. I want to get back to practical solutions not driven by political ideology, and work for results that benefit working families. I was born and raised here and deeply care about the community."”
Key areas of focus for Haldane include housing affordability, improving transportation networks, and more assistance for seniors.
"When you're buying, you can choose to buy a high-end expensive car or a low-end economy model," he said. "But when it comes to housing, there are no options that allow for economy-model homes."
One of the reasons for that is because energy requirements and building codes are far over-reaching, said Haldane, who builds homes for a living.
"Mandatory engineering reports are required for a single-family home," he noted. "That's expensive and redundant. There are better, more practical and cost-effective ways to build homes."
He cites the simple, inexpensive starter homes that were built en masse after the Second World War to deal with the explosion in population growth as an example of that as an example.
"Administrative costs and fees and permits make up 30 per cent of the cost of building a home," he said. "The provincial government has the power to greatly reduce that."
Haldane has been outspoken about the need to improve transportation networks, especially along Highway 14 in and out of Sooke for a long time, an issue that's gotten worse, considering the population growth in town.
"People are stuck in traffic commuting to work because that's where the best-paying jobs are," he said.
Haldane also wants to see more support for seniors.
"In many cases, seniors are forced to live below the poverty line," he said. "We need to put more resources into supporting seniors They did al the work to get us to where we are today."