Why I am endorsing Adrian Dix as the Leader of the BC NDP

The next leader of BC NDP needs to be a person who has the ability to connect with the community on issues at the grass-root level and who is committed to progressive evidence-based policy development and can deliver results

Adrian Dix is the candidate who has a proven track record of working with community groups and has a deep understanding of what the challenges of progressive policy development are and he has demonstrated a commitment to responding to the critical needs of BC citizens.

Here are a few reasons why I am supporting him.

In my participation with the Save St. Paul’s Coalition I have had numerous discussions with Adrian regarding the need for the renewal St. Paul’s Hospital. Adrian has met with the Coalition and has offered many recommendations as to the most effective methods of advocating for this issue. Adrian has raised the issue of St. Paul’s Hospital in the Legislature as the NDP Heath Critic and his questions have lead to information being accessible to the Coalition that would not have been otherwise.

With Spencer Chandra Herbert, MLA for Vancouver West End, Adrian was instrumental in ensuring that the renewal of St. Paul’s Hospital on the Burrard St. site was in the 2008 NDP election platform.

Adrian has always been approachable to have informal discussions about St. Paul’s Hospital and has supported the Coalition in its endeavors here in Vancouver and at the Legislature in Victoria.

As the NDP Health Critic, Adrian has been a strong advocate for the preservation of the Therapeutics Initiative. The Therapeutics Initiative is a health care innovation from UBC comprising a panel of medical experts who evaluate prescription drugs for effectiveness against cost and make recommendations to physicians through a widely desisimated newsletter. This program saves countless dollars and is a good example where rational progressive policy is effective and costs less. Adrian has been an outspoken champion of this program and is a relentless critic of the BC Liberal attempts to drop this program.

For more info on TI:
http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/drug+assessments+taking+wrong+path/3979298/story.html#ixzz18D3Y7JpcSun Article

http://www.ti.ubc.ca/TI website

The City of Vancouver estimates that it spends $28 million per year on policing and firefighting services to help homeless folks. Much of this cost is because the police are being used as frontline mental health workers who are escorting folks with mental health and addiction issues to emergency departments. Many of these folks don’t need to be in such an intensive expensive medical setting. The lack of accessible mental health facilities and services is costing the City of Vancouver millions of dollars.

Adrian Dix has be an ardent advocate for the need of an Urgent Response Centre in Downtown Vancouver to help folks suffering from mental health problems and addictions who require services but do not need the more expensive support of an emergency department at an acute care facility. An Urgent Response Centre in Downtown Vancouver would save the City millions of dollars. Likewise, Vancouver Coastal Health would save funds and would create more efficiencies in Vancouver hospitals’ emergency departments by diverting this group to another source of care when appropriate. Adrian understands that compassionate care of the most vulnerable in society can also be the more cost effective.

Through my involvement with West End Residents Association (WERA) and the Renters at Risk Campaign, the need to reform the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) is an urgent priority. The BC Liberal Party revised the RTA and these changes have made security of tenure a critical issue for all of Vancouver, and in particular in the West End where 80% of residents are renters highlighting how pressing this issue is. The term “Renoviction” was coined in the West End and describes the tactic of landlords evicting long-term tenants under the guise of needing to do extensive repairs only to do cosmetic repairs to get vacant possession of apartments and charge higher rents on the units to subsequent tenants.

Adrian Dix has supported Spencer Chandra Herbert’s private members bill that would give the “right of first refusal” to tenants whose apartments are in genuine need of repair. This legislative intervention is another example of how progressive policy is a solution that protects the rights of tenants while allowing businesses to earn fair returns on investment.

Adrian has made firm commitments to reforming the RTA as Premier of BC and this would be a policy change that would greatly benefit the citizens of the province.

I am convinced that Mr. Dix has the depth of experience, the commitment to work with members at the community level on issues, the understanding of progressive policy development and the tenacity to find solutions that benefit all citizens of BC. This is why I am supporting Adrian Dix to be the next leader of the BC NDP.

Adrian Dix for BC website

One Response to “Why I am endorsing Adrian Dix as the Leader of the BC NDP”

  1. Nina says:

    Hello Brent,
    You have made a wise choice. I have known Adrian for a number of years. He constantly amazes me with the depth of his knowledge on issues facing British Columbians and his willingness to work very, very hard on behalf of rank and file citizens. I maintain that he is the hardest working MLA we have and has actually managed to get results in his role as a opposition critic — something that’s not easy to achieve.
    Good on you!

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