Two candidates for the Mid Island-Pacific Rim riding were in the hot seat this week as high school students in Port Alberni hosted an all candidates meeting.

Students with Anne Ostwald's Theatre 11/12 class at Alberni District Secondary School took turns asking each of the candidates questions on Tuesday, Oct. 8, with subjects ranging from seniors issues to reconciliation to health care. Students from both ADSS and NIC attended the meeting as well as a few members of the public.

Both B.C. Conservative Party candidate Adam Hayduk and B.C. NDP incumbent Josie Osborne attended the meeting, while B.C. Green Party candidate Ross Reid was unable to attend due to work commitments.

Hayduk, who is fairly new to politics, has come under fire on social media from people who are concerned about the fact that he does not currently live in the Mid Island-Pacific Rim riding. Hayduk promised on Tuesday that if elected, he would live in the riding — either in Port Alberni, Royston or Union Bay. He already has ties to the area as a former coach of the BCHL's Alberni Valley Bulldogs.

He explained that he started getting involved in politics a few years ago after seeing the effects of what he called the "devastating" B.C. NDP leadership.

"What we need right now is for the government to step up and make some common-sense changes and decisions," said Hayduk.

One of these decisions is bringing back plastic straws. Last week, Conservative leader John Rustad announced his support for bringing back plastic straws and cutlery and eliminating fees for plastic bags. On Tuesday, Hayduk said this is just one example of a "common-sense decision" by the B.C. Conservatives. 

"When you put a paper straw in a liquid, it gets flimsy and the glue is going to get ingested," he said. 

But straws weren't Hayduk's only concern. He also criticized the province's response to the housing crisis and the health-care crisis. He shared a story about his former roommate, who wants to move back to B.C. but is unable to practice medicine in the province with his out-of-province credentials.

"We have a health-care system that is struggling," Hayduk said. "There is too much time and resources in administration."

He also panned the NDP's response to COVID-19 and their requirement to have health-care workers vaccinated. 

Osborne, as the incumbent, defended the last few years of NDP leadership, pointing out that although the province runs on three- or four-year election cycles, most problems aren't solved in that amount of time.

"It's really important to lay strong foundations and good social structures...so the challenges we're facing with housing and our medical system can be resolved," she said. "Having stability is a good thing for rebuilding."

She added that the B.C. NDP has provided funding over the last few years for hundreds of childcare spaces and hundreds of affordable homes, as well as more than a dozen new Foundry centres to provide mental health services for B.C. youth. She promised that the NDP plans to continue investing in hospitals and said that by the end of 2025, every person in the province will be attached to a family physician or nurse practitioner.

"Politics is all about people," said Osborne. "It's helping to solve problems, overcome challenges and then look ahead and see how we can make life better for everybody."

She criticized Rustad and the Conservatives' "disappointing" views on climate action, especially when it comes to bringing back plastic straws.

"It's symbolic of people's beliefs in wanting to take action on climate," she said. "We see it across British Columbia because we know we have to change the way we use things. It's disappointing to see us moving backwards."

Crime was a big topic of conversation for Hayduk, who says his party supports hiring more police and offering them as much support as possible. He made reference to a video that went viral online last month, which showed open drug use outside of a Dairy Queen restaurant on Port Alberni's Third Avenue, and said that "20 percent of the criminals are causing 80 percent of the crimes" across the province.

"There are a lot of stories we've heard knocking on doors," he said. "Assaults and thefts. There are a lot of people creating chaos and crime and affecting our lives. It would be unnecessary if we were tough on crime — and the NDP unfortunately has not been."

While Osborne said she supported increasing support for RCMP, she clarified that it's equally important to invest in supports for people (such as shelters and treatment beds) to prevent crime from happening in the first place.

When candidates were asked if they support the "safe injection site" in Port Alberni (referring to the Overdose Prevention Site on Third Avenue), Osborne said she would like to see it expanded, while Hayduk said it's "not working" right now.

"There is nothing safe about hard drugs," he said.

Students asked the candidates about SOGI 123, which is a set of teaching resources that helps teachers create supportive and inclusive environments for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities. When asked if he would remove these resources from schools, Hayduk didn't give a yes or no answer but said that resources need to be "age-appropriate." 

Osborne said the NDP supports SOGI resources and will continue to take feedback from parents and teachers to improve them.

The meeting on Tuesday was civil, and both candidates had some issues they agreed on. Both Hayduk and Osborne said they would support involuntary care for those who are not able to care for themselves, and both candidates said they would support lowering the voting age in B.C. to 16.

Aside from a "few minor hiccups," students with Anne Ostwald's Theatre 11/12 class said the event went well. Although Reid wasn't able to make it to the meeting due to work commitments, students said they were impressed by his "prompt response" to their invitation. They were happy to see both Osborne and Hayduk show up, though.

"What better way to get people to vote for you than to be there for the people?" emcee Lauren Salmon said.

Her fellow emcee Kate Edgar said the event gave her "a lot of insight" into each party's beliefs.

"Overall, it was great to have them come to the school," she said. "It shows that they care about future voters."

"It's good to know our vote matters to them," added another student, Helio Schmor.