The economy, immigration and taxation were top of mind for Conservative Party leadership candidate Kevin O鈥橪eary during a campaign event in Nanaimo on Friday afternoon.

O鈥橪eary told the crowd of approximately 60 people at the Coast Bastion Hotel that he鈥檚 fine with immigration as long as it is done fairly, adding Canada spends too much on illegal immigrants from the United States.

鈥淚t鈥檚 unfair to the people trying to get into this country legally that others can walk into the border and take their space,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat does it cost us as taxpayers? $500,000 per person before we actually send them back. Half a million per person. Free health care, free welfare, free everything because we are Canadians and we are nice people.鈥�

O鈥橪eary, former star of CBC TV show Dragons鈥� Den, said he wants to see individual and corporate tax rates slashed dramatically in an effort to boost the economy.

鈥淲e got to reduce our taxes and keep the capital at work,鈥� he said.

The Conservatives are set to hold their leadership election next month and O鈥橪eary is competing against 14 candidates, including Chris Alexander, Maxime Bernier, Kellie Leitch, Steven Blaney, Andrew Saxton, Lisa Raitt, Andrew Scheer, Erin O鈥橳oole and Michael Chong.

O鈥橪eary, who fielded numerous questions from the audience, said Canada鈥檚 economy needs to be better than it is today and tax revenue is wasted too often.

鈥淲e should be the envy of the Earth,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e just have to manage this place and get some men and women who are focused on hitting targets on our behalf. If you want to serve in government, you have to treat money of taxpayers as your own.鈥�

Speaking to the News Bulletin afterward, O鈥橪eary said his main focus is economic growth for Canada.

鈥淚f you don鈥檛 care about Canada鈥檚 economy growing then you shouldn鈥檛 vote for Kevin O鈥橪eary because I am not making 25 promises,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 am making one: three per cent economic growth. That鈥檚 all I care about.鈥�

O鈥橪eary said carbon tax needs to be eliminated nationwide as it deters people from starting a business in Canada and it isn鈥檛 effective in stopping wealthy companies from hurting the environment.

鈥淚f you let a rich company buy carbon credits it just keeps spewing filth into the environment,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 rich so it can just keep buying credits. How stupid.鈥�

The former television star said communities such as Nanaimo need to diversify their economies in order to have long-term economic success in the future. He said high tax rates hinder many investors from starting businesses on Vancouver Island.

鈥淲e need to start selling more stuff to India and China and that is why it is very important to start focusing on everything you can do to bring different forms of capital and revenue and investment from all around,鈥� he said. 鈥淧eople would love to invest in Canada, particularly this part. This is beautiful here. I would think you could boost your tourism significantly if you made it an interesting place and less expensive to get to.鈥�

O鈥橪eary also blamed the lack of economic growth on the prime minister , who he feels isn鈥檛 qualified to be involved in serious economic decisions such as the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

鈥淭he best thing to solve the problems right here is to get rid of Justin 台湾MM裸聊室, believe it or not, because it is his overriding policy that crushes innovation, jobs, capital traction, competitiveness. He鈥檚 a disaster,鈥� he said.

nicholas.pescod@nanaimobulletin.com