Sjeng Derkx wants Nelson-Creston voters to know that the Green Party is not comprised of left-wing idealists.
“We think private enterprise-minded people will find us to be a credible choice, and we are fiscally conservative,” he said in a visit to Creston. “We have the most thorough, detailed policy platform of all the political parties in British Columbia.”
The cabinetmaker, who moved to the Kootenays from the Lower Mainland in 1993 (he immigrated from Holland in 1982) so he could have a healthier environment, is making his first foray into politics as a candidate in the May 14 provincial election.
Derkx — running against Liberal Greg Garbula and NDP incumbent Michelle Mungall — has a strong history of community involvement.
“I’ve done lots of volunteering,” he said.
He was a founder of the Nelson Area Trails Society in 1998. The society has played a central role in the creation of the Ward’s Ferry Trail and the Nelson Salmo Great Northern Trail. He has been a regional director for Trails BC and helped acquire the Slocan Valley and Columbia & Western rail lines for hiking trails.
As deputy district election officer for Nelson-Creston, and also a federal deputy returning officer, Derkx has plenty of election experience, but this is his first as a candidate. And he’s disappointed voters won’t be casting ballots in a single transferrable vote system, which was narrowly turned down in the last provincial election.
“The STV would help involve people in the political process more than they are today,” he said, adding that electoral reform shouldn’t be dropped from the political conversation.
Energy is of particular interest to Derkx and his party, he said.
“B.C. is at a crossroads as far as energy is concerned,” he said. “Both the NDP and Liberal parties support fracking for natural gas. It makes us completely dependent on big oil, produces few jobs and is environmentally bad — it’s a terrible process.”
On economic issues, the Green Party is far from extreme, he said, and promotes the localization of decision-making.
“For every $1 million invested in the fossil fuel industry we could be creating 17 jobs in the clean energy field,” he said. “We also want to put an emphasis on more efficient housing.”
Local food production is a key for the future, Derkx said.
“We need to invest in agricultural land and farmers,” he said. “Farmers need affordable land to be available.”
“Fewer bureaucrats and more works with their feet on the ground” are needed in both education and health care, the two areas that eat up most of the province’s taxes, he said. “We have to promote healthy lifestyles by encouraging more activity among kids and adults.”
Derkx admitted that Green Party candidates don’t have the money to spend on campaigns that other party’s candidates do. He won’t be opening a campaign office in Creston and will instead focus on door-to-door campaigning. He is committed to attending all-candidates’ forums and will be at the Creston Valley Home and Garden Show in April. He also enjoys attending informal “coffee klatches”, which he finds “extremely useful”.
More information about the Derkx campaign can be found at www.sjeng.ca.