Jaime Stein | Ep. 2: The Best Constituency MLA | 2026 BC Election Interview
https://youtu.be/EGsmQpgBVg8
(Transcript from the episode's English subtitles — the interview is in English; speakers not labelled. Host: Sarah Yu.)

[0:00] Highlights
The biggest challenge I see is that we no longer have consequences in our society for bad behaviour. That's not fair. So what happens if there's no consequence when you commit a crime or cause problems? That consequence then falls onto the people that are following the rules and the people that are actually contributing to society.

[0:22] Economy and public finances
What approach would Conservatives take to encourage investment, create jobs, and manage debt while protecting essential services? So nine-plus years of David Eby and the NDP government has left this province an absolute disaster. They've left us with over a $13 billion deficit and nothing to show for it.

[0:43] Respecting taxpayers' money
So as a Conservative government, we're going to respect taxpayers and we're going to respect their money. Firstly, we're going to work on getting more money back in their pockets through raising the basic income tax rate exemption to $32,000. So that will allow people to have more money, which will fuel the economy.

[1:00] Small businesses are hurting
So right now, small businesses are hurting, and we have so many amazing small business owners in Vancouver-Langara and across British Columbia. And we need to make sure that the economy's functioning so that they can put food on their table through that.

[1:13] Unlocking resources
Secondly, we need to unlock our resources. We have so many great resources, whether it's LNG or minerals. We need to find a way to get that to market faster. Right now, there's too much regulation and too much red tape caused by the NDP government. And as a Conservative government, we will work with the business community to remove those barriers and help fuel

[1:35] Public safety and addiction
our economy. What practical problems do you see with the current approach to public safety, mental health and addiction in neighbourhoods across BC? The biggest challenge I see is that we no longer have consequences in our society for bad behaviour. That's not fair. So what happens if there's no consequence when you commit a crime or cause problems? That consequence then falls onto the people that are following the rules and the people that are actually contributing to society. So we need to protect the people that are contributing to society, whether it's the business owner whose space is getting broken into, whether it's the elderly couple that just wants to go for a walk downtown, but it's not safe because there's drug addicts on the street, or it's not safe because somebody's going to break into their car or steal from them. We need to bring back consequences for bad behaviour in British Columbia.

[2:26] The key to Vancouver
Vancouver-Langara is home to diverse communities, How would you ensure that residents from different backgrounds, including those who do not support your party, have their voices heard? Vancouver-Langara is the greatest riding in the entire province because of what you describe. The diversity is what makes it incredible. I like to call Vancouver-Langara the key to Vancouver, because if you look at it, it is the hub of the city. Everything's got to flow through Langara. And for me, it's not about just

[2:55] Representing everyone
my supporters. It's about everybody. It's the most incredible riding because of the diversity. We have a large Chinese community. We have a large Punjabi community, Filipino community, Jewish community, it's such a beautiful mix of people. And my job, if I'm elected as MLA, is to represent every single person in that community, and that means showing up to events, that means listening to communities, that means being in spaces. And I've spent two and a half years doing that, and I plan to continue showing up for the people

[3:24] First-year priority
of Vancouver-Langara. If elected, what would be your most important priority? I think my first priority is to be the best constituency MLA in the province. My goal is to be that MLA that people know they can come talk to, know that they can trust, know that they can interact with. I want people to know that if they have concerns, they can come speak to us and we're going to solve problems. Solving problems is going to be a huge focus for us in the riding level. As a Conservative government, it's getting the economy back on track. We need to focus on affordability and make sure that families and seniors can continue to live in the communities that they're in. And so that's a huge

[4:01] Health care without waits
priority for us. The second priority is health care. We need to make sure that we're taking care of people, whether it's our children having a doctor, or making sure our seniors have doctors, or making sure that there's no wait times in the hospitals anymore. We believe in universal healthcare, but for it to be truly universal, there can't be the waits that we see right now. Thank you for coming. Thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.