Burnaby NOW will be publishing candidate Q&As for each candidate leading up to the City of Burnaby byelection scheduled for June 26, 2021. The answers provided have not been altered or changed.
Mehreen Chaudry seeks to win one of two seats after coming up short in 2018.
QUESTION: When did you decide to run for the City of Burnaby byelection?
ANSWER: The moment the results came in from the 2018 civic election and I realized I’d lost by only a couple thousand votes, it motivated me to continue to work for Burnaby and my community, especially when only one woman was elected in 2018.
QUESTION: Why did you decide to be a candidate?
ANSWER: Since arriving in Burnaby, me and my family have come to love our new home and I care deeply about what the future holds for our city. I want to build a more equitable, sustainable and affordable Burnaby for my boys to inherit.
QUESTION: What do you think is needed on city council the most? What do you think it’s missing/lacking?
ANSWER: Up until 2018 when I ran for the first time the answer was simple, new leadership and fresh ideas. Mayor Mike Hurley and Councillor Joe Keithley have helped bring that over the last couple years and I believe what's needed now is greater diversity on council. We need a council that looks like Burnaby.
QUESTION: Do you think there needs to be more diversity when it comes to Burnaby’s municipal government? If so, why?
ANSWER: Absolutely, it just makes sense to me that our municipal government is representative of the city it governs. Greater diversity among policy makers in age, gender, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds means better understanding of the different challenges that diverse populations face. This better understanding can therefore lead to more informed policy decisions that work better for more people.
QUESTION: What issues do you think need to be tackled the most in Burnaby?
ANSWER: Burnaby faces many issues concerning its sustainable development. I believe that the chronic lack of affordable housing, the inadequate sidewalk and bike path infrastructure, the deficiency in dynamic and vibrant community spaces and the degradation of our parks, streams and forests are the most important ones that we need to tackle right away.
QUESTION: Why should voters vote for you?
ANSWER: I don’t believe in telling voters who to vote for. Instead, I would encourage voters to visit our website, look through our platform and read my bio so that they can make an informed decision on their own.
QUESTION: What would you say to those who may not want to vote or don’t really see a point?
ANSWER: If politics make you mad or frustrated I completely understand, but the only way to fix the problems you see in politics is to get involved and fix them yourself. Voting is the easiest way of making that real impact, that's the beauty of democracy. Also, it is a privilege that we live in a country where we have the right to vote and by not exercising that right we forgo what many in this world would give anything to have.
