Politicians of all stripes gathered at the Burnaby Firefighters Club on Monday night to address the time and money squeeze younger generations are facing in B.C.
The event featured academic and public speaker Paul Kershaw, who is spearheading the Gen Squeeze campaign, an initiative to raise awareness about the plight of the under-45 crowd that's struggling with the rising costs of living while wages fail to keep up.
Darlene Gering, former head of the Burnaby Board of Trade, began the event with some Burnaby-specific figures underscoring Kershaw's argument.
According to Gering, the average cost for a single family home in Burnaby in 2004 was $463,000, but by 2012, that figure rose to $902,000. Child care can cost between $700 to $1,200 per month in Burnaby, she added.
Kershaw then took the floor, opening with a Power Point presentation, outlining the key messages of his Gen Squeeze campaign in front of a crowd of roughly 150 people.
"The deck is increasingly stacked against young generations," Kershaw said, addressing the crowd.
According to Kershaw, a generation ago, people could spend five years saving for a down payment on a home, yet in B.C., it now takes 15 years to save for an average down payment.
"This is leaving entire generations of young people squeezed," Kershaw said.
Beyond high housing and child-care costs, decline in the standard of living for young people is so significant it's interfering with their love lives, Kershaw said. The typical case with people in their 20s is they will more likely live at home with parents, rather than moving out with their lovers, he added.
"The good news is we can change this," Kershaw said.
There are few policy levers that politicians can influence when the markets control wages and housing costs, he said. Kershaw suggested building more child-care spaces and bringing in a $10 per day childcare system while closing the generational spending gap.
"There isn't any party in British Columbia that's actually committed to narrowing this gap," he said.
Politicians took the floor after Kershaw's presentation. NDP candidate Kathy Corrigan opened by criticizing the B.C. Liberals.
"Basically, the argument has been if we have more jobs, things will work out for families just fine, . but the jobs have not been coming," she said, also citing B.C.'s high child poverty rate. Corrigan also criticized the Liberals for increasing debt, leaving the NDP with little room to move, if elected.
"As much as we agree with everything you say," she said, addressing Kershaw, "the moves the B.C. New Democrats can make are modest."
She did, however, say the NDP would reduce fees for child-care centres by 20 per cent, while increasing the number of childcare spaces.
Representing the Liberals, newcomer Ken Kramer, candidate for Burnaby-Lougheed, made his debut in the political sphere and identified with the demographic described by Kershaw.
"I understand that, I live that every day," he said.
Kramer also spoke of his background, how he started his own business and worked as an advocate for people with disabilities. Kramer said he didn't have all the answers and couldn't make any promises, but he did speak of his concern for his daughter's future and suggested he would listen to young people.
"I will add, however, the Liberal party has in fact made significant contributions to education and jobs and training," he said. "(The NDP) froze
tuition, but they forgot to put money into capital costs in universities. ... We don't want to go that route again."
Green candidate Rick McGowan also identified with the "squeezed" generation.
"The economy we have chosen to buy into . has allowed a lot of businesses to grow and incomes to rise, but has it improved our happiness?" he asked. "Happiness isn't the goal of capitalism, I agree, . but the economic system we've shaped over the years has increased everything but happiness.
"We need to elect politicians that will protect our environment, (and) strengthen our local economy," he said.
The audience then broke into roundtable discussions, brainstorming lists of concerns, while the politicians were instructed to visit the tables and listen. The political panel then answered more questions on child care, the intergenerational spending gap, housing and lowering the voting age.
Corrigan said the NDP would take modest steps over many years, including investments in education.
The Greens want to lower the voting age to 16, bring in a guaranteed livable income and free post-secondary education, while abolishing fees for the kindergarten-to-Grade 12 system.
"We also want to invest in affordable housing, which is lacking in our community, and find efficiencies in systems that already exist," he said.
Kramer said he wanted to hear from people in the room.
"It's great to be able to tell you what I'm going to do, but really, what we want to hear is what you want to do," he said. "One of the things I'm going to do if elected is listen more to you folks."
Kramer criticized the NDP for talking about what they are going to spend money on without saying where the money will come from. Corrigan replied, criticizing the Liberal approach that suggests focusing on the economy will fix everything.
"Liberals have been claiming that for years. ... It is not working for most people. There are very few doing well," she said. "The B.C. Liberals have added $27 billion to B.C.'s debt. Eight of the last 13 budgets have had deficits. ... To suggest the B.C. Liberals hold the economic future, that they are better managers, is just not credible."
Kramer also said housing was important to him and his community.
Kerhsaw then wrapped up the evening and took more audience questions, ranging from issues on child care to concern for refugees and immigrants.
Other local candidates in attendance included Richard Lee, Jeff Kuah and Shian Gu from the Liberals; Janet Routledge and Raj Chouhan representing the NDP; Wayne Marklund for the Conservatives; and Carrie McLaren and Darwin Burns for the Greens.
