DOUGLAS HORNE
AGE: 48
OCCUPATION: former MLA (BC Liberal) for Coquitlam-Burke Mountain
CONTACT: www.douglashorne.ca, 604-474-3684, @Douglas_Horne
Douglas Horne has spent the last six years as the provincial representative for Coquitlam-Burke Mountain under the BC Liberal banner but now he's hoping to take the blue Conservative flag across the federal election finish line on Oct. 19.
Since Horne was elected in 2009, he has served as the parliamentary secretary to the premier and was most recently the deputy speaker of the legislative assembly until resigning his seat to run federally. Having waded through negotiations with other levels of government, Horne said, would serve him well in Ottawa.
"People just want different levels of government to come together and make it happen, they don't care whose fault it is," he said from his campaign headquarters on Westwood Street in Port Coquitlam.
Horne cited as examples of his ability to work with other levels of government securing the Evergreen Line for the Tri-Cities (approved in fall 2011 by the TransLink Mayors' Council) and five school sites for Burke Mountain.
But in the federal Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam riding, which covers Westwood Plateau and newly forming neighbourhoods on Burke Mountain and Coquitlam Town Centre, as well as typically NDP strongholds in Port Coquitlam, Horne cites the economy as the main issue.
"We're in a very difficult and complex global economic situation… that needs people in office who can help manage these difficult times and make sure our economy stays on top of the G7 as far as growth and creating jobs," he said.
(Since January 2006, Canada has bested fellow G7 members in annual growth twice, in 2008 and 2009, while job growth numbers show Canada in the middle to bottom of the pack.)
Door-knocking throughout the riding, Horne said the most common concern among residents is what's in their wallets — how much money they'll get to keep and what they'll have to hand over to the tax collector.
"Families are feeling the pressure when it comes to expenses and all those other things," Horne said. "They want to make sure they get to keep the money they earn."
He took aim at Conservative critics who claim the government has neglected low-income Canadians, saying that under Prime Minister Stephen Harper's tenure, the GST has been lowered from 7% to 5%, TFSA contribution limits have been raised to $10,000 annually and single-income families will benefit from a new income-splitting program.
Such programs, Horne added, aren't just for the wealthy and give many middle-income families a chance to keep a bit more money in their pockets now and in retirement.
Horne is hoping voters keep his provincial record in mind when they stand at the ballot box to elect a new federal representative.
"I worked very hard for many years, I obviously have a long background in finance and in business and was very successful, and I think that it's important that our community has a strong voice in Ottawa."
