The ballot for the riding of Richmond East got a little more crowded for the May 14 provincial election.
Three more candidates two independents, and one Green Party of BC member joined the fray before the April 26 deadline making it seven in total for voters to pick from.
Filling the vacancy for the Green Party after Ping Chan opted to switch his allegiance to the BC Excalibur Party is Doug Perry.
Also adding their names to the race are independents Lloyd Chen and Cliff Wei.
They join incumbent B.C. Liberal Linda Reid, the NDPs Gian Sihota, BC Conservatives Nathaniel Lim and BC Excaliburs Chan on the ballot.
The Green Partys Perry, 51, is a seasoned political campaigner, having previously run for the Greens at the provincial and federal levels.
Perry, a doctor of Chinese medicine who lives part of the year aboard his sailboat near the Dinsmore Bridge, said one of the main issues he sees in the riding focuses on closing loopholes which permit development on agricultural land.
What that does is destroy agricultural viability of the land, he said, adding he favours a change in regulations requiring the posting of a bond prior to any development on farmland.
That would ensure the land is brought back to the proper state when theyre finished, Perry said.
He also picked out what he saw as a steady decline in the standard living for B.C. residents as a campaign issue.
It doesnt matter how you measure it, the standard of living has declined, so has education, although the government keeps saying they are doing a better job, Perry said. Those people who work in the industry, the teachers, dont seem to think so. Theyve been complaining about various cutbacks for decades.
Getting involved in politics for the first time is Lloyd Chen, 49, who runs a Richmond-based import/export business called Canada Sea Air Logistics.
He earmarked public security, crime and transportation as three of his main issues.
Chen said programs such as the local Neighborhood Watch are good examples of how the public and police can work together, but could use more promotion.
On transportation, Chen said high volume corridors through the riding like Bridgeport Road and Westminster Highway require attention.
Also running on the independent ticket is Cliff Wei, a former senior executive with a state-run, telecommunications agency in China before coming to Canada in 2004.
Some voters may already know him after he ran unsuccessfully in the 2011 civic election for council.
Wei finished third last with a total of 3,841 votes.
On May 14, Wei said he is hoping to have a greater impact after expressing his campaign policies that focus on lower taxes to help stimulate the economy.
We can do a lot of things by lowering taxes. A tiny move in that direction by the government can make a huge difference to the people around here, Wei said.
With a revitalized economy, Wei said the province would be able to address issues such as increased support for seniors.
We have some great programs already set up by Victoria, but have to ask for more, he said.
Wei added, hed also like to see some tax relief for middle-income families who are struggling to make ends meet given current high living costs.
There are a lot of things the government can do to assist them, like after-school care, he said, adding child tax credits should also be granted to families regardless of their income levels.
Having a child is the greatest social responsibility, no matter how high or how low their income is.
