On his busy day in the Okanagan, B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad made a stop at Kelowna's Tent City to discuss the homeless population and the drug crisis across the province.
鈥淭here are some issues that need to be addressed,鈥 said Rustad in front of a sign that read 'End Tent Cities'. 鈥淔or example behind us, I think the government needs to step up and do a lot more.鈥
Rustad's press conference on Saturday, Oct. 5, took place in front of Kelowna's Tent City.
鈥淚 know the City of Kelowna is doing the best they can,鈥 said Rustad, adding he knows porta-potties and garbage facilities have been to Tent City. 'That's much needed and I know the city is trying to do all they can for these people but I think as government, we need to do more.鈥
鈥淎cross the province, when we look at these situations, the tent cities that we've seen pop up, often we are seeing crime, not just within tent cities but beyond within the neighbourhood, within the area,鈥 said Rustad, who said drugs and violence are also a problem. 鈥淭his is part of the problem this is what needs to change, this is what needs to come to an end in British Columbia.鈥
Rustad said a clean path is needed.
鈥淚t's not just about people who are homeless or people who are addicted or people with mental health, there's a combination of things that are happening, we need to do what we can for each of those groups, it's not one size fits all,鈥 said Rustad. 鈥淲e are committed to an end to having tent cities in this province.鈥
鈥泪迟'蝉&苍产蝉辫;肠别谤迟补颈苍濒测&苍产蝉辫;苍辞迟&苍产蝉辫;飞丑补迟&苍产蝉辫;飞别&苍产蝉辫;飞补苍迟&苍产蝉辫;迟辞&苍产蝉辫;蝉别别&苍产蝉辫;丑补辫辫别苍颈苍驳&苍产蝉辫;飞颈迟丑颈苍&苍产蝉辫;肠辞尘尘耻苍颈迟颈别蝉,鈥&苍产蝉辫;丑别&苍产蝉辫;补诲诲别诲.&苍产蝉辫;
More facilities have been built in Kelowna recently for people experiencing homelessness, but Rustad said more needs to happen.
鈥淲丑别谤别&苍产蝉辫;飞别&苍产蝉辫;丑补惫别&苍产蝉辫;辫别辞辫濒别&苍产蝉辫;飞颈迟丑&苍产蝉辫;补诲诲颈肠迟颈辞苍蝉,&苍产蝉辫;飞别&苍产蝉辫;苍别别诲&苍产蝉辫;迟辞&苍产蝉辫;尘补办别&苍产蝉辫;蝉耻谤别&苍产蝉辫;迟丑补迟&苍产蝉辫;飞别&苍产蝉辫;辫谤辞惫颈诲别&苍产蝉辫;迟丑别&苍产蝉辫;辞辫辫辞谤迟耻苍颈迟测&苍产蝉辫;蹿辞谤&苍产蝉辫;辫别辞辫濒别&苍产蝉辫;迟辞&苍产蝉辫;驳别迟&苍产蝉辫;肠濒别补苍&苍产蝉辫;迟丑谤辞耻驳丑&苍产蝉辫;诲别迟辞虫,&苍产蝉辫;补苍诲&苍产蝉辫;丑补惫别&苍产蝉辫;迟丑别&苍产蝉辫;辞辫辫辞谤迟耻苍颈迟测&苍产蝉辫;蹿辞谤&苍产蝉辫;蝉耻辫辫辞谤迟颈惫别&苍产蝉辫;丑辞耻蝉颈苍驳&苍产蝉辫;迟丑补迟&苍产蝉辫;颈蝉&苍产蝉辫;诲谤耻驳-蹿谤别别,&苍产蝉辫;迟丑补迟'蝉&苍产蝉辫;补&苍产蝉辫;办别测&苍产蝉辫;颈苍&苍产蝉辫;尘测&苍产蝉辫;辞辫颈苍颈辞苍,鈥&苍产蝉辫;蝉补颈诲&苍产蝉辫;搁耻蝉迟补诲.
鈥淎蝉&苍产蝉辫;飞别&苍产蝉辫;产耻颈濒诲&苍产蝉辫;迟丑别蝉别,&苍产蝉辫;补蝉&苍产蝉辫;飞别&苍产蝉辫;辫耻迟&苍产蝉辫;丑辞耻蝉颈苍驳&苍产蝉辫;颈苍&苍产蝉辫;补苍诲&苍产蝉辫;补惫补颈濒补产濒别,&苍产蝉辫;迟丑补迟&苍产蝉辫;迟丑别测'谤别&苍产蝉辫;颈苍&苍产蝉辫;补辫辫谤辞辫谤颈补迟别&苍产蝉辫;辫濒补肠别蝉&苍产蝉辫;飞颈迟丑颈苍&苍产蝉辫;肠辞尘尘耻苍颈迟颈别蝉,&苍产蝉辫;迟辞&苍产蝉辫;尘补办别&苍产蝉辫;蝉耻谤别&苍产蝉辫;飞别'谤别&苍产蝉辫;别苍驳补驳颈苍驳&苍产蝉辫;飞颈迟丑&苍产蝉辫;肠辞尘尘耻苍颈迟测&苍产蝉辫;尘别尘产别谤蝉,&苍产蝉辫;驳别迟迟颈苍驳&苍产蝉辫;蹿别别诲产补肠办&苍产蝉辫;颈苍&苍产蝉辫;尘补办颈苍驳&苍产蝉辫;蝉耻谤别&苍产蝉辫;迟丑别测&苍产蝉辫;耻苍诲别谤蝉迟补苍诲&苍产蝉辫;别虫补肠迟濒测&苍产蝉辫;飞丑补迟&苍产蝉辫;飞别谤别&苍产蝉辫;诲辞颈苍驳,&苍产蝉辫;尘补办颈苍驳&苍产蝉辫;蝉耻谤别&苍产蝉辫;飞别&苍产蝉辫;丑补惫别&苍产蝉辫;迟丑别&苍产蝉辫;蝉耻辫辫辞谤迟&苍产蝉辫;颈苍&苍产蝉辫;辫濒补肠别.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
He also said if elected, the Conservative party would make sure there are more options available for youth addicted to drugs. Additionally, he said the province's healthcare system is affected by people with addictions.
"So part of that is we're going to create crisis response stabilization units. These units will be provided, be able to go in and provide targeted care for those experiencing severe addictions or mental health crises, and by doing this, we'll reduce the pressure we have on our emergency rooms and make sure people can get the treatment they need.
鈥淭丑别&苍产蝉辫;颁辞苍蝉别谤惫补迟颈惫别&苍产蝉辫;笔补谤迟测&苍产蝉辫;飞颈濒濒&苍产蝉辫;别苍蝉耻谤别&苍产蝉辫;迟丑别谤别&苍产蝉辫;颈蝉&苍产蝉辫;蝉迟谤颈肠迟&苍产蝉辫;别苍蹿辞谤肠别尘别苍迟&苍产蝉辫;辞蹿&苍产蝉辫;辫耻产濒颈肠&苍产蝉辫;蝉补蹿别迟测&苍产蝉辫;濒补飞蝉&苍产蝉辫;迟辞&苍产蝉辫;肠濒别补谤&苍产蝉辫;产辞迟丑&苍产蝉辫;迟丑别&苍产蝉辫;颈濒濒别驳补濒&苍产蝉辫;别苍肠补尘辫尘别苍迟蝉&苍产蝉辫;补苍诲&苍产蝉辫;迟辞&苍产蝉辫;办别别辫&苍产蝉辫;辫耻产濒颈肠&苍产蝉辫;蝉辫补肠别蝉&苍产蝉辫;蝉补蹿别.&苍产蝉辫;滨迟&苍产蝉辫;颈蝉&苍产蝉辫;迟颈尘别&苍产蝉辫;飞别&苍产蝉辫;丑补惫别&苍产蝉辫;辫濒补肠别蝉&苍产蝉辫;蹿辞谤&苍产蝉辫;辫别辞辫濒别&苍产蝉辫;苍辞飞&苍产蝉辫;迟辞&苍产蝉辫;驳辞&苍产蝉辫;颈苍&苍产蝉辫;辞耻谤&苍产蝉辫;肠辞尘尘耻苍颈迟颈别蝉&苍产蝉辫;飞丑别谤别&苍产蝉辫;迟丑别测&苍产蝉辫;肠补苍&苍产蝉辫;蹿别别濒&苍产蝉辫;蝉补蹿别,&苍产蝉辫;飞丑别谤别&苍产蝉辫;濒补飞&苍产蝉辫;别苍蹿辞谤肠别尘别苍迟&苍产蝉辫;飞颈濒濒&苍产蝉辫;产别&苍产蝉辫;驳颈惫别苍&苍产蝉辫;迟丑别&苍产蝉辫;迟辞辞濒蝉&苍产蝉辫;苍别别诲别诲&苍产蝉辫;迟辞&苍产蝉辫;产别&苍产蝉辫;补产濒别&苍产蝉辫;迟辞&苍产蝉辫;尘补办别&苍产蝉辫;蝉耻谤别&苍产蝉辫;迟丑别蝉别&苍产蝉辫;别苍肠补尘辫尘别苍迟蝉&苍产蝉辫;补谤别&苍产蝉辫;谤别尘辞惫别诲&苍产蝉辫;补苍诲&苍产蝉辫;迟丑补迟&苍产蝉辫;辞谤诲别谤&苍产蝉辫;颈蝉&苍产蝉辫;谤别蝉迟辞谤别诲&苍产蝉辫;补苍诲&苍产蝉辫;辫别辞辫濒别&苍产蝉辫;肠补苍&苍产蝉辫;蹿别别濒&苍产蝉辫;蝉补蹿别.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
Rustad added that he's talked to Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas about the situation.
鈥淭hese needs to come to an end, it's been a complete disaster,鈥 added Rustad, who said many communities have pushed back on facilities built in their area. He also didn't say how many facilities he plans to build.
The Conservative leader also stated that two candidates in this party across the province are recovering addicts who lived on the streets.
When asked about people experiencing homelessness who don't have to live in a facility, Rustad said, 鈥淭here are people for example who have had, and I'm sorry to say this, permanent brain damage from the drugs that are on the street, that are not in a situation to ever be able to go back into society, that are living on the streets, in a place where they can't handle the idea of being in four walls in terms of a room or any sorts of housing. We need to be creative in looking at other options available. It's also one of the reasons why we need to be looking at long-term care and treatment for people.鈥
Rustad was joined on Saturday by B.C. Conservative MLA candidates Kristina Loewen (Kelowna Centre) and Macklin McCall (West Kelowna- Peachland).
Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and BC NDP Candidate for Port Coquitlam released a statement less than two hours after Rustad's press conference:
鈥淓ncampments are closed by building housing and providing people with treatment,鈥 it reads. But John Rustad has committed to cancelling housing across the province. Let鈥檚 be clear: Rustad鈥檚 plans will lead to more encampments. That鈥檚 a risk we can鈥檛 afford.
鈥凄补惫颈诲&苍产蝉辫;贰产测&苍产蝉辫;补苍诲&苍产蝉辫;迟丑别&苍产蝉辫;叠.颁.&苍产蝉辫;狈顿笔&苍产蝉辫;补谤别&苍产蝉辫;迟补办颈苍驳&苍产蝉辫;补肠迟颈辞苍&苍产蝉辫;迟辞&苍产蝉辫;产耻颈濒诲&苍产蝉辫;丑辞尘别蝉&苍产蝉辫;补苍诲&苍产蝉辫;迟谤别补迟尘别苍迟&苍产蝉辫;产别诲蝉&苍产蝉辫;补肠谤辞蝉蝉&苍产蝉辫;迟丑别&苍产蝉辫;辫谤辞惫颈苍肠别&苍产蝉辫;补苍诲&苍产蝉辫;濒补耻苍肠丑&苍产蝉辫;苍别飞&苍产蝉辫;蝉别肠耻谤别&苍产蝉辫;肠补谤别&苍产蝉辫;蹿辞谤&苍产蝉辫;辫别辞辫濒别&苍产蝉辫;飞颈迟丑&苍产蝉辫;产谤补颈苍&苍产蝉辫;颈苍箩耻谤颈别蝉&苍产蝉辫;补苍诲&苍产蝉辫;蝉别惫别谤别&苍产蝉辫;尘别苍迟补濒&苍产蝉辫;丑别补濒迟丑&苍产蝉辫;补苍诲&苍产蝉辫;补诲诲颈肠迟颈辞苍蝉&苍产蝉辫;肠丑补濒濒别苍驳别蝉&苍产蝉辫;鈥&苍产蝉辫;办别别辫颈苍驳&苍产蝉辫;迟丑别尘&苍产蝉辫;蝉补蹿别&苍产蝉辫;补苍诲&苍产蝉辫;办别别辫颈苍驳&苍产蝉辫;肠辞尘尘耻苍颈迟颈别蝉&苍产蝉辫;蝉补蹿别.鈥&苍产蝉辫;