My Vote, My Future: Jonathan Tam on BC Election 2017

Ahead of the BC election, Daily Hive is profiling young voters from across the province. Want to join in and share your thoughts? Email [email protected], subject line: My Future.

Who are you?

Jonathan Tam.

How old are you?

23.

What do you do?

Mortgage Broker.

Where do you live?

Port Coquitlam, BC.

Have you voted before?

Yes

Do you plan on voting this time?

Yes

Does your family influence how you vote?

Yes, my family plays a pretty heavy role in my decision process; not that I feel pressure from my family to vote a certain way, but at the dinner table it is a safe environment to openly discuss aspects of politics that otherwise may get heated or may not be appropriate for another setting. As well, I get a different view from my parents, who follow politics heavily and my old man is a small business owner, which gives a unique view as well.

How closely do you follow BC politics?

Closely.

Do you know who your local candidates are?

Yes.

Can you name the three party leaders?

Yes.

Would you ever consider running for office?

Yes, because I’m a control freak. I’ve always taken an interest in politics and how it works. If I were to get into politics—that is, if they would have me—I would like it to be at a later point in my life, when I have accomplished the things I would like to in both my career and financially. That way if I am comfortable financially I can make it a passion project, as opposed to any other job, which I think would bear the best results. Secondly, I also think getting into it early would be too much of an uphill battle due to ageism.

What issues do you care most about?

Jobs

Job creation and management because, as BC’s economy grows and jobs are created, we have the potential to have a rise in inflation, which I believe we are already showing signs of. It is interesting to see how the government will manage it, as they may feel the urge to ‘pick up the slack’ of the other have-not provinces, at the expense of the standard of living of the middle class.

Housing

I would really like to see an investment in concrete research into the issue of housing costs, as people like to think it is the result of foreign buyers driving up the prices—and it very well may be—but I would at least like to see some kind of evidence of what is truly the cause of the problem.

Technology

A growing tech centre will offer a big boost to our economy and will be a good way to diversify our resource-based economy. The tech sector would not just affect me, it’s an industry that—if it takes off locally—can really benefit all of us, both short term and long term.

There are already some signs of a blossoming tech sector in Vancouver, but I would really like to see it become a hot bed like San Francisco, as the investment and influx of employment would be a nice boost to the economy. It would also have long term effects as well, particularly in local young entrepreneurs having access to the environment and industry to produce the next big thing literally at their fingertips.

What I would really like to see is for our provincial government to capitalize on the massive changes that are going on in USA right now. With protectionist policies being put into place or on the way, there may be an opportunity [for Canada] to welcome international tech companies to our side of the border. I’d also like to see government support for small start ups, not just large operations.

Are you a young British Columbian and eligible to vote in the BC election? We would love to profile you. Email [email protected], subject line: My Future, to find out more.

Daily Hive is your home for BC Election coverage throughout the campaign period. To access our full BC Election coverage click here: Battleground BC.