AMY HAYSOM
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Political party: How long have you been a member?
Independent
Do you live in the riding, and if so, for how long? If not, what is your connection to the riding?
I have lived in Saanich North and the Islands for over 20 years, first in Saanichton, and now on Saltspring Island
What is your occupation, and for how long?
Small Business Owner since 2020, and Operations Manager for Geodesic Dome company, Phoenix Domes
What do you believe is the biggest issue facing your community and why?
After speaking with many constituents in my riding, it’s clear the housing crisis is the community’s most pressing issue, driven by a severe imbalance of supply and demand. With limited affordable housing, many workers struggle to find accommodations, creating staffing shortages in local business and essential services, like healthcare. And when housing is so expensive, people have less disposable income to spend on local businesses and the arts. This disrupts the economy and impacts community stability. Addressing housing supply and affordability is key to fostering a sustainable local economy and ensuring the long term well-being of residents in our riding!
What actions or efforts have you taken to learn the concerns of your constituents?
As a long term member of the community of Saanich North and the Islands, I have a grassroots understanding of the concerns of my constituents. I have worked in Education, owned a small business in Sidney, am a renter, a parent, and active in local environmental initiatives…and in all these areas, the conversations are key. I have activated an “Our Voice” section on my website where I seek community feedback on any and all issues that affect our riding. As an MLA, I would continue to actively solicit and poll constituent feedback through leveraging website and App technologies.
What do you want to see improved in British Columbia in four, eight and 20 years?
In the next 4 years, I’d like to see improved meaningful engagement with Indigenous leadership on conservation and land stewardship issues to protect our valuable ecosystems in British Columbia. In the next 8 years, I’d like to see prioritization of land use issues in rural remote communities, particularly with a focus on the protection of sustainable small scale farming. In the next 20 years, I’d like to see more public trust and confidence in the provincial government, with transparency and accountability made a priority, and with improved direct democracy, where people feel engaged in a good governance system.
How would you go about addressing contentious issues within your riding?
There will always be mixed approaches to issues…the key is to create safe and respectful spaces to regularly discuss these issues within the community. I’ve always said we need to be willing to “get comfortable in the uncomfortable”, and I also believe in order for evolution of thought, we NEED to have multiple approaches on the table, with room for evaluation. A “Yes, And” approach is important. Most often, the goals within a riding are shared amongst constituents, we must boldly find shared pathways to achieve those. I’ve created “Our Voice” to gather constituent polling and feedback on issues.
Would you vote against your party and leader if it were best for your constituents?
As an Independent, I am free from the constraints of party voting “rules”. This will allow me to prioritize the needs and voices of my constituents above party agendas! I can genuinely represent and support the policies that benefit my community, without being forced to align with party “lines”. As an Independent, I can be a strong voice in a divided legislature, which can encourage collaboration across political divides, and lead to more thoughtful based governance. Being an Independent strengthens democratic accountability and allows for more authentic, people-driven leadership!
Why do you think you are qualified to do this job?
Many years ago, I worked under the direction of past Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gordon Smith, at the Centre for Global Studies (CFGS). I have a degree in Sociology and International Relations, and I was engaged through CFGS with international Indigenous rights advocacy, and with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, working alongside governments on project initiatives committed to sustainable development. Gordon said to me one day, “Amy, you should be in politics!”. I told him I needed some more lived experience first. Here I am, 20 years later, with quality grassroots experience, strong past professional experience, and now ready!
Why are you running – what’s your motivation?
Very simply, my motivation for running as an Independent MLA Candidate is to represent my riding well, and to advocate for excellence in provincial governance. I have witnessed up close the very real struggles faced by so many in my riding, and our provincial government is not responding with the determination needed to address these urgent issues. I have the determination and the vision to effect change, that includes prioritizing constituents’ needs over party agendas. I have innovative solutions and will get things done!
ABOUT SAANICH NORTH AND THE ISLANDS
Saanich North and the Islands has a varied political past, electing MLAs from three different parties within the space of three elections.
The ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Liberals controlled the riding for 22 years, until the NDP won it in 2013 in an extremely close race. Four years later, Green candidate Adam Olsen won by a comfortable 4,000 votes. He stretched that gap to almost 8,000 in 2020, capturing almost 52 per cent of the vote.
But the political landscape has changed — the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Liberals are gone — and Olsen isn’t running for re-election.
THE CANDIDATES IN SAANICH NORTH AND THE ISLANDS
The candidates in this election are:
• The Green Party's Rob Botterell, a retired lawyer and negotiator
• Conservative David Busch, a lawyer and former nurse who has also run federally
• Independent candidate Amy Haysom, a small business owner
• New Democrat Sarah Riddell, who's worked as a civil servant
See the full list of Vancouver Island candidates here. We are posting the candidate questionnaires riding by riding.
​​ABOUT THE PROFILES
We asked readers what they wanted to ask candidates and used those answers to help shape our election coverage, including candidate questionnaires.
The answers are presented as submitted by the candidates, edited only for length if they exceeded the word limit they were given. We did not correct grammar, spelling or typos.
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