DANA LAJEUNESSE
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Political party: How long have you been a member?
Officially since 2023, but I have been affiliated with the party for many years as I espouse New Democrat values.
Do you live in the riding, and if so, for how long? If not, what is your connection to the riding?
I was born, grew up and currently live in the riding.
What is your occupation, and for how long?
I’ve been a Sooke District Councillor since 2019
What do you believe is the biggest issue facing your community and why?
When communities grow, services need to expand to meet the needs of all of us. One of the challenges that growing communities like ours face is finding healthcare close to home. People deserve to access health care where and when they need it. David Eby and the BC NDP are making progress and we are seeing good results - 800 new family doctors have been hired in the last year along. A new integrated health-care centre is under way for our community. It will offer team-based services in the heart of Sooke village.
What actions or efforts have you taken to learn the concerns of your constituents?
In Sooke especially, I’m very familiar with the issues people face here from the 5 years I’ve sat on council. It’s been great to get on the phones and out on the doorsteps to learn more about what’s important to people in the other communities in Juan de Fuca- Malahat as well, and I look forward to connecting even more as MLA.
What do you want to see improved in British Columbia in four, eight and 20 years?
The BCNDP has been making progress to make sure we can keep up with services, and we’re starting to see the benefits of their efforts in health care, with more people being connected to a health care practitioner every day, and with housing supply we’re seeing rents go down for the first time in decades. Those are just a few examples, and I’d like to see the province stay on this path so we can make sure British Columbians thrive. If John Rustad takes office, his deep cuts will stop progress on important issues here.
How would you go about addressing contentious issues within your riding?
I think collaboration is key, whether it be between governments, local organizations or people. I know for a lot of issues there is no one-size-fits all approach, and I look forward to meeting with people here on all sorts of concerns here in Juan de Fuca- Malahat.
Would you vote against your party and leader if it were best for your constituents?
Party answering
Why do you think you are qualified to do this job?
As a third generation Sooke resident, and a local councilor, I’m familiar with the issues people face here and also really care about the area. My time on council has given me good insight into the process of government, and given me valuable experience working with all levels of government. Between that knowledge and my passion for seeing this area thrive, I think I can really serve people here.
Why are you running – what’s your motivation?
I’m a third generation islander, and I love this place. We all had a friend in John Horgan in this area, and when it came time for him to hang up his hat, and the riding became split, I wanted to make sure someone could continue that level of service. The only time I’ve ever seen significant investments on the island are when we’ve had an NDP government, and we can’t afford to go back to being ignored as John Rustad and the Conservatives make cuts.
ABOUT JUAN DE FUCA-MALAHAT
Juan de Fuca-Malahat is a new riding for this election — essentially what’s left of the previous Langford-Juan de Fuca riding after you carve away Langford.
The old riding was held by former New Democrat premier John Horgan until he retired. His successor, Ravi Parmar, was elected in a byelection and is running this election in Langford-Highlands.
THE CANDIDATES IN JUAN DE FUCA-MALAHAT
The candidates in this election are:
- Green candidate David Evans, an entrepreneur
- New Democrat Dana Lajeunesse, a Sooke municipal councillor
- Conservative Marina Sapozhnikov, a physician
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.
See an error or something that needs to be changed? You can report it to [email protected] or use the report a typo link below.
