Maurine Karagianis

Candidate Profile

Maurine Karagianis was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Esquimalt-Metchosin in 2005. She has served as the Opposition Critic for small business, revenue and deregulation; children and family development; and most recently, transportation.

Before her time as MLA, Maurine was a three-term municipal councillor in Esquimalt, first elected in 1996, and re-elected in 1999 and 2002. Maurine has worked extensively in business, including 15 years in the fashion industry in retail, wholesale, and import/export from South East Asia; and 10 years in publishing for the tourism market and international motorcycle industry.

Maurine is personally committed to a greener lifestyle. Her modes of transportation include a fully electric motorcycle and a car that runs on bio-diesel from non-food sources.

Questions

1. Please identify what you believe to be the most important issue in your riding and your plan to address that issue.
   

   The biggest issue in my riding is affordability. More and more people are struggling to make it from pay check to pay check. Families are concerned about the lack of affordable childcare, the lack of affordable housing and the high cost of post secondary education. The Campbell government has made life more expensive for everyone with a gas tax, higher ferry fares, higher hydro rates, more fees & expenses and less service.
   
   The NDP has solutions that will help individuals and families. We will provide an affordable and effective child care system for BC. We will build affordable housing, raise the minimum wage, and invest in new green jobs for British Columbians through our green bond. We will freeze tuitions & restore grants to post secondary students so they can get the education they deserve without a crushing debt load. We will drop the gas tax, make ferries & hydro more affordable and make sure that our tax dollars and our government looks after the people of BC first!