NDP chooses Olsen

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: November 25, 2008

The provincial election may not be until May, but the NDP wants to gain the support of voters now. On Sunday, Mark Olsen was selected as the party’s candidate for Okanagan Monashee, which will be the name of the current Okanagan Vernon constituency once British Columbians head to the polls in the spring. “We will start to roll out the campaign fairly soon,” said Olsen who was up against Jeet Dukhia for the nomination. Among the first steps, according to Olsen, will be to familiarize voters in Vernon, Coldstream, Lumby and Cherryville with himself and the NDP’s platform and policies. “There’s a lot of work to do. We have to raise the general public’s awareness about privatization of health care and the secrecy. Our social system is being dismantled,” he said.Olsen has lived in the area since 1986 and he is currently president of CUPE local 5523 in the Vernon School District.He sought the party’s nomination in 2004 and in 2005, and he pursued a seat on Vernon council.

Olsen believes the primary concern of residents is the economy. “The economy has been booming in the province over the last few years and yet child poverty is high. If there is an economic downturn, how are we going to help families already struggling to put food on the table?” he said. His other concern is the public-private partnership being used to construct the new tower at Vernon Jubilee Hospital and the fact that a consortium will design, finance, construct and manage the facility. “No corporation or anyone else would agree to a 30-year contract unless there was some way to increase revenue,” he said, adding that jobs and services at VJH could be at risk. Olsen will go head-to-head against Liberal MLA Tom Christensen during the campaign, but Olsen is confident that residents are looking for a change in local representation.“The people of Vernon Monashee want someone to represent them. We have an MLA that hasn’t represented them,” he said.“When the glass plant closed, he said that’s to be expected with globalization but I don’t accept that.”