While the writ hasn乌鸦传媒檛 dropped, the B.C. election campaign has unofficially begun as B.C. United leader Kevin Falcon stopped in Cranbrook this weekend as part of a listening tour.

During a media availability, Falcon spoke at length on the state of the political landscape and the issues facing British Columbians as voters are set to cast their ballots in October.

Falcon also addressed the , the party乌鸦传媒檚 caucus chair elected out of the Cariboo-Chilcotin riding, who crossed the floor to the B.C. Conservative Party on May 31.

乌鸦传媒淥bviously I乌鸦传媒檓 disappointed in Lorne, but at the end of the day, Lorne made that decision, he乌鸦传媒檒l have to defend it,乌鸦传媒� Falcon said. 乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 scared and he乌鸦传媒檚 worried about polls and I understand that, but for us, principles and values are actually really important.

乌鸦传媒淭o have somebody that we乌鸦传媒檝e heard internally talk about how appalled he is by the B.C. Conservatives乌鸦传媒� positions, especially on socially conservative issues, to then walk over and join that party is obviously disappointing, but he乌鸦传媒檒l have to defend that to his constituents and his community.乌鸦传媒�

If polls are to be believed, the outcome doesn乌鸦传媒檛 look great for B.C. United.

The latest offering from Angus Reid, published on May 30, has the B.C. NDP ahead at 41 per cent, followed by the B.C. Conservative Party at 30 per cent and BC United at 16 per cent and the B.C. Green Party at 11 per cent among those whose voting intentions have already been decided.

However, polls can be fickle, as Falcon threaded his media availability with themes of building a coalition representing the entire spectrum of interests for British Columbians.

乌鸦传媒淭he NDP under David Eby are too extreme on the left, and the B.C. Conservative Party, which is not connected to the federal party at all, are too extreme on the right,乌鸦传媒� said Falcon.

乌鸦传媒淲hat we need are mainstream common-sense solutions to the problems that British Columbians are facing, and that乌鸦传媒檚 what Tom Shypitka and myself and others in the B.C. United team are going to focus on 乌鸦传媒� results. That乌鸦传媒檚 what we care about.

乌鸦传媒淎nd I think frankly, polls and all the pundits and stuff 乌鸦传媒� nonsense. I乌鸦传媒檒l tell you what people care about, they care about outcomes. They care about results. They care about good, competent people who can get in there and start fixing some of the challenges we face, and that乌鸦传媒檚 exactly what we乌鸦传媒檙e going to do.乌鸦传媒�

Falcon challenged the province乌鸦传媒檚 recent slate of housing legislation, specifically singling out the change to single-family home zonings that now permit the construction of four-plexes.

He also waded into the toxic drug crisis, acknowledging there is a 乌鸦传媒渧ery fractured system,乌鸦传媒� particularly for young people who need treatment.

乌鸦传媒淥ur focus is to make sure we have treatment facilities in every region of the province,乌鸦传媒� Falcon said. 乌鸦传媒淎nd not just 30-, 60- and 90-day programs, which all the evidence shows doesn乌鸦传媒檛 work well, but free treatment where you can stay for up to a year, and get not only off your addiction, but also be encouraged to relearn some life skills so that when you graduate, you graduate back into the community with a job and a future and some hope and optimism.乌鸦传媒�

As an urban politician based out of Surrey, Falcon also spent some time talking up rural issues, such as the party乌鸦传媒檚 newly announced plan to address wildlife management, as well as the challenges that rural patients face with accessing specialized health-care services, such as radiation therapy.

Falcon credited Shypitka for leading the way on the party乌鸦传媒檚 wildlife plan, which will earmark $100 million toward revitalizing declining wildlife species populations and habitats, as part of a larger $200 million strategy developed by industry stakeholders to manage B.C.乌鸦传媒檚 natural fish and wildlife resources.

乌鸦传媒淲ith this announcement, we will be able to set up that independent agency that is arms-length from government so we can get those funds directly into wildlife and habitat,乌鸦传媒� Shypitka said.

On the health-care front, Interior Health is in the planning stages of a new building at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital in Cranbrook. Local officials have been to be included in that new build, which requires specialized radiation vaults or bunkers.

While the province hasn乌鸦传媒檛 yet shut down the radiation therapy proposal, questions remain about how committed the Health Ministry is to the idea, as there are other regions in the radiation therapy queue, such as Burnaby and Nanaimo.

乌鸦传媒淎drian Dix has been very clear, he乌鸦传媒檚 not going to go there,乌鸦传媒� said Falcon, speaking to the potential of radiation therapy services in Cranbrook. 乌鸦传媒淲e are way more open to saying that this is exactly what we should be looking at because at the end of the day, we shouldn乌鸦传媒檛 have to be sending our patients elsewhere. Let乌鸦传媒檚 try and get that care delivered here locally.

Geographically, the closest BC Cancer clinic is in Kelowna 乌鸦传媒� a 10-hour drive away, with no direct flights to or from Cranbrook, aside from using Angel Flight East Kootenay, a volunteer medical transport service that offers day flights to Kelowna and back to the East Kootenay.

Alberta, which his much closer to Cranbrook, has all but barred the doors to specialized health-care services for B.C. patients living in border communities.

Falcon also committed to working with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to re-establish access to Alberta services, noting that B.C. is already sending radiation therapy patients to a facility in Washington State in response to strain the province乌鸦传媒檚 system.