Coast Reporter sent a Q&A out to each of the six West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country candidates for the 2025 election. The candidates include Jäger Rosenberg, Peyman Askari, Gordon Jeffrey, Patrick Weiler, Keith Roy and Lauren Greenlaw. Election day is April 28. See more at elections.ca.
Name: Peyman Askari
Party: People's Party of Canada
Age: 41
Occupation: Software developer
Do you live in the riding? Where and for how long?: Yes, since 1990 (35 years)
Social media: X, @PeymanAskari451 YouTube: In Lay Terms
Website: peymanaskari.ca
Why are you running in this election? The WWII generation handed us a debt-free society. We squandered that gift on a generation of socialism, and now we’re about to leave young Canadians with nothing but debt. I’m running to reject the burden of the welfare state—and I’m asking the youth to stand with me.
How can the federal government help mental health and addictions support and recovery on the Sunshine Coast? The federal government must launch a full investigation into the fentanyl crisis, ban highly addictive pharmaceutical drugs, and impose harsher penalties on traffickers. We must also fully deregulate natural health products, empowering individuals to pursue alternative treatments and recovery paths—especially in regions like the Sunshine Coast, where options are limited.
How would your party help address the need for affordable housing? The PPC will tackle the root causes of unaffordable housing: restore faith in the dollar with a 0% inflation target, pause immigration to ease demand, and regulate commercial banks to curb speculation. Housing should be for living, not financial gambling—and we’re the only party willing to say it.
How will your party fight climate change? We’ll protect what truly matters—clean air, safe water, and untainted food—by banning GMOs, toxic additives, and industrial pollutants. Beyond that, we trust Canadians. A love for the land, forests, and seas doesn’t come from Ottawa—it lives in the people. They are the true stewards of this country’s natural beauty.
There are more than 7,000 Sunshine Coast residents without doctors, on the federal side, what's your party's plan to support health care? We’ll repeal the Canada Health Act to let provinces manage health care without federal interference. Instead of cash transfers with strings attached, we’ll transfer tax points—giving provinces full control and stable funding. Ottawa should stop using health dollars to push its agenda. Local governments know their communities best.
Amid rising economic uncertainty, small businesses are hurting. How does your party propose to support them? We’ll eliminate the deficit, cut corporate and capital gains taxes, and simplify the tax system to reduce the burden on small businesses. By slashing wasteful spending and abolishing vote-buying programs, we’ll restore fiscal stability—creating an environment where entrepreneurs can grow, hire, and invest without being strangled by Ottawa.
Small towns across B.C. are struggling with crime, what's your party's plan to address this? In addition to reducing crime by fixing the economy and addressing the drug crisis, we will fortify self-defence laws, legalize pepper spray, and implement the Castle Doctrine. We’ll also impose tougher sentencing for violent offenders and appoint judges who prioritize justice and safety over ideology. Communities deserve real protection.
Do you believe the coastal B.C. ferry system should receive federal financial support at a level commensurate with similar systems elsewhere in the country and how would you work to ensure that is achieved? If ferry systems in other regions receive federal support, that’s not fairness—it’s favoritism, and it should be abolished. Provinces must fund their own services responsibly. The federal role is to ensure consistency and transparency—not to bail out mismanaged systems. Market solutions should always be considered before federal subsidies.
What's your party's plan to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples on the Sunshine Coast? We’ll replace the Indian Act with a framework that guarantees equal rights and empowers self-reliance. Our plan promotes property rights on reserves, ensures Indigenous ownership of services, and redirects federal spending to communities with greatest need. True reconciliation means respect, partnership, and restoring control to Indigenous peoples—starting with local solutions.
What's an issue you personally wish we talked more about in this election? I wish there was a single question about the most important issue in Canada: the economy. In three debates, no one asked about inflation, currency, or housing fundamentals. Instead, the focus was climate and reconciliation—important, but not urgent. And the questions assumed bigger government is always the solution.
