Tara Armstrong advocates two words be attached to her bid to be elected MLA for the Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream riding in the next provincial election 鈥� common sense.
Armstrong, announced as the BC Conservative Party earlier this week, believes her party is tapping into frustration felt across the province from voters who see those two words as lacking in both the NDP and BC United platforms.
鈥淭hey (BC United) used to be more of a centre right party, but they really have become a lighter version of the NDP. There really isn鈥檛 much difference between them,鈥� said Armstrong, the party鈥檚 election readiness committee chair.
鈥淚 absolutely feel like there is a groundswell movement for our party, which is the oldest political party in the province, so we have been rejuvenating ourselves.
鈥淚t will take some time to build momentum but the wheels are turning now and I am excited to be part of it moving forward.鈥�
Armstrong thinks the economy will be a focal point of next year鈥檚 election campaign, saying families have felt the pressure of a higher cost of living without any relief, coupled with excessive taxation, in recent years.
鈥淭he government policies have been driving people into poverty and in many cases forcing people to leave the province entirely,鈥� she said.
鈥淧eople are making decisions to leave because they can鈥檛 afford to live here鈥� People are being forced to decide between putting a roof over their heads or put food on the table.鈥�
Along with frustration over the economy, Armstrong says she hears all the time about inefficiency in our health care system, which she says needs reform on a massive scale.
鈥淚t is beyond the scope of hiring a few doctors or health care administrators. We have to look at the entire entity of health care and start to determine better what we need and don鈥檛 need.
鈥淲e need to put money back into the system for people to get the care they need, not for administrative costs and things like that.鈥�
While she sees parental rights advocates perhaps looking to the Conservative Party to represent their views, Armstrong says she remains a strong supporter of parental rights but understands public education issues are not simple to resolve.
鈥淲hat is required is a lot of thoughtful conversation rather than shouty voices, real discussion around common sense solutions.鈥�
Armstrong is a newcomer to politics, having established herself in the business world when she joined her family鈥檚 start-up business, creating the Driving Miss Daisy franchise company in 2006 and expanding it nationally.
She left the business in September 2022 as she and her husband left their jobs and sold their house to embark on a six month 鈥渏ourney of freedom and discovery鈥� in the 鈥渇ree states鈥� of the U.S.
Upon their return to Canada, the couple settled in Kelowna, where they had previously established a Driving Miss Daisy franchise. 鈥淲e spent a lot of time in Kelowna when we were involved in the business but it鈥檚 a bit different to actually be living here. It is a beautiful place to live,鈥� she said.
