The Ridge interviews Chris Lehner, PPC candidate for Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge

The Ridge interviewed Chris Lehner, who is running for the PPC in Pitt Meadows Maple Ridge.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Ridge: What is your background and why have you decided to go into politics?

Chris Lehner: My background professionally, I’m actually in IT. What kind of drove me to get involved was—especially during the pandemic years–it was very, very polarizing the politics that were happening in our country. Earlier this year, also late last year, I was getting tired of feeling powerless. And I’m not a career politician, I’m not a subject matter expert, but I knew I had to do something rather than nothing. So when I moved to the Maple Ridge area, I noticed the PPC did not have a candidate, even though, from where I moved from, I was following the local candidates there since about 2019 or so. So I decided to step up to the plate, because change only happens to those who participate in it. That was my motivation.

The Ridge: And what do you mean by politics were polarizing during the pandemic?

Chris Lehner: The divisiveness, the hatred that was being spoken by government during those years. And it was just such a shock  to hear that coming from the government for me at that time.

The Ridge: In your riding, polls suggest that it’s a toss-up between the Liberals and the Conservatives. So I’m just curious, what is your pitch for people to vote for you?

Chris Lehner: The PPC, we like to think we do politics differently. Historically, there’s been the Liberal/Conservative cycle. Historically that goes back and forth. And it’s kind of a cycle that’s not working. So a vote for neither of them, for someone else, would break that cycle and kind of truly get the country on a new and fresh direction.

The Ridge: Why isn’t that cycle working?

Chris Lehner: Probably since about the ’70s, cost of living, income, increase in taxes, reduction in resources, things have been trending negatively.

The Ridge: And if you were elected, how would you support your constituents?

Chris Lehner: I would like to think I would actually pass on messages and concerns to the higher ups and to Ottawa. That’s kind of what it’s for. It shouldn’t be the other way around where a political party wins a riding and implements their concerns and changes. It should really be the other way around, where those in that riding should advertise, ‘Hey, we have these issues. We have these problems. We need help.’ And move that up the ladder versus the other way around.

The Ridge: What are some of those issues you would bring forward? Or examples of policy change?

Chris Lehner: First one off the top of my head would probably be cost of housing, whether you’re looking to buy or rent. The last 10-15 years, rent has really skyrocketed. So has the cost of housing. Five years ago, a home that cost $400,000 is now over a million. And you know, those who have or want to have children, they don’t have that opportunity to have that backyard for children to run around and grow up in. Can’t quite accomplish that in a condo, as much as people try.

The Ridge: So what are some of the solutions to the housing crisis?

Chris Lehner: It would probably involve sitting down with probably those in the riding and those in Ottawa. How exactly that would happen as of now, I wouldn’t know, but there would need to be probably some sort of cap or reviewing the financial system behind home purchasing. I don’t have an immediate answer on that one. But items to at least get the ball rolling. 

The Ridge: And then, as you know, this election is happening during  a trade war from the U.S. President Donald Trump, and threats to Canadian sovereignty. Why do you think you are the best person for the job in Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge riding?

Chris Lehner: Well Trump’s threats of annexation or purchasing Canada and all that—it’s really just a joke. If one reads his book, The Art of the Deal, it’s kind of plucked right out of that playbook, as described there. Annexation wouldn’t happen. It’s just something that, even if the country voted for, would be decades of integration and painful integration. 

As far as the tariffs, our stance would be no counter tariffs. All Trump has asked for is for someone to sit down and negotiate a new deal. As he likes to put it. To my knowledge, that hasn’t happened yet. So without sitting down and just seeing what options there are with him, we’re kind of doing ourselves a disservice by operating with incomplete data. Instead, those currently in power don’t seem to want to speak with him and are just retaliating with dollar for dollar tariff game of one upmanship where Canada can’t win. The US is 10 times the population, I believe 12 times the economy of Canada. We’re a drop in the bucket, it wouldn’t really phase them all that much, but it would negatively affect our neighbors. I had a meeting yesterday with the Vancouver area team, and a small business owner was in attendance, and he shared that he got his first tariff bill. I’m not sure what business he was in. He didn’t elaborate, but what was a little sickening was on top of the tariff, GST was charged. So he’s  also being taxed on the tariff.

[Editor’s Note: Both Justin Trudeau and Mark Carney have spoken with Donald Trump throughout the past few months, starting with Trudeau’s trip to Mar-a-Lago in November of last year.]

The Ridge: If you were elected, how would you work with other parties to create policies?

Chris Lehner: I’d like to think we could always reach common ground  on issues, and try—act as a reminder that, ‘Hey, It’s not about us.’ Just those who are candidates in the riding. It’s about those in the riding. And you know, we’re working for them, rather than bringing down new rules and changes without any consultation

Read the rest of the candidates interviews.

The Ridge interviews Marc Dalton, Conservative candidate and incumbent for Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge

The Ridge interviews Angie Rowell, Liberal candidate for Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge

The Ridge interviews Daniel Heydenrych, NDP candidate for Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge

The Ridge interviews Peter Buddle, Rhino candidate for Pitt-Meadows-Maple Ridge