With another election upon us, Pique once again reached out to all candidates in Whistler and the Sea to Sky with a short questionnaire to help voters learn more about them. Each candidate got the same four questions, and 1,000 words to answer them in their own words.
Advance polls are open in Whistler through Monday, April 21. Election day is Monday, April 28.
1. Please share a short bio and any relevant experience.
I’m a small business owner, researcher, and political outsider. I moved to Whistler two years ago and previously lived in West Vancouver. I was born in Iran, immigrated to Canada as a child, and studied computer science before founding my own software company.
Until the COVID lockdowns, I had no interest in politics. But government overreach and economic mismanagement changed that. I volunteered with the National Citizens Inquiry and began interviewing Canadians from all walks of life. What I’ve learned is clear: our system is broken, and Ottawa is not listening. That’s why I’m stepping forward.
2. Trade with the U.S. aside, what do you see as the top three issues in our riding? How would you address them?
1. Housing affordability.
Whistler’s affordability crisis isn’t just about demand—it’s the product of bad federal policy. Inflation, speculation, and bank-driven asset bubbles have turned housing into a rigged game. The PPC would regulate commercial banks to stop speculative lending, pause immigration to ease pressure on housing demand, and restore a zero-per-cent inflation target to stabilize the dollar. Housing should serve Canadians—not speculators or foreign capital.
2. Health-care access.
More than 700,000 people in B.C. are without a family doctor, and Whistler is not immune. Canada is a vast country, yet Ottawa insists on micromanaging provincial health systems by attaching strings to cash transfers. We would repeal the Canada Health Act and replace cash transfers with permanent tax points, giving provinces full authority and stable funding.
We will also launch a federal investigation into why provinces like B.C. are spending more and more on health-care, yet nurse-to-patient ratios are declining. Our suspicion is that funding is being swallowed by an expanding management class, rather than frontline care. It’s time to demand accountability for where health dollars are actually going.
Additionally, we would push for the rehiring of unvaccinated nurses who were unjustly terminated, with full back pay. These health-care professionals were unfairly removed from the system during a crisis, and it’s time to right that wrong.
3. Drug use and public safety.
Small towns across B.C., including Whistler, are grappling with the consequences of the drug crisis. We would launch a full federal investigation into the fentanyl pipeline, ban the most addictive pharmaceutical drugs, and impose tougher sentencing for traffickers. We’d also work with provinces to eliminate "safe supply" programs, and withhold education funding from provinces that promote drug use to minors under the guise of harm reduction. Our focus is on recovery, not normalization.
3. If elected, how will you make life better for Whistler residents?
Most of what’s hurting working families—skyrocketing housing costs, health-care shortages, food inflation—can be traced back to policy failure at the federal level.
A PPC government would eliminate corporate welfare, scrap unnecessary regulatory regimes, and simplify taxes. This would allow us to lower personal income taxes and capital gains taxes once the deficit is eliminated, giving people more control over their own finances.
We would also restore integrity to Parliament. As your MP, I will vote independently—not by party whip. Our current system puts party control ahead of voters. That’s how we ended up with bad bills, big budgets, and immature debates. I’ll report directly to you through livestreams, town halls, and regular updates.
Beyond that, we need to fix the root: our monetary system. So long as the dollar is being devalued and our country runs on debt, everything else—from housing to wages—will remain unstable.
Whistler doesn’t need more slogans from Ottawa. It needs policy rooted in reality. I’m offering that.
4. If elected, how will you help Whistler businesses?
Whistler’s businesses don’t need handouts—they need Ottawa to get out of their way.
We’ll cut corporate and income taxes, eliminate capital gains tax on small business growth, and stop subsidizing large corporations that undercut local competition. Big business should compete on merit—not on government privilege.
We’d also simplify the tax code and review all federal regulations that drive up costs for small, seasonal operations. From payroll compliance to environmental paperwork, many policies serve bureaucrats—not business owners.
Finally, I’ll fight to give small businesses a direct voice in Parliament. Too often, policy is written by and for billion-dollar lobbyists. I’ll consult directly with local operators and bring their concerns to Ottawa—unfiltered.
Whistler’s economy is built on hard work, tourism, and local ownership. That model works—if government doesn’t ruin it. I’ll make sure it doesn’t.
