Surrey North: Jim Karpoff (NDP)

With an average individual income of $23,897, Surrey North is one of the poorest ridings in the region. Nearly one-quarter of the residents of this part of Surrey are of South Asian ancestry.

Karpoff, a former senior administrator, said that when he was an MP from 1988 to 1993, he hired multilingual staff to provide better service to the community. Karpoff is emphasizing his party's position on health care, postsecondary education, and addressing homelessness and drug abuse.

Many are cheering for independent candidate Chuck Cadman, the cancer-stricken MP who lost the Conservative nomination to broadcaster Jasbir Cheema. Cadman has done terrific community work counselling young people to avoid a life of crime; however, the Georgia Straight is not endorsing him because of his wretched voting record.

Cadman endorsed the U.S.-led coalition attack on Iraq. In June 2003, he issued a news release complaining about other members of the Commons justice committee voting for a motion to support an Ontario court ruling allowing same-sex marriage.

Karpoff told the Straight that he thinks Cadman should have spent more time trying to attract federal funds to deal with drug addiction and poverty. "Chuck has got nothing," Karpoff alleged.

Liberal candidate Dan Sheel, an articulate Surrey firefighter, has an impressive record of community service. Like Cadman, he has called for tougher penalties for marijuana grow ops. Sheel said on the Rafe Mair Show that he wants to seek community input on changing the definition of marriage to include gays and lesbians.

Conservative candidate Cheema opposes abortion, opposes same-sex marriage, and opposes embryonic-stem-cell research.