I will bring a responsible style of discussion in public office on the issues of the day; a style of discussion that properly receives and adequately responds to the concerns that are raised by residents. If elected, you may phone me, see me in person, or email me – you do not need to come to city hall. I will be accessible and open. If your concerns have been previously missed or ignored, I encourage you to give me your vote this time. I believe strongly that holders of public office must respond to concerns brought forth by citizens. If I am councillor and you write to me, your concerns will receive my proper attention and response.

Some of the issues I will look at:

City of Nanaimo Hiring Processes and Merit Criteria

A city workforce that is not representative cannot understand the needs of a diverse community.

The City of Nanaimo at present is not representative in any sociologically significant way. Working closely with lawyers, fellow councillors, and the residents, I will be working to ensure that the hiring processes of the City of Nanaimo start to form a representative workforce. The Human Resources department needs to change its understanding of merit and its evaluation so that a representative workforce is formed. If you vote for me, there will be significant reform to the hiring process configurations of the City of Nanaimo - including the collective agreement terms and conditions . Any interested resident of Nanaimo should readily be able to get work in the city that is commensurate to their skills and abilities - irrespective of race, age, disability, ethnicity, or other protected ground. Right now, that is not the case. I encourage any resident of Nanaimo to reach me to discuss further: jay_krishan@hotmail.com

Special focus: I want fair and efficient hiring processes for every single citizen. However - bearing considerations of historical disadvantage in mind - I will be prioritizing focus on university graduates, and Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) citizens

Trade, Culture, and Art

Nanaimo has potential to increase trade. However, before that is possible, we need to look towards upgrading certain infrastructure. Inter-modal transportation has to be advanced to be accessible to local and global trade corridors. Nanaimo is a port city and has great potential for increased trade activity. If elected, I will be looking in this direction. I would also like to promote culture and tourism.

Background:

I am the Director of the Pacific Society for the Advancement of Employment Equity (PSAEE). I also serve on the Board of Directors of the BCCLA. I graduated from SFU in 2020 with a BA in Sociology.