Candidate spotlight: Richmond East—Steveston

We caught up with the Liberal and Conservative candidates in the Richmond East-Steveston riding ahead of what is expected to be a tight race.

Conservative candidate Zach Segal was out door-knocking Friday with his wife and newborn daughter, part of his routine for the better part of the year.

“There’s a desire for change in Richmond,” said Segal, who ran and lost in the 2019 election.

Segal, born and raised in Richmond, was inspired to become a politician after working for former prime minister Stephen Harper’s government.

“That was an inspiration for me to run and do my part in public service,” said Segal, who’s sticking to similar messaging as his party leader Pierre Poilievre.

“It’s been a lost Liberal decade of stagnant economic growth, crime, a drug crisis, and we need to bring change to this country to give the next generation a shot.”

The Richmond East—Steveston riding, though its boundary size has changed for 2025, has seen a recent history of flipping between Liberal and Conservative MPs.

Parm Bains, also born and raised in Richmond, is the Liberal incumbent.

“I’m optimistic,” said Bains, outside his campaign office in Steveston village on Friday.

“I think we have the right person in charge of the party right now; somebody who’s a centrist like myself.”

Bains says voters should look at his personal record over the past four years, which he touts as improving his community.

“I’ve delivered over $640 million of local investment, everything from active living support, health care supports, services, the mental wellness 988 line has been brought here in Richmond,” said Bains.

“I’m passionate about the city I grew up in.”

Bains says if elected, one of his top priorities will be to support local businesses impacted by the trade war.

“You have issues where the tariffs are impacting so many businesses here. We have the lumber industry. We have steel industry here,” said Bains.

Drug issues

Like many cities in Metro Vancouver, Richmond has seen an increase in concerns about public drug use and overdoses during the province’s opioid crisis.

Bains says he’s against B.C.’s current decriminalization policy, but – for now, at least – supports the government-funded safer supply program.

“We can’t have people dying,” said Bains. “It should be there for them, so they’re not on the street, getting something from some dealer that’s going to kill them.”

He says he’s prioritizing better wraparound services for people struggling with addiction issues, and believes better awareness through a national ad campaign is key.

“I supported a petition that was signed by thousands of people that we need a sustainable national ad campaign that can be continuous and be a budget item where we educate people about the harms associated with drugs,” said Bains.

Segal, meanwhile, repeated Poilievre’s campaign promise to abandon the current approach.

“We need to address the overdose crisis with compassion through a treatment and recovery approach, not an approach of encouraging people on the cycle of addiction,” said Segal.

Pierre Poilievre has scheduled a rally for Saturday night in Delta. Carney’s expected to hold an event Sunday in Vancouver.