With the approaching Federal Election, the BCHA will leverage the opportunity for hotels to speak with one voice to effectively ensure our industry’s concerns are heard. As part of our election strategy, the BCHA has engaged with the political party representatives to present  priority issues for our industry but we need your voice to help us achieve this collective goal. 

Elections Toolkit

The BCHA wants to ensure you're well equipped with the tools and messaging you need to advocate on behalf of yourself and the industry in matters relating the hotel & lodging sector.Ahead of the federal election, there is an urgent need to communicate the needs of our sector to ensure we a tailored survival program is supported by all parties. Detailed below are steps and key talking points to advocate on behalf of industry. 
 
The ask: 

• For all industry colleagues to schedule meetings with their local candidates 
• It is critical that we keep the pressure on and ensure that your local candidates know that without targeted support, you will not survive, and your employees’ jobs will be at stake. 

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READ HAC FEDERAL ELECTION PLATFORM ANALYSIS

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What we need from each party: 

• The Liberal Party pledged to support Canada’s hardest hit businesses, we need to tell the Liberals that this was an important pledge and that we support it. 
• We need to continue to push the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois for a more detailed plan for the hardest hit 
• We need the NDP to understand that without a bridge support program, the livelihoods of your employees will be at risk. 
• All parties need to know this is an important issue for their constituents so they can move swiftly with legislation in the fall. If you have close allies with opposition party members, please reach out directly to them and push this message! 

To support you in your meetings, here are some suggested talking points: 

• Liberal Party: 
  • Thank you for the targeted bridge program supporting the Hardest Hit Businesses in the Tourism Sector. This will be critical to getting us through the fall and winter seasons. 
• Conservative Party: 
  • Thank you for your support. The ‘Explore and Support Canada’ as well as the ‘Job Surge Plan’ may help, but as we cannot yet recover, we need a plan that will help us survive until we can get to recovery. The industry will need a tailored support program for the hardest hit to get through the difficult fall and winter months. Can we count on the support of your party for a tailored plan? 
• NDP: 
  • Thank you for your commitment to extending CEWS and CERS until the pandemic is over. However, if CEWS and CERS are extended at 20%, it will not be enough for the industry and to keep our employees. The reality is we have not been able to recover at the same pace as others. This is why we will need a tailored bridge support program to ensure that we make it through the difficult fall and winter months, and into recovery next spring. Can we count on the support of your party for a tailored plan? 
• Bloc Québécois: 
  • Thank you for acknowledging and recognizing the need for continued support for those who are the hardest hit. Those of us within the <tourism/travel/events/etc.> sector cannot yet recover, and we will need a tailored bridge support program that will help us survive the fall and winter months, and into recovery next spring. Can we count on the support of your party for a tailored plan? 

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How to do it 

1. Find your local candidate here https://www.elections.ca/Scripts/vis/FindED?L=e&QID=-1&PAGEID=20. 

• Note that these are the key swing ridings in BC: Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam, Vancouver Granville, Cloverdale-Langley City, Surrey South-White Rock, Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge, Steveston-Richmond East 

1. Send an email detailing your struggles and share this link to the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses federal proposal detailing our ask. Request a meeting to discuss this in person or over the phone. 
2. Report your meetings here so the HCC can continue to track progress and have you featured on the leader board: https://www.hardesthit.ca/report-meetings.  
3. Continue to Tweet, following the Liberal pledge! It’s important to acknowledge and thank the Liberals for their support, but also important to avoid appearing partisan. Click here to send a pre-written message from your Twitter account. Don't forget to tag your local Liberal candid