Host Rick Maddison talks with Ron Mattuissi, Jeff Cox and Scott Lanigan about healthcare in the Okanagan. With a declining number of physicians and an aging population are we heading for a crisis or are we currently in one? Did we know about it and could we avoid it? What are we doing to right the ship ? What role do varying levels of government have in this perilous situation? Do we have a path forward?

In this episode Rick Maddison moderates the discussion on safe supply, and the effects on homelessness on BC. Panel includes: Ron Mattiussi (Former City Manager Kelowna), Scott Lanigan (Former chair of Journey Home), and Jeff Cox (Former board member of Pathways). Lively chat with both right and left opinions. An excellent overview of the pitfalls and ways forward on a very complex and volatile subject.

On this week's episode, the panel discusses the BC Conservative leadership review.

Maddison says the leadership review appears to be taking a very long time.

"I think what we saw was an election that was supposed to go one way. It went another way, and now we're looking at a review. We've had a couple of ridings turn... now we're left with the question, how is John Rustad, how are the BC Conservatives doing in this province?"

Cox says, "I would give John Rustad eight out of 10. He took a party from nothing to something and almost won an election."

"But if we are going to turn this province, which I'm telling you, if it does not happen soon, it is not going to end well, John's got to step aside, and they've got to put somebody that's more mainstream in there, and they've got to get ahead of it and vet candidates and start building a real party," Cox continued.

Mattiussi agreed with Cox's assessment.

"I agree with the idea that they can't win the way they are within this province," he said.

"It's got to be built from the centre, somebody that can speak to the centre with those principles, that could attract both centrist liberals and progressive conservatives and conservatives. It's a big tent, and it has to be bigger to win in this province."

Lanigan says B.C.'s political parties have to do a better job of explaining themselves to voters.

"I think that is actually the Achilles heel of our provincial political groups, and I think they need to spend some time clarifying who they are and what they're about and being crystal clear, especially for the younger generation."

But the panel agrees, it is a difficult challenge to unite diverse political views under one tent.

One Foot Off Center will be published monthly by Castanet, on YouTube and in an audio-only version on Spotify.