Born in 1982 in Poland, Matt Badura was exposed at a young age to the hardships communist governments can inflict. His non-communist parents faced persecution and escaped in the mid-1980s.

After a couple years of living in a refugee camp, Matt and his family arrived in Canada, to pursue life in a free country. He grew up in Calgary, completed his bi-lingual studies and later worked in the banking industry. Switching gears, he completed courses in construction management and moved on to work for a property manager coordinating capital projects. Later he worked in the roofing industry before moving to the Okanagan.

Politically, Matt thinks of himself as fiscally conservative, but socially liberal, which made it difficult to place himself politically 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ until he discovered Libertarianism. He believes all people should be free to pursue their lives how they see fit, and spend their earnings how they wish, so long as they do not harm others or prevent them from pursuing the same. He also believes government is not the authority on morality and that the only person that knows what is best for you and your family, is you.

What is the most important issue in your riding?

The most important issue I believe to be affordable housing. Shelter is a primary need, but so many of our constituents cannot afford to save for a downpayment, or are stuck living paycheck to paycheck consuming upwards of 50 per cent of their income for rent alone. I believe solving this problem in the long term would have a positive impact on reducing the dependence on social services and in turn continue to free up resources to better all our lives.

What have you done to benefit your community in the past? My past efforts in the community have been focused at participation in fund-raising events, personal effort and financial donations to organizations like the food bank and Habitat for Humanity.

What will you do to represent your community in Victoria?

I will listen to the needs of our constituents and act in their best interests. I will focus on policies to reduce taxes, make housing more affordable and improve our general quality of life.

READ MORE: B.C. VOTES 2020: Advance voting begins today in West Kelowna

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