Humanist Issues in Your Community

Humanism is not a political party, nor do humanists believe any candidate has all the answers. Humanists can, and do, disagree about the best solutions to issues at all levels. What connects us is a commitment to human dignity, reason, evidence, compassion, freedom of conscience, equality, and the wellbeing of people and our communities.

The upcoming local elections provide an opportunity to ask your candidates how they would put those principles into practice.

The issues below reflect the priorities identified through previous election toolkits and by our members. The following categories are intended as a starting point for reflection and conversation, not as a list of positions that our supporters must share.

How to Use this Guide

Start by choosing three to five issues from the short table of contents below that matter most to you and use them to guide your research and conversations with candidates.

Many of the suggested questions are designed to elicit a clear yes or no responses from candidates. Using this technique when forming your own questions can help you understand clearly whether they stand with or against your opinion on an issue. It is important to note that a large portion of these questions are framed in a biased way. The BC Humanist Association is strictly non-partisan, and none of the following questions intend to support specific candidates or slates of candidates. They do however, support specific stances on issues of importance to both the BCHA and its members. 

The following questions are meant to be a tool to allow you to engage with your local government elections, and inform yourself on candidates positions on an array of issues. 

It’s unlikely that you’ll find a candidate who agrees with you on every issue. Rather than looking for the “perfect” candidate, use these questions, or create your own, to learn where candidates stand and make an informed decision. If you discover that a candidate opposes an issue that matters to you, consider sharing that information with others in your community so they can make informed choices too.

• Secular and Inclusive Public Institutions
• Affordable, Safe, and Dignified Housing
• Mental Health, Addiction, and Community Wellbeing
• Healthcare, Access and Reproductive Rights
• Climate, Nature, and the Environment
• SOGI, LGBTQ+ Inclusion and Safety
• Reconciliation and Indigenous Rights
• Good Governance, Transparency, and Accountability

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Secular and Inclusive Public Institutions

Humanists support a clear separation between government and religion, and believe public institutions should serve and be inclusive of those of all beliefs and faiths, including those who are non-religious.

Questions for Mayoral and Councillor Candidates: 

• Do you support public institutions like councils removing religious ceremonies, prayers, and displays at all civic events and proceedings? 

• Do you support creating policy that ensures council will have a secular basis for all decision-making, that is to not act in a real or perceived way that would privilege any religion?

• Will you ensure that your government's services and decision-making remain secular and inclusive?

• What would you do to ensure that non-religious people including atheists, agnostics, humanists, and people who simply do not participate in religion are treated as equal members of the community by public institutions?

• Do you support advocating for municipalities to have greater fiscal autonomy through the removal of provincial statutory tax exemptions? 

• Do you think that municipalities should end property tax exemptions or other financial benefits to religious organizations and places of public worship, regardless of whether or not they provide a public service or benefit?

• Do you think that public funding should be used to fund religious schools or institutions?

Questions for School Board Trustee Candidates: 

• Do you support public schools removing all religious ceremonies, prayers, and displays from official school events, assemblies, and proceedings?

• Do you support creating school board policy to align the district with Section 76 of the School Act's requirement that all "schools must be conducted on strictly secular and non-sectarian principles" and that "no religious dogma or creed is to be taught"?

• How will you ensure that your school district's services, policies, curriculum, and decision-making remain secular, evidence-based, and inclusive?

• Do you support ensuring that religious and non-religious student groups have equal access to school facilities, resources, and opportunities, without public schools endorsing or promoting religious belief?

• Do you support maintaining a clear distinction between teaching students about religion and teaching evidence-based subjects such as evolution and sex education, ensuring that religious beliefs are not presented as scientific evidence?

• Will you support school board policies that require any organization receiving public school resources or providing programs in schools to respect students' freedom of religion and freedom from religion?

• What will you do to ensure that public education topics, including science, health, sexuality education, and social studies, is guided by evidence and BC curriculum standards rather than religious doctrine or pressure from religious organizations?

• Do you support school board policies that would explicitly recognize freedom from religion alongside freedom of religion? Will you work to implement a policy such as this?

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Affordable, Safe, and Dignified Housing

Housing is more than a roof over someone's head. Safe, accessible, and affordable housing and housing structures are fundamental to our community member’s health and wellbeing.

Questions for Mayoral and Councillor Candidates: 

• Do you support using public land for affordable housing rather than selling to a high-bidding buyer?

• Would you support requiring new developments to include below-market or non-market housing? 

• Do you support protecting renters rights, and enforcing consequences for landlords and REITs who violate these rights?

• Do you support considering housing affordability before you make decisions about zoning, development approvals, property taxation, and public land?

• Do you support housing and development projects that allow for greater housing density in areas well served by transit and amenities, even when existing residents oppose increased density?

• Would you propose municipal policy that prioritizes housing as a basic human need or right?

• Will you support and protect existing affordable rental housing from being lost through redevelopment, renoviction, or conversion to higher-cost housing?

• What actions will you take to ensure that renters, including low-income residents, seniors, families, and people experiencing homelessness, have access to safe and affordable housing?

• Do you support increasing the availability of supportive housing and appropriate services such as safe use sites for people experiencing homelessness or facing barriers to independent housing?

• Do you support the creation of more middle income housing options to relieve pressure on low income housing developments?

• What is your position on policies that allow more diverse housing options, including secondary suites, laneway homes, townhomes, and purpose-built rental housing, in more neighbourhoods?

Questions for School Board Trustee Candidates: 

Though housing issues may not be the first issue that comes to mind when considering who to elect to a school board, issues like housing insecurity can have significant impacts on students, and consequently the opportunities they are granted to succeed. The following questions can help you better understand if School Board Trustee candidates are supportive of basic standards of living, and how they might support students who face housing insecurity. 

• Do you support implementing programs and procedures that ensure students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity can access school without additional barriers?

• Would you advocate that it is the school boards responsibility to aid staff in supporting students experiencing housing instability?

• Do you support stronger partnerships between school districts, municipalities, housing providers, and community organizations to connect students and families experiencing housing insecurity with appropriate supports?

• Do you support policies that make school registration and continued access to education as straightforward as possible for students whose families are experiencing homelessness or frequently changing addresses?

• Would you allocate school district resources toward supporting students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity?

If these questions do not cover an issue you have regarding affordable and safe housing, consult the list of broader topics below to help guide your own questions:

• Increasing the supply of affordable and supportive housing;

• Establishing and enforcing minimum standards for safe housing;

• Improving conditions for people experiencing homelessness;

• Supporting pathways from homelessness to stable housing;

• Expanding supportive and transitional housing;

• Ensuring housing is accessible to people with disabilities;

• Preparing buildings and communities for extreme heat and other climate risks; and

• Addressing the relationship between housing, poverty, mental health, and addiction.

Municipalities and School Boards should look beyond individuals and consider the broader question: What kind of community do we want to build, and who gets to live there?

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Mental Health, Addiction, and Community Wellbeing

Mental health and substance use affect individuals, families, and entire communities. Humanist approaches emphasize compassion, evidence, dignity, and practical solutions rather than stigma or moral judgment.

Questions for Mayoral and Councillor Candidates: 

• Do you support municipalities increasing access to low-barrier mental health and addiction services, including publicly funded services?

• Do you support harm-reduction measures based on evidence, such as overdose prevention, naloxone access, drug-testing, and safe consumption services? Will you support these initiatives by funding them and approving licences for them to exist in your community? 

• Do you support expanding community-based crisis response options so that people experiencing mental health or substance-use crises are not automatically met with a police response?

• Do you support establishing formal partnerships or coordination mechanisms between municipalities, health authorities, emergency services, housing providers, Indigenous communities and community organizations to address mental health, addiction, and homelessness?

Questions for School Board Trustee Candidates: 

• Do you support expanding access to mental health and substance-use supports for students through schools and partnerships with community and health-service providers?

• What would you do to ensure that students experiencing mental health or addiction challenges can access timely, appropriate, free and confidential support at school?

• Do you support BC public schools providing students with evidence-based harm-reduction education, including overdose awareness and information about naloxone and safer substance use?

• Do you support expanding school-based counselling and other support services? What services would you prioritize if resources are limited?

• Do you support funding qualified support professionals such as councillors to be available to all schools during school hours to prevent placing the burden of care on educators?

• Would you support expanding non-punitive pathways for students to seek help with substance use without automatically triggering disciplinary consequences?

Municipalities and school boards do not control every aspect of healthcare as it is a provincial responsibility, but they can influence how provincial policies are implemented. They can also provide easier implementation of housing, public spaces, community services, planning, and partnerships that greatly affect health and wellbeing.

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Healthcare, Access and Reproductive Rights 

Municipal governments and school boards have different responsibilities from provincial health authorities, so it is important to distinguish between what local elected officials can directly change and what they can advocate for.

Questions for Mayoral and Councillor Candidates: 

• Do you support municipal policies and advocacy that protect access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, contraception, and pregnancy-related care?

• Would you ensure that municipal funding, facilities, grants, permissive tax exemptions or partnerships are not used to promote Unregulated Pregnancy Centres? 

• What role do you believe municipalities should play in advocating to the provincial government for accessible, evidence-based reproductive and sexual healthcare?

• Will you support ensuring that municipal services and facilities are inclusive and accessible to LGBTQ+ residents? For example gender neutral washrooms in public buildings, and free and available sexual health products such as tampons and pads?

• Do you support the right of eligible residents to access Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), and would you advocate on their behalf for accessible MAID services?

• Would you oppose municipal funding or partnerships with organizations that refuse to provide, facilitate access to, or provide accurate referrals for healthcare services including abortion or MAID on religious grounds?

• Would you advocate for the provincial government to require that all publicly funded healthcare providers, including those of religious groups like St. Paul’s Hospital, provide all health services such as abortion and MAID to the public? 

Questions for School Board Trustee Candidates: 

• Do you support comprehensive, age-appropriate, inclusive, evidence-based sexual health education in BC public schools, including information about contraception, consent, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections?

• Do you support providing students with access to information and confidential referrals to reproductive and sexual healthcare services within schools?

• What would you do to ensure that LGBTQ+ student issues are considered and included in health education? 

• Would you allow a publicly funded school to promote or partner with a religious or faith based education program or service? 

• Would you support a policy that would not allow any religious organization to provide services or programming to students in a public school? Or that refer students to religious organizations as part of that programming?

• If elected, what specific steps would you take to ensure that religious beliefs do not determine the sexual and reproductive health information available to students in your district?

These questions cover some topics on healthcare, access and reproductive rights, forming your own questions can be helpful if there are specific issues that need to be addressed in your community. Consider the following when forming healthcare and reproductive rights based questions: 

• Accessibility of reproductive, sexual, and gender affirming healthcare

• Accessibility of contraceptives and comprehensive, evidence-based sex education

• Consideration of LGBTQ+ healthcare and inclusion

• Accessibility of medical assistance in dying (MAID)

• The role of religious institutions in publicly funded healthcare and health education

• Healthcare accessibility free from religious beliefs that determine if and what care patients can receive

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Climate, Nature, and the Environment

A humanist approach to environmental policy asks us to consider evidence, long-term consequences, and the distribution of environmental benefits and harms. 

Questions for Mayoral and Councillor Candidates: 

• Do you support municipal policy that protects urban forests, old-growth trees, parks, and other greenspaces, including measures to prevent unnecessary loss of established trees during new development?

• What specific actions would you take to protect and restore biodiversity and wildlife habitat within the municipality?

• Do you support implementing municipal targets and policies for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions? How would you ensure those targets translate into measurable action?

• Do you support regulating businesses and corporations in the effort to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions? 

• What climate-adaptation measures would you prioritize to prepare our community for climate related risks such as extreme heat, wildfire, flooding, drought, and sea-level rise?

• Do you support expanding reliable, affordable public transit and active transportation infrastructure as alternatives to private vehicle use?

• What investments would you support to make walking, cycling, and public transit safer and more practical for everyday transportation?

• Would you oppose any fossil-fuel infrastructure and pipeline projects proposed in your municipality? 

• Do you support implementing policy that requires new development and council decisions to first go through a rigorous, transparent environmental and climate-risk assessment?

• Would you support requiring new developments to meet stronger standards for energy efficiency, low-carbon design, stormwater management, and climate resilience?

• Do you support using municipal policies, purchasing, and infrastructure investments to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels?

• If elected, what is the single most important environmental or climate action you would prioritize during your term?

• Do you support advocating for improved passenger rail service, including the restoration or expansion of intercity rail connections?

Questions for School Board Trustee Candidates: 

• Do you support ensuring that BC students receive accurate, evidence-based education about climate change, including its causes, impacts, and scientific consensus?

• What role should schools play in helping students develop the critical-thinking and media-literacy skills needed to evaluate climate misinformation?

• Do you support providing students with opportunities to learn about local ecosystems, biodiversity, conservation, and the environmental challenges facing BC?

• Would you support school district policies requiring climate and environmental education resources to be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect current scientific evidence?

• Do you support policies and regulations that shift energy consumption and fossil fuel usage to renewable energy sources or reduce usage altogether? 

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SOGI, LGBTQ+ Inclusion and Safety

Humanist values support the dignity, equality, and freedom of LGBTQ+ people. This section includes only questions for school board trustee candidates and is largely tailored to addressing candidates' positions on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI). 

SOGI-inclusive education recognizes that students come from diverse families and have different sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. In BC schools, SOGI is intended to support safe, inclusive learning environments where all students are treated with dignity and respect, including LGBTQ+ students.

Questions for School Board Trustee Candidates: 

• Do you support the continued implementation of SOGI-inclusive education and resources in BC public schools?

• Will you support policies that ensure LGBTQ+ students can attend school free from discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression?

• Do you support ensuring that students are able to use their chosen name and pronouns at school and be treated with dignity and respect?

• What specific steps would you take to ensure that transgender and gender-diverse students have equitable access to school facilities, sports, activities, and programs?

• How would you respond to efforts to remove or restrict SOGI-inclusive resources, books, or curriculum from public schools?

• Do you support school policies that protect LGBTQ+ students and education even when members of staff or of the greater school community object to LGBTQ+ inclusion?

• Do you believe that a student's sexual orientation or gender identity should ever be grounds for restricting their participation in school programs, activities, sports, or access to facilities? 

• If elected, would you oppose policies that require teachers to misgender students or prevent them from using a student's affirmed name and pronouns at school?

As one of the more contentious and politically charged issues in the upcoming election, these questions may not reflect specific issues in your community. Consult the following list of broad questions to help form additional pointed questions: 

• Are LGBTQ+ students and community members included in municipal and school programs and services?

• Is the safety of LGBTQ+ residents and students prioritized?

• Does my municipality and school board support LGBTQ+ and trans youth?

• Are there adequate and enforceable anti-discrimination policies?

• Are public spaces inclusive?

• How do our public institutions respond to harassment, hate, and discrimination?

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Reconciliation and Indigenous Rights

Municipalities and school boards have an obligation to meaningfully engage with Indigenous peoples and the ongoing work of reconciliation.

Questions for Mayoral and Councillor Candidates: 

• Do you support the continued implementation of municipal reconciliation commitments, including those developed with local First Nations Communities?

• Will you support formal processes that ensure local Indigenous communities are meaningfully consulted when municipal decisions will affect their communities, lands, waters, and rights?

• Do you support organizing regular, direct engagement with local Indigenous communities rather than relying primarily on symbolic engagements or single project consultation?

• Do you support municipal funding and initiatives that help revitalize local Indigenous languages, including their use in public spaces, signage, and community programming?

• Will you support working with local First Nations to increase the visibility and use of Indigenous languages in municipal buildings, streetscapes, parks, and public events?

• Will you support public spaces, monuments, signage, and municipal programs that reflect the histories of settler colonialism and contemporary realities of Indigenous peoples in this community?

Questions for School Board Trustee Candidates: 

• Do you support the continued implementation and expansion of Indigenous-focused education and reconciliation commitments in BC public schools?

• Do you support expanding opportunities for students to learn local Indigenous languages and supporting Indigenous language revitalization through the school district?

• Will you support reviewing school names that commemorate individuals associated with colonialism or racism, and advocate for Indigenous place names where appropriate?

• Will you support ensuring Indigenous histories, including residential schools and colonialism, and contemporary Indigenous realities are accurately and meaningfully reflected throughout students’ education?

• Will you support policies that ensure local Indigenous communities are meaningfully involved in decisions about Indigenous education and reconciliation in the school district?

• Do you support strengthening relationships between the school district and local First Nations through ongoing collaboration rather than one-time consultation?

• Will you support ensuring Indigenous histories and perspectives are represented accurately and respectfully in school resources, libraries, assemblies, and learning environments?

• Would you oppose the banning or removal of books that accurately describe the historical and contemporary experiences of Indigenous peoples, including the impacts of colonialism, residential schools, and systemic discrimination?

• Will you support assigning dedicated school-district resources for Indigenous education and reconciliation initiatives?

It is important to note these questions were developed by a self-identifying white-settler researcher and advocate. They were not created by, nor developed in consultation with, Indigenous communities.

If you are advocating in support of Indigenous priorities, it is important to centre the autonomy, leadership, and priorities of local Indigenous communities rather than assuming what those priorities should be. Where possible, connect directly with the First Nations whose territories you live on or near and ask what issues, questions, and commitments they would like candidates to address. When engaging with Indigenous representatives or community organizations, consider asking:

• What issues would you most like candidates to address?

• What questions should we be asking candidates about reconciliation?

• What does meaningful municipal or school-board partnership look like to you?

• Are there specific commitments you would like candidates to make?

• How can settlers and allies best support your priorities without speaking for you?

• Are there local protocols or cultural considerations we should follow when engaging with your community?

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Good Governance, Transparency, and Accountability

While democratic institutions and public trust are under increasing pressure around the world, electing a strong local government that supports democratic standards matters. Municipal councils and school boards make decisions that directly affect people’s communities, taxes, services, and children. Our civic organisations should serve all people, should be easy to understand, and easily held accountable. 

Questions for Mayoral and Councillor Candidates: 

• Do you support making municipal budgets and spending information clear, accessible, and easy for the public to understand?

• Will you support meaningful public engagement before major spending decisions are made, particularly for large or long-term expenditures?

• Will you support publicly disclosing a detailed list of all properties receiving permissive tax exemptions, including the organization receiving the exemption and the value of the exemption? 

• Will you support clear limits and public reporting on elected officials’ expenses, travel, benefits, and compensation?

• Will you oppose unnecessary cancellations or restrictions on council meetings that reduce opportunities for public scrutiny and debate?

• Will you support ensuring opposition and minority viewpoints have meaningful and equitable opportunities to be heard during council decision-making?

Questions for School Board Trustee Candidates: 

• Do you support making school-district budgets and spending information clear, accessible, and easy for the public to understand?

• Do you support publicly disclosing school-district contracts, significant purchases, and major spending commitments?

• Will you support stronger conflict-of-interest rules and clear disclosure requirements for trustees?

• Do you support requiring trustees to disclose personal, professional, or financial relationships, including religious affiliations, that could create a conflict of interest?

• Do you support transparent and consult rich decision-making practices around major school closures, catchment changes, capital projects, and other decisions that significantly affect students and families?

• Will you support independent oversight or review where there are serious concerns about conflicts of interest, financial decisions, or trustee conduct?

• Will you oppose unnecessary meeting cancellations or procedural decisions that limit public access to board deliberations?

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