Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of profiles of the candidates for Penticton MLA.
B.C. First candidate Doug Maxwell confesses he isn’t quite as big a hockey fan as his brother, Penticton Vees dressing room services manager Murray Maxwell.
“Nobody can be a bigger fan than him. I do like going to the Vees games though,” said Doug. “In the winter I can’t even talk to Murray unless I go to the game … he basically lives at the rink, even though he has a bed in a house that I own right next door to mine where I can keep contact with him on a regular basis because he lives independently. I make sure he lives in a comfortable place on the money they give him, otherwise he would have to live in an apartment filled with drugs and prostitution.”
His brother is a well-known personality around the rinks of Penticton, and one of Maxwell’s reasons for jumping into politics for the first time. He moved to Penticton from Edmonton to be closer to his mother and handicapped brother.
“He is expected to live on $925 a month. He is one of the people that truly needs social assistance. Even though these government guys give themselves a $25,000 raise tied to inflation, they gave Murray zero and not tied to inflation. There are lots of people in this situation that truly need our help,” said Maxwell. “I see the best way to get to that end is to change our political system … the people have to be in charge again.”
It is why he chose to run with the B.C. First party in the Penticton riding. Maxwell said after 35 years of running his own business he doesn’t want somebody on the top telling him how to do things.
“I want to have voters at the top of the pyramid again and so does B.C. First. I liked that. Our party principles spell out how we think the legislature should be organized,” said Doug.
After running Maxwell’s Auto Service Ltd. for the past 30 years, Doug decided to retire and spend more time with his wife of 40 years, Patricia, his two adult children and five grandchildren. He also found spare time on his hands to have his say in what he believes in.
“I am upset about the waste of money I see happening all the time and we are heading towards a dictatorship as opposed to a democracy,” he said.
He said his policy as an honest businessman will go a long way in the political realm, adding he still gets “hugs and handshakes” walking in the streets of Penticton from a loyal customer base. He feels the training he has as an entrepreneur transitions well for an MLA.
“I don’t think there is much difference between bookkeeping for a small business, large business or provincial business. Right now Christy Clark is trying to sell assets to balance books, and all my training says you can’t do that. Selling assets is good for cash flow but eventually you run out of assets and that leads into debt.”