With the provincial election heating up, party leaders dangled some big carrots in an effort to sway voters on Sunday.
During a campaign stop in North Vancouver, B.C. Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson made two significant announcements geared towards seniors, promising $1 billion to improve to long-term care facilities and proposing to implement a seniors’ home care tax credit.
“We commit to $200 million a year for the next five years, a billion dollars, to fast track construction so that we can make sure that our long term care facilities have a single room for any senior who wants one,” proclaimed Wilkinson.
Throughout the pandemic, issues at B.C.’s long-term care facilities have been a hot topic and the Liberal’s plan is similar to one announced earlier this month by the NDP.
However, Wilkinson’s chosen location for his party’s announcement was likely no accident as a number of seniors at long-term care facilities in North Vancouver have died following outbreaks of COVID-19.
“The heartbreaking COVID-19 impacts on our long-term care facilities and assisted living residences are a tragedy that can never happen again,” Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson also promised to implement what the party is calling a seniors’ home care tax credit, which would provide up to $7,000 a year to those receiving home care.
Seniors must live in B.C. and the annual limit on the total amount of eligible expenses is $20,000, resulting in a maximum tax credit of $7,000 per year, according to the party.
Wilkinson said the credit would allow more seniors to live in their own homes for longer.
“Seniors deserve to be able to live in the comfort and security of their home as long as they can,” he said.
NDP promise expanded healthcare services, ICBC rebates
Seniors’ care and ICBC rebates were the focus of the NDP on Sunday.
NDP Party Leader John Horgan was in Comox on Sunday, where he who announced additional healthcare and education spaces, as well as funding for seniors’ home care, blaming the previous Liberal government for cutting services and staff.
“COVID-19 has exposed the true cost of B.C. Liberal neglect to seniors’ care,” Horgan claimed.
NDP plan includes training programs care workers and provide health authorities with needed resources to allow them to deliver services.
“We need to make sure though that the care providers have the time in their day to do the work that we’re asking them to do,” he said.
Also on Sunday, the NDP promised that ICBC profits during the pandemic would be returned to motorists in the form of a rebate.
We’ll make sure any ICBC profits during the pandemic go directly back into drivers pockets,” Horgan said on Twitter Sunday.
Greens pledge rental assistance
Meanwhile, B.C. Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau announced her intentions to assist those struggling to pay rent each month, proposing to earmark $500 million for a program to provide support to renters.
Furstenau said nearly 50 per cent of rental households in the province are spending more than 30 per cent of their income on rent.
“This is having significant adverse effects on peoples’ mental health and wellbeing and makes it more difficult to save and plan for the future,” she said.
In order to be eligible, one must be spending over 30 per cent of their income on rent and the rebate would be scaled depending on how much of a household’s income is spent on rent.
“We have to recognize that people need stable and secure support for stable and secure housing. That is how people will have the capacity and security to be able to meet their highest potential,” said Furstenau.
The promise comes a day after Furstenau was questioned by the media about what they would do for younger British Columbians.
With files from CBC and The Canadian Press.
Ben Nesbit
