The latest developments from Tuesday night’s televised leaders’ debate in the B.C. election (all times Pacific):
7:25 p.m.
NDP Leader John Horgan is heralding his government’s Clean BC plan as leading in North America in the fight against climate change at Tuesday night’s leaders debate in the Oct. 24 provincial election.
But B.C. Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson says Clean BC has been a failure because greenhouse gas emissions have increased every year under the plan.
Green Leader Sonia Furstenau is chastising both the other leaders for their support of big energy projects.
Furstenau says billions in taxpayers’ money has been spent “propping up” those projects, money that could have created jobs by transitioning to an economy based on clean energy.
7:05 p.m.
Green Leader Sonia Furstenau says the B.C. Liberals plan to cut the PST for a year will lead to cuts in services.
In a question to Andrew Wilkinson during Tuesday night’s leaders debate, Furstenau asked the B.C. Liberal leader to justify the promise, which would mean the loss of $6.9 billion in government revenue.
Wilkinson says the tax cut would “turbocharger” the economy by encouraging people to shop in the province.
But Furstenau says the decision will have consequences with cuts to services including for mental health and housing.
6:55 p.m.
The leaders of the NDP and the B.C. Liberals clashed on their party’s approach to health care during the leaders’ debate on Tuesday night.
NDP Leader John Horgan accused the Liberals of cutting 10,000 job when they were in government to give higher-income earners a tax cut.
Horgan says that decision had “profound and tragic” consequences for senior citizens living in long-term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson said Horgan is focusing on decisions made 17 years ago, arguing his party built 14 hospitals when it was in power and the NDP has built none during its first three years in office.
He also told Horgan the NDP has failed to get a hospital built in fast-growing Surrey.
Horgan said the reason a hospital hasn’t been built is because the Liberals sold land slated for it.
“You sold the land, man,” he said directly to Wilkinson.
6:40 p.m.
The televised leaders debate in B.C. began with the three party leaders explaining their approach to helping the province’s economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
B.C. Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson likened the pandemic to a “wartime economy” and said governments around the world will be dealing with deficits as he defended his promise to eliminate the PST for a year.
Asked why he called an election during the pandemic, NDP Leader John Horgan said people’s worlds “have been turned upside down” and he thought the province wanted to put the election behind it.
Green Leader Sonia Furstenau responded to a question about her opposition to two major pipeline projects by promising jobs across the province with a switch to clean energy.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2020.
You can continue to watch the B.C. leaders’ debate here.
The Canadian Press
