B.C. election promises: On the campaign trail ahead of Election Day

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The latest from the campaign trail in the lead up to the Oct. 24 election in B.C.

Friday, Oct. 23, 5 p.m

Andrew Wilkinson held the final Liberals’ campaign rally in Surrey after visiting four Lower Mainland electoral districts Friday. He took the time to push the party’s platform, which includes ending the ICBC monopoly, affordable child care, and ending PST for a year.

Don’t forget to join us tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 24, from 7 p.m. to midnight for B.C. Votes 2020. You can find all the information you need ahead of and on Election Day here.

Friday, Oct. 23, 1 p.m.

Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau made her final address to voters ahead of Election Day. She said the party will be able to hold the NDP accountable on important issues, such as inequality, climate change, forests, and the Site C dam. Getting through and recovering from the pandemic, promoting sustainability, and addressing climate change were also highlighted.

Friday, Oct. 23, 11 a.m.

In his final stops, NDP Leader John Horgan laid out why he believes his party can help British Columbians get through the COVID-19 pandemic. As he has done throughout the campaign, Horgan emphasized the NDP promises to invest in health care, improve care for seniors, as well as help families with a $1,000 recovery benefit and affordable child care. The NDP has also promised more jobs by building more hospitals, schools, and public transit.

Friday, Oct. 23, 5:30 a.m.

It’s the last full day of the campaign, and the leaders are making their final rounds ahead of the big vote.

Sonia Furstenau of the Green Party has two events on Vancouver Island today, both of them in Duncan.

NDP Leader John Horgan is starting his day in Richmond-Queensborough, alongside NDP candidates from battleground Lower Mainland ridings. He is expected to make a final campaign announcement later this morning in New Westminster.

Meanwhile, BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson will be on the North Shore, the Tri-Cities and Maple Ridge.

Don’t forget to join us tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 24, from 7 p.m. to midnight for B.C. Votes 2020. You can find all the information you need ahead of and on Election Day here.

Thursday, Oct. 22, 12 p.m.

Bolstering food security and income security is being promised by the BC Greens. Party leader Sonia Furstenau brought up empty grocery store shelves early on in the pandemic as a reason to ensure B.C.’s food supply is resilient.

The Greens outlined their plans to ensure both food and income security, which Furstenau said is meant to “eliminate the fear of being unable to afford the necessities of life” for British Columbians.

Meanwhile, NDP Leader John Horgan used his virtual town hall to discuss the party’s investment in health care during and after the pandemic, as well as improving long-term care. He again compared the NDP platform on health care to the Green and Liberal plans, which Horgan argued fall short.

During Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson’s tour around three Lower Mainland cities, he was again claiming the election is unnecessary and badly timed. He discussed the struggles of the hospitality and tourism industry, noting the election was called in the middle of a pandemic.

Thursday, Oct. 22, 5:30 a.m.

As the campaign winds down, BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson will once again be visiting a small business on the Lower Mainland Thursday, this time appearing at a tire shop in Tsawwassen this afternoon.

Sonia Furstenau with the BC Greens will be holding a virtual news conference 10:15 a.m. to talk about her party’s plans for food security and income security before heading for the Sunshine Coast for a campaign stop in Roberts Creek.

Meanwhile, NDP Leader John Horgan is also going virtual, speaking to British Columbians at 10:30 a.m. about the challenges people face during the COVID-19 pandemic, after a musical performance by a member of Said the Whale.

Don’t forget to join us on Saturday night, from 7:00 p.m. to midnight, for live coverage of B.C. Votes 2020, on-air and online.

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2 p.m.

The NDP announced it would introduce and pass accessibility legislation in the first legislative session. The party indicated it would build on the work the NDP has already done through 2019 and 2020. The commitment to its 10-year, 114,000 homes pledge was also reaffirmed.

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 11 a.m.

Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau discussed making schools safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. The party is pledging an immediate $200 million increase to the annual education budget for the next three years. Furstenau says funds will also go towards integrating nutrition and food programs into the curriculum.

The BC’s NDP platform has been rated the best of the three major parties on pandemic response and healthcare by the BC College of Family Physicians.

Around noon, Kelowna West BC NDP candidate Spring Hawes, Coquitlam-Maillardville candidate Selina Robinson, and Shane Simpson, out-going minister of social development and poverty reduction, will be making an announcement about affirming the rights of people with disabilities.

Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson will be in Surrey after a stop an Indian bistro in North Delta this morning.

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 6 a.m.

It’s another busy day on the campaign trail for B.C.’s main party leaders.

Sonia Furstenau with the BC Greens is holding a news conference later this morning to talk about her party’s plans for education and the return to school, before taking part in an economic debate this afternoon with Business in Vancouver.

The NDP’s John Horgan will be discussing health care and the COVID-19 pandemic response in Langley this morning.

Meanwhile, BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson will be appearing before the media at Tasty Indian Bistro in Delta this morning.

Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2:30 p.m.

NDP Leader John Horgan is promising more front-line support to deal with its overdose crisis. Earlier in the day, B.C. reported 127 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths in September. He also said work continues to re-open a long-closed mental hospital in Coquitlam.

“We’re looking very hard at the Riverview land as a sanctuary for people struggling at the back end of overdose responses,” Horgan said.

Both the NDP and Liberals promise stronger enforcement against drug dealers, but the BC Greens platform includes clear language supporting legalization.

Tuesday, Oct. 20, 12:30 p.m.

The BC Liberals are adding to the party’s child care plan, committing to 10,000 new child care spaces in the province at a cost of $100 million.

The Liberals also plan to boost training and support for child care workers and create a province-wide application system to find child care spaces.

BC NDP Leader John Horgan discussed the party plans to improve health and seniors care during the pandemic. The party is promising to invest $2.3 billion in long-term care, urgent care, and hospitals.

Meanwhile, BC Green leader Sonia Furstenau is campaigning in West-Vancouver-Sea-to-Sky. She claims the electoral district is within the party’s grasp. It placed second in the last election, about 3,500 votes behind the Liberals.

Tuesday, Oct. 20, 5 a.m.

The B.C. election campaign is in the stretch run with just four days left before voters head to the polls on Saturday.

Today, BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson is in Surrey making an appearance at Nickomeckl Farms at 10 a.m.

The NDP’s John Horgan will be having a discussion with seniors in Coquitlam-Burke Mountain starting at 9:30 a.m. before heading to North Vancouver-Seymour to talk health care and participate in a roundtable with nurses at 1:30 p.m.

BC Green leader Sonia Furstenau will be discussing her party’s policies for economic recovery this morning at 11 and then making a campaign stop at the Troller Ale House in West Vancouver.

Monday, Oct. 19, 1:45 p.m.

Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau is promising to turn BC Ferries back into a Crown corporation. The party says this is to manage it as part of a transportation network rather than “an organization with a profit motive.”

“We owe it to people in ferry-dependent communities to begin a conversation about passenger service, as well as how we can modernize the reservation system, to ensure everyone can access ferry services when they need it,” Furstenau  says.

Monday, Oct. 19, 12:00 p.m.

The BC NDP has pledged funding to support the redevelopment of the Jewish Community Centre in the Oakridge neighbourhood. The party says this would deliver 400 child care spaces.

In the first phase, the party says it would deliver a new 220,000 square foot community centre. It would include increased space for programs and 200 child care spaces in the current building. When the new building is complete, the NDP says the existing building would be demolished, making room for new affordable rental homes.

The estimated costs is about $155 million, with the remaining funding being raised by the community, according to the NDP.

Meanwhile, the BC Liberals is committing to projects in Maple Ridge as part of its $8 billion investment in infrastructure across the province.

“Our Rebuild B.C. plan will invest $8 billion over three years in places like here in Maple Ridge where much-needed projects and community improvements require funding and decisive action from the provincial government,” reads a release from the Liberals.

Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson also promised money for mental health and roadwork in Maple Ridge.

Monday, Oct. 19, 5:30 a.m.

BC Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson will be at the Pitt Lake boat launch in Pitt Meadows for an announcement at 10:00 a.m. Monday.

The NDP’s John Horgan is in Victoria for an announcement at 10:30 a.m., after which he will be making whistelstops on the Island and in Surrey today.

Green leader Sonia Furstenau is making the media rounds this morning before talking about her party’s plans for BC Ferries at 1:00 this afternoon.

Sunday, Oct. 18 1:25 p.m.

BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson brought his campaign to Osoyoos on Sunday, pledging to spend $100 million on improving internet access in rural communities if elected.

He says the money would also support better mobile connectivity in large parts of the province where it’s impossible to get a cellphone signal.

Wilkinson also touted the Liberals’ promises to eliminate the provincial sales tax for a year and implement a $7,000 yearly tax cut to help older people remain in their homes rather than entering assisted-living or long-term care.

Sunday, Oct. 18, 12:30 p.m.

Green party Leader Sonia Furstenau criticized her rivals’ records on housing affordability during a campaign stop in Duncan.

Furstenau says the Liberals treated the early days of the housing affordability crisis as an “economic boom,” in which real estate prices drove up wealth for homeowners in particular neighbourhoods.

She says the boom came at an enormous cost, as a generation of young people in B.C. have been priced out owning homes in their communities.

Sunday, Oct. 18, 9:30 a.m.

BC NDP Leader John Horgan is promising further action to protect and revitalize the province’s wild salmon stocks.

Horgan says his party would double its contribution to the B.C. salmon restoration and innovation fund, a nearly $143-million partnership with the federal government, if re-elected.

B.C. currently contributes 30 per cent and Ottawa provides 70 per cent for the fund that focuses on innovation, infrastructure and science partnerships to support sustainable fishing practices and protect wild salmon.

The NDP is also promising to establish a watershed security strategy and fund for Indigenous and local initiatives.

Friday, Oct. 16, 3:00 p.m.

The BC Liberal Party called for a review of the province’s pandemic back-to-school plan.

Liberal candidate Mary Polak, running for re-election in Langley, said parents are worried about the plan, noting the number of COVID-19 exposures B.C. schools.

But NDP candidate, and former Health Minister Adrian Dix, insists the back-to-school plan was developed by the Provincial Health Officer, with the support from the Ministry of Education.

Leader Andrew Wilkinson says the party will also put up $1.75 billion over three years in capital funding and $146 million in new operating funding to increase supply and affordability.

Friday, Oct. 16, 2:30 p.m.

Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau has repeated her government would help small businesses and the tourism sector survive the winter with a rent subsidy program and grants to urgently support small tourism operators

“We would also begin a transition to a basic income by making significant improvements to the social safety net and immediately implementing a basic income for youth aging out of care,” she says.

She says there will be a new grant for those paying more than 30 per cent of their income in rent.

Friday, Oct. 16, 11:00 a.m.

BC NDP Leader John Horgan was in Pitt Meadows discussing how the party planned to make life more affordable.

Horgan said his plan will save an average family of four an additional $3,400 a year.

He discussed plans laid out in the NDP platform, which includes a COVID-19 recovery benefit, a rent freeze until 2021, affordable childcare, cutting ICBC rates, and free transit for kids up to the age of 12.

Thursday, Oct. 15, 1:00 p.m.

BC Greens Leader Sonia Furstenau, in Maple Bay on Vancouver Island, highlighted her party’s education platform Wednesday, reiterating her commitment to lowering the voting age to 16.

She said young people deserve a greater say in the province’s democracy, and pledged to integrate voter education into the high school curriculum.

She also reiterated the party’s plan to invest $300 million to start free early childhood education programs for children ages three and four.

As part of the party’s education platform, the Greens would also continue to fully fund education throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure all teacher positions are retained, while ensuring all school districts develop “credible” remote and hybrid learning options.

The Green Party also promises: to hire more counsellors in schools; implement a province-wide plan to address racism in schools; fund work on reconciliation and Indigenous education; spend $100 million on renovating schools; spend $25 million to develop a food program for schools; and double funding for B.C. Access Grants to help support post-secondary part-time students and those in multi-year programs.

Thursday, Oct. 15, 12 p.m.

An election debate this morning on a Vancouver radio station produced more friction between B.C.’s political leaders.

Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson called NDP Leader John Horgan a liar and double-crosser over allegedly broken promises and Horgan’s decision to call a snap election.

When Wilkinson criticized the NDP government’s preparation on COVID-19, Horgan responded that the province wasn’t ready because the former Liberal government fired thousands of health-care workers.

During the hour-long debate, Green Leader Sonia Furstenau told the audience her party’s fiscal platform is the most responsible, while saying the Liberal promise to drop the PST and the NDP’s $1,000 giveaway won’t help the economy.

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1:40 p.m.

BC Liberals Leader Andrew Wilkinson, in Terrace, committed to pursuing a second LNG plant and building a replacement for the Mills Memorial Hospital.

The party would expedite LNG export projects through agreements with Indigenous groups involved in LNG, and work with them to establish accelerated review and approval processes. The Liberals pledge to work with Indigenous communities and other key groups to review land-use plans for gaps and conflict-points.

The party also committed to pursuing resource revenue-sharing agreements with communities in the region.

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 12:45 p.m.

BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau, in New Westminster, outlined billions of dollars in spending on education, childcare, income security, and affordable housing as part of its election platform.

The plan includes $10 billion in spending on new initiatives over three years.

If elected in the Oct. 24 provincial election, the Greens would spend $300 million on universal early education for children aged three and four, with that rising to $550 million as capacity expands. The party would also increase funding for child care programs by more than $200 million.

The Green platform further promises to provide a basic income for youth aging out of government care, restart the review of the Police Act, create a six-month rent subsidy program for small businesses, and create a $1 billion innovation fund to shift to a zero-carbon economy.

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 11:45 a.m.

BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson, in Vancouver, promised to end tent cities by investing in wraparound clinical supports and recovery treatments for those struggling with mental health and addiction.

Wilkinson says his party’s plan would address the growing problems of crime, addiction, and homelessness in B.C. by committing $58 million to help improve public safety with the hiring of 100 more psychiatric social workers and nurses, 200 new police officers, and 40 more Crown prosecutors.

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m.

NDP Leader John Horgan highlighted promises to fix problems in B.C. long-term care exposed by care aides during COVID-19 pandemic.

If elected on Oct. 24, he pledged to hire 7,000 new health care workers in long-term care and assisted living. He also said the NDP would pay care workers fair wages so they can work in just one facility.

The NDP would also eliminate multi-bed rooms in health authority-owned care facilities, and build new public, long-term care homes with new beds.

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 8 a.m.

B.C.’s main party leaders are back out campaigning Wednesday, less than a day after taking part in the only televised debate ahead of the Oct. 24 election.

Sonia Furstenau of the Greens is unveiling her party’s platform in Vancouver after making waves the night before for her performance at the debate. She’ll also be at events in New Westminster and Surrey.

Meanwhile, NDP Leader John Horgan is in New Westminster’s Queensborough to make an announcement on seniors care, followed by a roundtable with Richmond voters.

Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson is taking his campaigning to Kitimat

Oct. 13, 12 p.m.

The BC Liberals have released their entire platform and there isn’t much that’s new.

Leader Andrew Wilkinson is pitching a hybrid learning model from kindergarten to Grade 12 if the party wins.

Already announced is the end of the provincial sales tax for one year, $10-a day childcare, and an end to the ICBC monopoly, opening the door for private insurers.

Also promised are more police officers, prosecutors ,and mental health workers.

Oct. 13, 9 a.m.

The NDP has announced B.C. will get its second medical school if the party is re-elected this fall

The school would be established at SFU’s Surrey campus.

This is big news for @sfu.
When @bcndp announced new med school in their platform they didn't say where it would be.#bcpoli #BCvotes2020 @NEWS1130 https://t.co/h2qcxQLMuI

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) October 13, 2020

If all goes as planned, the first class would graduate in 2023-24.

The announcement was made by Adrian Dix as leader Horgan prepares for Tuesday’s debate.

Tuesday, Oct. 13, 8 a.m.

Andrew Wilkinson of the BC Liberals is in Downtown Vancouver, where he’s expected to roll out his party’s platform Tuesday morning.

It’s also his first time appearing before reporters since one of his candidates was heard making disparaging comments about the NDP’s Bowinn Ma.

New Democratic Leader John Horgan has no events listed, but NDP candidate Adrian Dix is making a healthcare announcement in Surrey.

Meanwhile, Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau is taking part in two debates on Tuesday — the leader’s debate with Wilkinson and Horgan, as well as an all-candidates tilt in Duncan.