The BC Liberal Party

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Here’s what you need to know about the BC Liberal Party ahead of the polls closing on Saturday:

BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson will be watching results come in from a hotel in downtown Vancouver, where he is also expected to make an appearance once numbers start to indicate if there is — or is not — a clear winner.

Throughout the campaign, he’s been painted by the NDP as a politician out of touch with the working class and one who wants to give wealthy supporters tax breaks.

Early on, Wilkinson did promise to scrap B.C.’s speculation tax (which has been in place since 2018) and replace it with a new capital gains tax on condo presales.

He’s also made a point of repeatedly mentioning he’s both a lawyer and a medical doctor — best suited to be premier during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While he claims he has faith in Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, the Liberals have been critical of back-to-school plans developed by her over the summer with support from the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders, including the BC Teachers’ Federation.

"We don't want to second guess any of Dr. Henry's guidelines. She knows what she's doing and her guidelines are sound."
What @maryforbc says re: @bcliberals promise to, if elected, review Back-to-School plans during #COVID19 pandemic. #bcpoli #BCelxn2020 #BCvotes2020

— Marcella Bernardo (@MBernardoNews) October 16, 2020

The BC Liberal Party has dealt with its fair share of controversy this election campaign.

Wilkinson has faced criticism for how long it took him to respond to sexist remarks made by a Liberal candidate in North Vancouver about an NDP candidate on the North Shore.

Read more: 

• Video of BC Liberal candidates laughing at sexist comments about NDP candidate leaked

• Bowinn Ma questions BC Liberal Party leadership after sexist comments in video

And now, @bcliberals leader responds to sexist comments made in his presence on September 17th.
It is October 11th. #bcpoli #BCelxn2020 #BCVotes2020 https://t.co/vSSVwOu23S

— Marcella Bernardo (@MBernardoNews) October 11, 2020

He’s also come under fire for waiting too long to cut ties with Laurie Throness — a controversial candidate in Chilliwack now running as an independent, but who is still listed as a Liberal on the ballot.

Read more: 

• What will the BC Liberals’ ongoing controversies mean for the election?

• B.C. candidate Laurie Throness resigns from Liberal caucus after eugenics comments

Wilkinson says Throness offered to resign before he could be fired for making offensive comments about free birth control.

“We’ll continue to move forward with the rest of our team and continue to work hard to earn each and every vote." @Wilkinson4BC says re: resignation of @LaurieThroness as @bcliberals candidate for Chilliwack-Kent. #bcpoli #BCelxn2020 #BCVotes2020 @NEWS1130 pic.twitter.com/JpF5GVYQxS

— Marcella Bernardo (@MBernardoNews) October 16, 2020

Since John Horgan announced the snap election on Sept. 21, the Liberals have called it a power grab, with Wilkinson suggesting Horgan can’t be trusted because he broke a promise to not send voters back to the polls before October of next year.

As for what happens to him if the New Democrats manage to form a majority government, pressure is mounting for Wilkinson to step down as Liberal leader, but he has yet to say if he only plans to stick around if his party wins the most seats.

Join us for full coverage of B.C. Votes 2020 starting at 7 p.m. Saturday. Follow Marcella Bernardo on Twitter for the latest on the BC Liberals, and listen live for her reports.