BC Conservative, Green Party Leaders talk economy, affordability in address to UBCM
Posted September 20, 2024 3:43 pm.
Saturday is Writ Drop Day, signalling the official beginning of the Oct. 19 provincial election campaign, and party leaders are getting a jump on sharing their platforms.
BC Conservative Leader John Rustad and Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau spoke in separate addresses at day five of the Union of BC Municipalities’ annual convention, with Rustad focusing on the economy right out of the gate.
He says the province’s financial situation has never been worse, saying it is running a $9 billion deficit, which he esitmates will grow to $10-12 billion by the end of March 2025.
“Managing through that will be an extremely difficult challenge for all of us as a government, whether it’s local, provincial, or even federal,” he said.
“We need to be able to get this under control.”
He went on to say that the money being spent on interest on the province’s debt is equivalent to the combined budgets of “about a dozen” ministries.
Furstenau started her address saying the province’s affordability, health care, and climate are all in a state of crisis.
“We have let that place that B.C. used to be slip away as real estate investment trusts buy more and more of the housing in our province and turn it into a commodity, as multinational fossil fuel companies post profits in the tens and 100s of billions, and younger generations feel further and further left behind,” she said.
“We felt that slip away as our public services have failed to provide the basic level of care that keep people healthy and living with dignity as the provincial budget balloons, while services that we should all be able to count on aren’t there for us.”
Rustad says affordability challenges are driving young people out of the province.
“They can’t afford to live here,” he said. “They can’t get housing, struggling to put food on the table and pay their rent, and they’re looking at it thinking, how on earth could I ever raise a family?”
Rustad says he would eliminate the carbon tax to help affordability, with around $3.5 billion returned to British Columbians by 2025.
Furstenau agreed many British Columbians are feeling left behind, but says her party is offering different solutions. She talked about how delegates voted on resolutions at UBCM that align with Green party platforms.
“I just want to shout out to you, to UBCM delegates, for supporting free transit for youth, for supporting vacancy control, and this morning for your emergency debate on the carbon tax,” she said.
Furstenau reminded delegates there aren’t just two parties, and urged voters to distribute power. She went on to say she doesn’t find what she describes as divisive rhetoric appealing.
“Don’t give in to all the fear and anger,” she said. “Lean in to what is possible.”
NDP Leader David Eby addressed the convention Thursday. BC United Leader Kevin Falcon — who officially suspended his party’s campaign Aug. 28 — has not spoken at the event.
