VANCOUVER — The leaders of British Columbia's three main political parties sat around the same table for the first time in the provincial election today, zeroing in on jobs, the economy, government spending and housing in a live radio debate.
Liberal Leader Christy Clark stuck to a similar refrain in telling voters the province's economy is healthy and the outcome of the election on May 9 could place that in jeopardy.
But her main adversary, NDP Leader John Horgan, told listeners on News 1130 in Vancouver that Clark's government has failed the middle-class.
The Greens' Andrew Weaver said the Liberal promise of jobs from projects like liquefied natural gas have failed to materialize as he urged voters to embrace a new vision for the province's economy that creates jobs in emerging industries.
In the early part of the debate, Horgan spoke over Clark as she attacked his platform by accusing the New Democrats of hiding the true cost of their promises.
Horgan said the platform is based on the financial figures in the government's spring budget, telling Clark that Finance Minister Michael de Jong's analysis of the budget released Wednesday was an embarrassment.
The Liberals have said the NDP platform is too rich. The NDP is promising to bring in $10-a-day child care and eliminate tolls on two busy bridges in Metro Vancouver, but the party says a new tax on housing speculators and raising taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations will help balance the budget.
Horgan jumped in whenever Clark attacked the NDP plan, accusing her of bending facts.
"You are making it up again," Horgan said.
The Liberals say the NDP platform contains costs of $6.5 billion over four years that the party has not accounted for.
They say an NDP promise to eliminate medical services premiums would cost $1.7 billion. The Liberals have also promised to eventually kill the MSP, starting with a 50-per-cent cut in January, but de Jong said the Liberals won't ditch the fees within the next three years.
A freeze on BC Hydro rates would cost $1.2 billion over four years, the Liberals say, while a rate freeze on automobile insurance would cost $1.9 billion.
Weaver said his party would ease rising housing costs in Metro Vancouver by doubling a tax on foreign buyers to 30 per cent.
"Housing has become unaffordable, precisely under this premier's watch," said Weaver.
Asked if Vancouver was any different than other major cities around the world where housing prices have risen dramatically, he replied: "It has got out of hand here in British Columbia because of the fact that the issue of affordability was ignored."
Clark said the ability to buy a home is linked to employment and the province has been successful at creating jobs.
"To be able to pay for a home, you need a job," Clark said.
"Thank you, how's that going," Horgan quipped.
Clark said the NDP and the Greens would kill jobs.
"Under both of my colleagues proposals, British Columbia would go back to the 1990s," she said.
"Youth unemployment was higher than anywhere west of Quebec. British Columbia was struggling."
B.C. ELECTION: KEY DEVELOPMENTS FROM DAY NINE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
LIBERALS:
— Christy Clark campaigned in the Vancouver area on Wednesday, telling an event in Surrey that the Site C dam is necessary for the province's economic well being.
— It was the second straight day that Clark highlighted the $8.8-billion hydroelectric project after she visited Fort St. John on Tuesday to tout construction jobs it has created.
— The Liberals issued their own analysis accusing the NDP of releasing a platform without costing out how to pay for it.
— Michael de Jong, the finance minister in Clark's government, said the Liberals' analysis of the NDP platform reveals $6.5 billion in costs that the party has not accounted for because of what he called costing errors and a failure to account for interest costs on increased spending.
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NDP:
— John Horgan campaigned at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where he promoted his plan to eliminate interest on student loans and offer a $1,000 completion grant to people who finish their studies.
— Horgan says his party would also eliminate fees for adult basic education and English as a second language programs while maintaining a cap on tuition fees at colleges and universities.
— Carole James, the NDP's finance critic, dismissed the Liberal accusations on its platform as "fearmongering."
— Horgan said the numbers in the NDP platform are based on the Liberal government's recent budget.
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GREENS:
— Green Leader Andrew Weaver campaigned in Kamloops where he released the party's strategy for sustainably managing the province's resources.
— Weaver says the party would work with industrial sectors affected by climate change to help them preserve their long term economic and environmental sustainability, and promote best practices; as well as develop an inventory of old-growth forests to determine reserves and protect them.
— The Greens would remove the provincial sales tax from machinery and equipment used for modernizing, upgrading and expanding sawmills and other wood processing businesses, starting Oct. 1.
— Party spokesman Stefan Jonsson says the Greens had 80 candidates officially approved by Elections BC ahead of a Tuesday afternoon registration deadline and were waiting to hear back on the eligibility of up to three more. A final list had not been published by Elections BC by mid-afternoon on Wednesday on all the candidates who are running in the province's 87 ridings.
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VOTING MEASURES:
— Only about 48 per cent of registered voters aged 18 to 24 cast a ballot in 2013, but some university campus groups are trying to boost turnout this time, including a group called Young Climate Voters that is urging students to elect climate leaders.
— Elections BC says cards explaining where to vote were being delivered across the province on Wednesday.
— The agency is reminding voters to bring their Where to Vote card with them when to their polling places.
— Registered voters will receive a card that includes the dates, times and locations for advance voting in their district, as well as their assigned voting place for the day of the general election on May 9.
