On Day 17 of the British Columbia election campaign, public safety, child care and housing were front and center.
Public safety
In downtown Vancouver, where a stabbing took place last month, Conservative Leader John Rustad announced another part of his plan if elected on October 19.
A Conservative government will put criminals behind bars, restore order and once again make public safety the number one priority.
Rustad once again threw stones at his NDP opponent, David Eby, for policies he considers lax
.
Although he has not yet officially unveiled his electoral platform, John Rustad intends in particular to tackle the problems of drug trafficking by targeting organized crime and port security, and promises to create a new court for minor offenses.
The Conservative leader also reiterated his intention to set up forced treatment centers for people struggling with addictions and to dismantle homeless encampments in cities; issues which according to him relate to public safety
.
On the subject of gun control, on which the New Democratic Party (NDP) spoke out this weekend, John Rustad indicated wanting to ensure that historical laws are enforced, but in terms of recent laws, we are asking the police to go after people ordering guns.
On Sunday, David Eby stressed his desire to encourage police services to enforce federal law C-21 on gun control and accused the leader of the Conservative Party of having said that he would order police services not to not apply Bill C-21.
Daycares
To increase the number of affordable daycare places, the NPD promised Monday to invest $500 million over two years in infrastructure.
He also plans to extend the before and after school care program to the entire province, notably by using educational assistants who only work part-time.
Also, New Democrats are committed to providing an educational assistant in all classes, from kindergarten to third grade, as well as a mental health counselor in each school.
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As of April 1, 2024, child care centers in British Columbia can no longer charge families to put their names on waiting lists.
Photo: The Canadian Press / DARRYL DYCK
The Conservatives, for their part, want to extend the $10 per day daycare program, particularly with private daycares, and prioritize access to these affordable places for families who need them the most.
The Greens, for their part, promise to invest $350 million to develop the daycare network, including $100 million in infrastructure, in order to make it truly universal.
Accommodation
The Green Party said Monday it wants to make a tiny house project in Duncan a model for transitional housing.
The project The Village
offers container rooms in addition to toilets, a shared kitchen and support services.
According to head Sonia Furstenau, the project has helped stabilize the situation of many homeless people since its creation four years ago.
With information from Anaïs Elboujdaïni and Audrey Neveu
