On Tuesday evening, the leaders of the three political parties vying for the October 19 election in British Columbia faced off in the only televised debate of the campaign. They presented their polarized visions, faced with the harsh reality of the multiple crises that the province is experiencing.
The reality is not new: British Columbia is one of the regions in the country where the housing crisis is hitting hardest, where the opioid crisis is tragic and where the climate crisis, among other things, is leaving its mark on the territory.
Housing and cost of living
Families are experiencing a lot of pressure right now and it’s time to offer support rather than cutting services
declared at the opening of the debate the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) and outgoing Prime Minister, David Eby. He thus tried to defend his electoral platform considered expensive while launching a dig at his conservative opponent John Rustad.
One in three people are considering leaving the province and the problems are the same in many places: people are having trouble putting food on the table.
launched John Rustad, before ensuring that his priority will be to meet the needs of British Columbians.
When Rustad talks about the needs of British Columbians
who exactly is he talking about? then underlined Sonia Furstenau, leader of the Greens. Certainly not those who can’t pay their rent, for example.
In terms of housing, in a tense climate, the leaders reiterated some of their promises, such as a tax exemption for housing costs on the conservative side or assistance with the purchase of ‘a first property on the side of NPD.
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NDP Leader David Eby listens to remarks from Conservative Party Leader John Rustad during the leaders’ debate in British Columbia, October 8, 2024.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Ben Nelms
Health
Faced with the continuing crisis in the health system, David Eby tried to defend the results of the NPD. He recalled in particular the government’s efforts to access cancer treatments and the number of family doctors recruited since his arrival at the head of the province at the end of 2022.
John Rustad went on the attack, attributing the current crisis to the NDP government in power for the past seven years: The crisis in the health care system, the opioid crisis, is the result of the Eby government.
On the subject of the opioid crisis, for which a state of health emergency was declared in 2016, Sonia Furstenau deplored a lack of investment of the liberals’ time, when Rustad was part of the government, and vain efforts on the side of the NPD
.
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The leader of the Greens, Sonia Furstenau, described the choice of the NDP or the Conservatives as a return to the past, considering the records of former provincial governments. (October 8, 2024)
Photo : Radio-Canada / Ben Nelms
Environment and indigenous rights
On environmental issues, the Conservative leader’s climate skeptic positions came back to the forefront and were criticized by both the New Democratic leader and the Green candidate.
Another Achilles heel on which the Conservative leader had to defend himself during the debate, his intention to repeal the provincial law on the rights of indigenous peoples, an intention considered retrograde by his two adversaries.
Rustad is so limited in his imagination
launched Sonia Furstenau, recalling the role of provincial minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation that John Rustad occupied under the Liberal Party banner.
The leader of the Greens also criticized the positions of her adversaries regarding fossil fuels, notably deploring the liquefied natural gas (LNG) development projects across the province.
More details to come
