As advance voting began on Thursday, the New Democratic Party (NDP) clarified one of its health promises: to allow every British Columbian to have access to a family doctor by the end of 2025.
The promise is significant, and to achieve it, outgoing Prime Minister David Eby is committed to recruiting 45,000 new health professionals over the next four years.
In his plan, the NPD also plans to build a new medical school on the Simon Fraser University (SFU) campus in Surrey, in addition to a new clinic south of Vancouver.
We will continue to build and hire, not cut and lay off
assured David Eby.
The outgoing Prime Minister’s announcement is part of his electoral platform, unveiled last week, and comes alongside other measures, such as the expansion of the skills given to certain health professionals.
For example, the NPD intends to authorize midwives to insert IUDs and administer abortifacient drugs. Pharmacists could also write certain prescriptions and perform tests, such as those to detect urinary infections.
Transport on the conservative side
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Passengers on the deck of the Spirit of Vancouver Island, a BC Ferries ferry.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Justine Beaulieu-Poudrier
For his part, the leader of the Conservative Party said he wanted to carry out a thorough review of the British Columbia Ferry Company, BC Ferries.
John Rustad wants, among other things, to create a charter to clearly define the role of the company, make it more accountable, modernize the ferry fleet and introduce monthly packages for regular users.
Our plan aims to provide relief to regular passengers, guaranteeing them a reliable and affordable service to get to work or visit family
said John Rustad.
Debate between the NPD and the greens
Furthermore, David Eby will cross swords with the leader of the Green Party, Sonia Furstenau, as part of a debate organized Thursday evening by the Surrey Chamber of Commerce.
This after public safety announcements from David Eby which highlighted on Wednesday his intention to create a working group on missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people (MMIWG2S+) and to end the critical intervention group of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (formerly CIRG).
The three leaders of the main parties faced off earlier this week, in the only televised debate of this campaign.
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