An election debate among B.C.'s three main party leaders highlighted some obscure policies, but was mostly dominated by previously shared ideas.
Party leaders of the BC NDP, BC Conservative and BC Green parties debated affordability, public safety and health care for an hour on 980 CKNW Wednesday morning.
Affordability and cost of living was the first topic discussed, with tax cuts and climate change taking centre stage in the discussion.
Leader of the BC NDP David Eby opened the floor by alluding to his promised middle-class tax cut, a proposal he says will give families a $1,000 break each year and will benefit 90 per cent of British Columbians.
“It’s about driving down costs wherever we can, whether it’s around childcare, providing hundreds of dollars in savings, car insurance, $500 in savings, rebates through hydro,” said Eby.
He added the proposed “Rustad Rebate” would keep residents waiting until 2029, to which leader of the BC Conservatives John Rustad responded the rebate would kick-in by 2026 and will exempt up to $3,000 per month in housing costs from the B.C. income tax.
“David Eby and his government has had 33 different tax increases, and why suddenly now that he wants to do tax cuts, it doesn’t make sense to me,” said Rustad.
He added the red tape must be removed, but BC Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau shifted the conversation to what she said is one of the biggest catalysts of a lack of affordability—fossil fuels.
“They don’t talk about the role that fossil fuels are playing in driving costs, and they want to attach our economy more to this backwards-looking fossil fuel industry,” she said.
Committed to continuing with the carbon tax, she criticized the BC NDP on its implementation, saying the biggest polluters are the ones getting the biggest tax breaks. Furstenau added nothing is more expensive than ignoring climate change, reiterating that tying ourselves to fossil fuels is not a viable option.
Rustad said that energy needs to be more affordable, and reiterated his promise to put an end to the carbon tax and carbon fuel emission standards. According to him, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says this will save people 35.5 cents per litre.
Eby, who recently stated he would also cut the carbon tax if Ottawa dropped the requirement, accused Rustad of believing climate science is a hoax, to which Rustad answered that climate change is real, though he didn’t address climate science.
On health care, Rustad opened by saying closed ERs and long waiting times under the NDP’s government have turned the situation into a complete disaster.
“Close to 40 per cent of our nurses are now administrators. What we need to be looking at is a different model,” he said.
Rustad added we have the second most expensive model in the world’s top countries, but yet the second worst outcomes on many measures. He says the province can learn from European systems.
Eby responded by saying the problem is the shortage of healthcare professionals, a number that must increase through training and getting international doctors out of the sidelines.
“We had an agreement with the premiers across Canada that we wouldn’t poach each other's health care workers. People deserve high quality care no matter where they are in the province,” he said.
Eby added Rustad wants to add another layer of private health care to the public system to hire those same healthcare workers.
Furstenau stated other provinces that implemented private health care have seen a decrease in total surgeries and higher pricing.
In response, Rustad believes in getting rid of mandates and restrictions to rehire around 10,000 health-care workers, saying a change in the model will also result in a better use of resources.
“There are surgeons who get eight hours of surgery a week, because that’s what the system will allow. They could easily be doing 20-30 hours a week,” he said.
The topic then moved towards public safety, addiction and mental health.
Rustad opened by saying addiction and overdoses are out of control in the province, underscoring the need for more treatment to end the crisis.
Eby also highlighted the need for treatment, saying his government has opened hundreds of addiction beds and called out John Rustad on what his true stance is regarding safe consumption sites.
“Safe consumption and decriminalization have failed people in this province; they do not work,” said John Rustad. “We will turn anything like safe consumption sites into recovery intake sites.”
“The government has become one of the biggest drug dealers in this province.”
Furstenau highlighted the importance of safe sites for connecting people with healthcare services, but Rustad responded that accessing those services can take months.
She also said a war on drugs will not have the expected result, and in countries like Mexico, that has led to bigger cartels and organized crime.
“What we need is a war on poverty,” she said, stating the province needs a voluntary care system that helps people before they’re in a state of crisis.
Eby agreed on voluntary options, stating people who are struggling on the streets are not living a life that has dignity.
“We tried supportive housing, but it didn't work. We tried complex care housing, but it wasn't successful. That’s why we’re opening these facilities in Maple Ridge.”
Rustad responded by saying the province needs to build more capacity, drawing importance to compassionate involuntary care for parents who want to help their children.
Sonia Furstenau was questioned on her policies to expand harm reduction services, and even prescribing regulated pharmaceutical alternatives to fentanyl.
According to her, involuntary care has a 3-and-a-half per cent success rate, calling out governments who are spending money on approaches that are going to fail.
On crime, Rustad said there are no consequences for repeat offenders, as 20 per cent of criminals are committing 80 per cent of the crimes, according to him.
The conversation was shifted to gun control by Eby, who questioned Rustad’s standpoint on enforcing federal rules restricting handguns and semi-automatic rifles.
“His response to a journalist last week about gun control. He asked will you make sure that British Columbia enforces federal gun rules? And John said 'No,'” said Eby.
Rustad answered by stating Eby is refusing to put any forces and resources to stop illegal guns from coming into the province through ports, proposing to put out a police force focused on tackling criminal activity in these sites.
“There are law-abiding gun owners in this province that are being targeted. I will not see our precious dollars being spent for law enforcement going for law-abiding guns.”
The final topic discussed was Indigenous relations, with Rustad saying the province strongly needs economic reconciliation and to ensure sure that First Nations are involved in the economy.
“It’s time First Nations have the opportunity to catch up economically, and if possible surpass,” he said. Rustad suggested this could be achieved by adding to the economy, not by taking from one group to give to another.
Regarding UNDRIP, he said it will continue to be used as a guiding principle for work with First Nations
“However, when we have legislation that is creating problems, we will remove it and make sure that legislation is put in place that actually works for all British Columbians,” he said.
Eby responded by saying his government has put equity programs in place to find ways to work with First Nations communities.
Furstenau said the correct approach has to be negotiating at a table and recognizing that rights and title have been declared by the courts.
“There is no greater uncertainty that can be brought than what happens in this province when these two parties switch back and forth,” she said.
