Close X
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. NDP Leader David Eby launches election campaign a day early in key battleground

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 20 Sep, 2024 01:35 PM
  • B.C. NDP Leader David Eby launches election campaign a day early in key battleground

New Democrat Leader David Eby has launched his British Columbia election campaign a day early, making the key battle ground of Surrey his first stop. 

The fixed election date of Oct. 19 means the campaign doesn't officially start until Saturday. 

However, Eby boarded the bus on Friday with his youngest daughter, Gwen, in a baby carrier, accompanied by his wife, Cailey Lynch and their two other children. 

His NDP-orange campaign bus is covered in photos of people, with Eby standing in the centre, along with slogans that say, "action for you," "homes you can afford," and "better health care."

Both B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad and Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau spoke to municipal leaders at the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention Friday, just as Eby was launching his election campaign.

Rustad told delegates that he would get rid of the carbon tax and the low carbon fuel emissions standard, saying the moves would improve affordability.

"It's making us uncompetitive. It's a huge cost structure, and the Conservative Party of British Columbia is committed to getting rid of those costs and returning that money back to people to be able to deal with the affordability," he said.

His statement comes just a week after David Eby said that if Ottawa dropped the legal requirement for carbon pricing, then his New Democrat government would also drop the tax on consumers.

Furstenau told reporters after her speech that the other party leaders are offering "a lot of fear and a lot of anger and a lot of finger pointing."

She said a minority government would mean "built-in accountability" for the party in power.

"We have a real opportunity in British Columbia in this election to not give any party all of the power, to not have a winner-take-all outcome," she said. "We see when we have majority governments in this province, they do not deliver on what they promise, but they do a whole bunch of things that they didn't promise, and they do it without being able to be held accountable by the legislature or by the people of B.C."

Furstenau said there is a disconnect between what the other provincial leaders are promising on carbon pricing and what municipalities are experiencing.

"We hear from elected representatives about the ongoing and incredibly expensive impacts of climate change-driven events. We cannot at this point backtrack on the idea that carbon pollution doesn't cost us. It costs us enormously." 

Eby spoke to local politicians on Thursday, as they presented a laundry list of concerns for the provincial government at the meeting, from homelessness to the overdose crisis and more funding to support growing pressures on municipalities. 

MORE National ARTICLES

Two men dead after small plane crashes at northern Alberta airport

Two men dead after small plane crashes at northern Alberta airport
Mounties say two men are dead after a small plane crashed at an airport in a northwestern Alberta. The plane went down Tuesday on the grounds of the Peace River Airport. RCMP say a 30-year-old man who had been living Manning, Alta., and a 27-year-old resident of Australia died at the scene.

Two men dead after small plane crashes at northern Alberta airport

Statistics Canada says country posted $684M merchandise trade surplus in July

Statistics Canada says country posted $684M merchandise trade surplus in July
Statistics Canada says the country posted a merchandise trade surplus of $684 million in July. The result compared with a revised deficit of $179 million in June. The initial reading for June had shown a surplus of $638 million.

Statistics Canada says country posted $684M merchandise trade surplus in July

NDP pulling out of supply and confidence deal with Liberals

NDP pulling out of supply and confidence deal with Liberals
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has ripped up the supply and confidence deal with the Liberals that helped keep the minority government in power.  In a social media video posted Wednesday afternoon, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he notified Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of the decision. 

NDP pulling out of supply and confidence deal with Liberals

Man arrested over two serious incidents near downtown Vancouver theatre

Man arrested over two serious incidents near downtown Vancouver theatre
Vancouver police say a man has been arrested in connection with two serious incidents in the downtown area. Police say on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that the crime scenes are on Georgia Street near Homer and Hamilton streets.

Man arrested over two serious incidents near downtown Vancouver theatre

Veteran BC United legislator Mike Bernier to run as independent in fall election

Veteran BC United legislator Mike Bernier to run as independent in fall election
Veteran British Columbia legislator Mike Bernier will run in the fall provincial election as an independent instead of joining several former BC United candidates in running under the B.C. Conservatives banner. Bernier says he did not want to "bend" his morals and values by running with the provincial Conservatives, describing some of the party's candidates as holding views that are "anti-women's rights, anti-climate change" and "anti-First Nations."

Veteran BC United legislator Mike Bernier to run as independent in fall election

BOC interest rate cut welcome news for homeowners with variable-rate mortgages: experts

BOC interest rate cut welcome news for homeowners with variable-rate mortgages: experts
Real estate experts say the Bank of Canada's third consecutive interest rate cut will be cheered by those with variable-rate mortgages, but it could still be a while yet before lower borrowing costs translate into a meaningful boost to sales activity. The central bank brought its key lending rate to 4.25 per cent on Wednesday amid softness in the economy and easing inflation.

BOC interest rate cut welcome news for homeowners with variable-rate mortgages: experts