B.C. Election: Sparks fly over contentious issues a day after no clear winner in leaders' debate

A day after B.C.’s three main political leaders sparred over affordability, car insurance, and health care in a debate that delivered some solid zingers — but no major knockout blows — sparks flew Thursday over contentious issues about Crown land and the Massey Tunnel.

During a visit to Surrey, NDP Leader David Eby announced that, if re-elected, his government would make bus passes free for low-income seniors, build rapid transit from Surrey to White Rock, and continue the construction of the Surrey to Langley SkyTrain.

Most of the questions he faced related to a leaked briefing note, first obtained by Northern Beat, showing the government is developing legislation allowing the province to transfer 400 plots of Crown land to First Nations without compensating forestry companies.

Eby said that many of these plots of land are included in agreements stemming back years, including under the B.C. Liberal government of Christy Clark.

Eby said the challenge “is that there’s a very significant fiscal cost associated with transferring those tenures to First Nations under these agreements.”

He said the proposal was about reducing the cost and the burden of those obligations, and the agreements will benefit forestry, which has faced mill closures and job losses.

Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson had no public events Thursday, but his party released a promise to build a new women and children’s hospital in Surrey and to revisit the original Massey Tunnel replacement with a 10-lane bridge.

“Families in the Lower Mainland are stuck in traffic every day because the NDP cancelled a bridge that should already be open. My government will build it, on time and on budget,” Doerkson said in the release.

Eby said the Conservative’s plan to revisit Massey Tunnel replacement project would add two to four years to the project and increase the budget more than the already inflated $8.5 billion figure.

“He’s going to cancel that and send all those workers home. Start from scratch with a new plan, new environmental assessment, new procurement, new contractors,” said Eby.

Green Leader Emily Lowan, in what appeared to be an effort to appeal to union members and hive off support from the NDP, announced plans to improve minimum wage more than inflation every year until the province reaches a living wage, improve sectoral bargaining for unions and reverse the direct-to-consumer delivery of alcoholic beverages, which she says would open up the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch to privatization.

During a spirited televised debate the night before, Eby defended his record while criticizing Doerkson for the lack of a costed platform. Doerkson and Lowan, meanwhile, focused on attacking Eby’s record on the economy, health care and Indigenous relations.

The incumbent premier targeted Doerkson regarding his campaign manager Katy Merrifield’s anti-Islam comments on social media, and CentreBC Leader Elenore Sturko’s accusation that Doerkson’s Chilliwack-North candidate, Heather Maahs, called Sturko “immoral” for being gay.

Eby also asked how the Conservatives are going to pay for their plan to increase to $32,000 how much British Columbians can earn before paying income tax.

“I know that I haven’t been perfect. Our government hasn’t been perfect, but we have always been and we always will be committed to fight for you,” said Eby.

Doerkson said, “nobody believes you anymore,” and added the NDP “taxed PST on wool socks for crying out loud.”

Lowan attacked Eby over the NDP’s cancellation of the Community Housing Fund, saying: “this year’s election bribes are next year’s broken promises.”

In an attack directed at both Eby and Doerkson, Lowan said British Columbians were “tired of being stuck on your merry-go-round of broken promises and service cuts.”

Research Co. president Mario Canseco said the lack of a knockout blow Thursday night could be a problem for the NDP as they continue to trail in the polls, but could suit the Conservatives as Doerkson looks to avoid rocking the boat in the final 10 days of the campaign.

“The onus is on you to have a masterful debate, if you’re one point behind or two points behind,” said Canseco.

“If you’re one point ahead or two points ahead or even more, you need to be able to essentially not do anything particularly dumb, not make any weird commitments.”

He believes Eby had a strong debate to give his party a chance, while Doerkson may have missed a chance to develop a strong connection with voters.

As for Lowan, Canseco said the closeness of the race will work against her party, even as she did her best to target Eby and the NDP.

“She knows that her vote is coming from the NDP side if she wants to do better than (her predecessor) Sonia Furstenau did the last time, and try to establish that connection, especially with young voters who are worried about not necessarily housing, but more environmental concerns and the idea of the taxation changes,” he said.