Issues of affordability were once again top of mind as BC Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson made a pit stop in the Port Moody-Coquitlam riding Friday in front of the home of one of his newest candidates.
Shoring up support for James Robertson, who is carrying the banner for the BC Liberals in the riding, Wilkinson pledged help for renters and new home buyers with a $1.75 billion housing plan, that includes incentives to encourage municipalities to fast-track housing as well as funding for BC Housing and cash to upgrade existing affordable housing projects.
Robertson — a special forces veteran who ran unsuccessfully for a Port Moody city council seat in 2018 — is fresh off an outing at a recent Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce debate. Standing in his driveway off St. Johns Street, he said affordability issues are big concerns for voters in his riding, who find it “difficult to find a house they can afford.”
While BC NDP leader John Horgan has touted his party’s plan to build 114,000 units over 10 years, Wilkinson said the promise hasn’t been kept, with only 2,963 mostly temporary units constructed so far.
He said his plan would do a better job of making homes affordable by increasing supply, discouraging speculation with higher property taxes for foreign buyers, cuts to the provincial sales tax, rent relief and fixes to the skyrocketing condo insurance problem.
“We’re talking about a real plan to get people to into good solid rental accommodation and realize their dream of owning their own home in B.C.,” Wilkinson said.
But over the last 24 hours, the party’s promises have been overshadowed by a string of allegations that several BC Liberal candidates hold transphobic or homophobic views. On Thursday, that led to the resignation of Chilliwack-Kent MLA Laurie Throness.
Wilkinson said he had every intention of firing the controversial MLA over his remarks linking the BC NDP’s plan to provide free contraception with eugenics, but didn’t have to because Throness resigned.
“I went and made that call with the intent to end that candidacy,” Wilkinson said.
When pressed about why a New Westminster Liberal candidate, Lorraine Brett, wasn’t fired over a Tweet considered by Coquitlam-Maillardville MLA Selina Robinson to be anti-trans or a Langley MLA turfed for opposing rainbow crosswalks, Wilkinson said he expects candidates to uphold values of equality, fairness and opportunity for everyone and be “free of discrimination.”
“If candidates don’t stand by those values, they are not our candidates.”
This is the second stop in Port Moody-Coquitlam for Wilkinson during this fall’s campaign, a riding where the BC Liberals are looking to unseat Rick Glumac, the NDP incumbent. Experts say it’s one of several ridings in Metro Vancouver that could swing the outcome of the election Oct. 24.
Also running in the riding are John Latimer, of the BC Greens, Brandon Fonseca of the BC Conservatives and Logan Smith, of the BC Libertarian Party.
