BC NDP leader and BC Premier David Eby is hoping to be reelected, running on the continuation and expansion of the NDP’s affordability and sustainability programs.
In a statement to The Ubyssey, Eby highlighted his success in providing student residence beds and rental homes across the province.
The NDP’s Homes for People action plan committed over $4 billion in April 2023 to the development of new homes in BC. In April, the provincial government announced it would contribute $300 million for the construction of more than 1,500 beds on UBC’s Vancouver campus by 2029, marking the largest provincial contribution to a single building project in the university’s history.
Eby also mentioned his speculation and vacancy tax has made 20,000 previously vacant Metro Vancouver investment homes open to renters. On October 4, he committed to doubling the tax for homeowners who leave their homes vacant, despite what he called opposition from the BC Conservatives.
The tax, which is applied to a home’s assessed value, would increase to 1 per cent from 0.5 per cent for Canadian citizens and to 3 per cent, from 1.5 per cent, for others.
Eby said 99 per cent of British Columbians are exempt from paying the tax, and he hopes the tax will encourage people to rent out their homes so no one has to pay it.
“Remarkably, [BC Conservative Party leader] John Rustad and his local candidate [Paul Ratchford] want to cancel all of these housing changes,” Eby wrote. “Despite their opposition, we can’t stop. Too many people are struggling.”
Eby said the climate crisis “is a threat to defend our communities from.” He claimed neither Ratchford nor Rustad share this stance.
“Rustad believes the proven science that carbon pollution causes climate change is ‘false.’ He thinks climate science is a ‘lie’ and wants to ban climate science from high schools. These beliefs are why he got kicked out of his old political party,” Eby said.
In June, Rustad told The Globe and Mail the science around human causes of the climate crisis is “a theory and it’s not proven.” A 2021 UN report said humans are, beyond reasonable scientific doubt, the primary cause of the climate crisis. Rustad also said the climate crisis is “not even a crisis.”
In AAugust 2022, Rustad was also removed from the BC Liberal caucus for questioning climate crisis science.
Eby said the NDP has over $3 billion in clean electricity projects proposed for the province. These range from continuing to work on biodiversity and adaptation initiatives in CleanBC — the NDP’s ongoing climate plan since 2018 — to introducing a new energy framework which will focus on capping oil and gas emissions.
Affordable heathcare is also a key ballot issue — one Eby said he is in full support of.
“We’re supporting students with free birth control [and providing] people who want to start a family with a free round of IVF,” he said.
Eby also mentioned the new child care spaces the NDP is helping to sponsor at UBC as proof of his support toward affordable child care.
Eby also affirmed his support for strong partnerships with Indigenous Peoples, and highlighted that Ratchford retweeted a post that casted doubt on the premises of Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
“This election is important,” Eby wrote. “I’m honoured to have been this community’s elected provincial representative for the past decade. We’ve gotten a lot done. We’ve also got so much more to do.”
This article is part of The Ubyssey's 2024 provincial elections coverage.
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