BRITISH Columbians expected an economic recovery plan, but instead got Premier John Horgan and the NDP’s re-election plan, said the B.C. Liberals on Thursday. This comes nearly seven months after the Legislature, unanimously, approved $1.5 billion in spending to deal with the impact of the pandemic.

“We’re in the middle of a global pandemic with case counts rising, record unemployment, and an economic crisis. The NDP blowing through the $2.7 billion surplus left by the BC Liberals hasn’t helped the situation either. British Columbians have had to rely on the federal government for much-needed supports while John Horgan cooked-up plans for an unnecessary snap election,” said BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson. “Thousands of people are out of work and countless small businesses are struggling to stay open and all they’re getting is an NDP election scheme in disguise.”

Wilkinson said that the NDP’s half-baked recovery scheme features no long-term plans to help people facing the end of federal supports and can’t find work or the small businesses who are fighting to keep their doors open. It also features no long-term plan to ensure our communities stay healthy and safe, and that people have hope that there will be opportunities in the future.

“There’s nothing in today’s NDP plan that couldn’t have been delivered months ago when it was needed the most. As B.C. faces the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, we need real leadership. It’s time for a government with the vision and competence to work to remobilize the economy. We’re not getting that from John Horgan and the NDP,” added Wilkinson. “While public health officials continue to do their best to keep us safe, John Horgan has been busy plotting how to save his job with a cynical election. British Columbians deserve a government that prioritizes people, not the political future of John Horgan.”