AS Premier David Eby announced the next step on the new medical school at SFU Surrey on Tuesday, he also reminded people of B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad’s record of costing the people of Surrey more, the BC NDP said in a statement.

The party said that when it eliminated Kevin Falcon and John Rustad’s bridge tolls in 2017, it saved families up to $1,500 a year. But Rustad opposed eliminating tolls, calling it “a huge slap in the face.”

Rustad and Falcon also:

• Said a second hospital would be “surplus” and sold off the land. Under Eby, construction is underway on the new hospital.
• Said no to a medical school in Surrey. Under Eby, an interim site was announced on Tuesday.

Eby called out Rustad for those comments at Tuesday’s announcement: “I’ll be here to remind the people of Surrey what [Rustad] said when we took the tolls off the bridge. He said it was ‘a huge slap in the face’ when we took the tolls off the bridge here in Surrey.”

Eby added: “I’ll be here to remind people that [Falcon] was the health minister who said no to this medical school that we’re opening. He was the one who sold off the ‘surplus’ land for the second hospital in Surrey. And then John Rustad gave him a standing ovation for that budget speech when he talked about selling off that ‘surplus’ land. That’s their record here in Surrey. And it’s not just in Surrey. They did this across the province to fund tax cuts for the people who are already on top. And if they get elected, they’re going to do it again.”

Video of Eby’s comments is available here.