THE BC NDP on Monday slammed Ian Paton and Peter Milobar, saying they can’t leave behind the B.C. Liberal record of healthcare cuts, higher costs and letting speculators trigger the housing crisis.

“Ian Paton and Peter Milobar deserve credit for not going along with Findlay’s Trump-style culture war, but British Columbians don’t need a repeat of their failed B.C. Liberal approach,” said Darlene Rotchford, MLA for Esquimalt-Colwood. “The B.C. Liberal record worked well for the richest and corporate insiders, but made life harder and more expensive for everyone else. British Columbians have rejected that failed approach.”

The BC NDP said: “Milobar and Paton both ran under leader Christy Clark, who let speculators drive up the price of a home by $600,000 in just two years, triggering the housing crisis we’re facing today. They also cut taxes for the richest 2% and paid for it by cutting and underfunding healthcare, including laying off healthcare workers, refusing to invest in hospitals, and rejecting the medical school that the B.C. NDP just opened at SFU Surrey.” 

“I’m sure some Conservative-minded British Columbians who don’t like the Findlay-Trump political playbook will find a home with this new party, but many people remember how B.C. Liberal choices caused the housing crisis and doctor shortage in the first place,” said Rotchford. “They would roll back our progress, cut healthcare, and hike costs again, just like they did before.”

The Bc NDP said it continues to focus on the things that matter most to people, and Eby’s plan is successfully bringing down housing costs and hiring more healthcare workers.

“David Eby and our team have a plan that’s making a difference by hiring thousands of healthcare workers and bringing down housing costs, while B.C.’s conservative parties are fighting each other over who gets to rip up that plan,” said Rotchford. “People can’t afford that, especially when we’re up against Trump’s latest attacks on our economy.”