THE NDP has launched a new ad highlighting BC Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon’s defence of housing speculators and his opposition to the Speculation and Vacancy Tax.

“Kevin Falcon’s record shows he will work for the richest 1% while making life more expensive for everyone else,” said NDP MLA Niki Sharma. “This ad is about showing that Falcon would help real estate speculators while driving up housing costs for average British Columbians.”

The satirical cartoon highlights Falcon’s background as a real estate executive and his opposition to NDP policies to curb speculation.

The NDP says Falcon has consistently opposed its Speculation and Vacancy Tax, which has turned 20,000 vacant units into homes. The tax is paid by fewer than 1% of British Columbians – people who own multiple homes and leave them vacant in the regions hardest hit by the housing crisis.

“Eliminating the speculation tax would help the 1% of people with vacant properties but would take 20,000 homes away from British Columbians,” said Sharma. “Kevin Falcon would make speculators even richer while making housing more expensive for everyone else.”

Falcon has opposed the tax since 2018 and recently defended speculators who are keeping vacant homes vacant: “These are not speculators, these are people that have a second property and they’re being forced to pay, you know, an additional cost.”

The ad will be shown on digital platforms including Facebook and can be viewed here.