Richmond – At Richmond`s first all candidates meeting NDP candidates create radical new policies on the fly.
Their plan included the elimination of jobs in rural and first nation communities by ripping up provincial contracts for independent power producers (Hasan – Richmond East), shutting down small businesses by radically increasing the minimum wage (Brar – Richmond Centre), and no commitments to build upon our Asia Pacific investments (Wallis – Richmond-Steveston).
"Tonight’s debate revealed the NDP’s untold agenda to eliminate independent power projects,” said Linda Reid, BC Liberal Candidate in Richmond East. “This would result in hundreds of jobs lost and billions of dollars in economic benefits eliminated. BC simply can`t afford the NDP.”
“I believe this debate highlighted the differences in party platforms and clearly showed that the BC Liberals and Premier Gordon Campbell are best suited to lead this province. I was disappointed that none of my opponents in the riding of Richmond-Steveston were able to complete the debate and take part in this important dialogue.”
"The NDP's reckless and incompetent policies leave voters with a clear choice on May 12th,” said Rob Howard, BC Liberal Candidate for Richmond Centre. "The BC Liberal team is the only party with the experience and strong leadership to guide this province back to economic stability."
The NDP's outrageous claims include:
Shawkat Hasan (Richmond East)
Claim: BC needs more than a moratorium on independent power projects we need to rip up all existing contracts.
Fact: BC's independent power producers help provide clean energy and create hundreds of jobs in communities that need them most.
Claim: He flip-flopped on his call for a $12 an hour minimum wage (al-Almeen Community Newspaper, April 19th, 2009)
Fact: According to the BC Chamber of Commerce a $10 an hour increase to the minimum wage would result in over $450 million in news costs and the loss of 50,000 jobs across BC.
Kam Brar (Richmond Centre)
Claim: The BC Liberals have cut funding to health care.
Fact: The BC Liberals have invested record levels of funding in health care. In fact, 90% of budgeted new spending will go to health care reaching $17.5 billion in 2011/2012.
Claim: The NDP would give small business a “tax holiday” for the next year.
Fact: The NDP’s platform contains $1 billion in taxes for business over three years. In fact, they plan on increasing corporate capital taxes by $185 million, a new tax on private liquor stores costing $155 million, and $412 in new taxes on the oil and gas industry.
Sue Wallis (Richmond-Steveston)
When asked about the NDP's forestry and Asia Pacific plan Wallis responded by saying, "I've got to do some research on that.”
