The B.C. Liberals害羞草研究所� leadership debate Sunday in Nanaimo underlined some of the different ways the party could be headed.
Six candidates 害羞草研究所� Dianne Watts, Mike de Jong, Sam Sullivan, Todd Stone, Michael Lee and Andrew Wilkinson 害羞草研究所� attended the forum at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre to talk about transportation, education and other topics.
As the party chooses a new leader, Wilkinson said the Liberals can be proud of their record of economic prosperity and balanced budgets in B.C.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e going to see the NDP on a spending marathon in the years to come and we have to be a party to stand up for balanced budgets, stand up for fiscal responsibility and make sure we don害羞草研究所檛 spend money we don害羞草研究所檛 have,害羞草研究所� he said.
Lee noted that the Liberals won only one seat on Vancouver Island and suggested the party underperformed in urban ridings, as well.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not because we don害羞草研究所檛 care. We just didn害羞草研究所檛 demonstrate it,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淪o issues around affordability, issues around transportation, we need to plan better and we need to articulate that better. That害羞草研究所檚 the reason we need a different approach. We害羞草研究所檙e not going to regain seats on this Island or in urban ridings just by talking about balanced budgets and a triple-A credit rating.害羞草研究所�
Sullivan talked about privatization of liquor sales, some privatization of health care and even of education with talk of charter schools.
De Jong expanded on previously pitched notions of government decentralization.
害羞草研究所淲here is it written in this age of technology that government must all be located in Victoria?害羞草研究所� he asked. 害羞草研究所淚s it revolutionary to at least consider the possibility that the B.C. Ferries corporation could be headquartered in Nanaimo? We can do it with various departments of government.害羞草研究所�
Ferries were an area of focus at Sunday害羞草研究所檚 debate and Watts said the fares are making the crossings unaffordable.
害羞草研究所淲hen you look at the system and you look at how it functions and how it moves, we need to be making sure that we have affordability built into that entire system,害羞草研究所� she said.
Stone, former transportation minister, said the ferry system wasn害羞草研究所檛 sustainable four and a half years ago.
害羞草研究所淏ecause of tough decisions, because of sacrifices in coastal British Columbia, it is sustainable and fares can now start to come down,害羞草研究所� he said.
Stone said he wishes to continue to reduce fares and said sports teams and school groups should get free ferry service, a concept Wilkinson questioned.
害羞草研究所淢y core principle as a B.C. Liberal is you don害羞草研究所檛 spend your kids害羞草研究所� money on operating costs today. You pay your own way,害羞草研究所� he said.
Sullivan suggested B.C. could take the example of the Washington state ferries and look to reduce staffing on vessels to provide more service in other ways.
害羞草研究所淚 believe that a lot of the regulations are too tough害羞草研究所π卟菅芯克鶟 he said. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檇 like to be able to challenge the federal regulators and see if we could get a much more effective, cost-efficient ferry service.害羞草研究所�
Candidates were allowed two opportunities to directly question one another and Stone directed both his queries at Watts. First he said, 害羞草研究所淵ou talk about a new vision for British Columbia 害羞草研究所� but the details of that vision have been pretty limited,害羞草研究所� and then suggested that she could have done more, as a Conservative MP, to help the B.C. Liberals in last spring害羞草研究所檚 election.
害羞草研究所淚 have to be honest. I didn害羞草研究所檛 really see that contribution from you and it could have made a difference. We might not be having this discussion today,害羞草研究所� Stone said.
Watts replied that she 害羞草研究所渄idn害羞草研究所檛 realize I carried that much power that if I had done more that we would have won, but thank you for that,害羞草研究所� and said she did try to support provincial Liberal candidates in her federal riding.
De Jong left the debate early to fly back to his Abbotsford riding to attend a celebration of life for a police officer killed in the line of duty, Const. John Davidson, but as he left, de Jong said all of the candidates are good people and 害羞草研究所渋t speaks well of who our party is.害羞草研究所�
He said the B.C. Liberals害羞草研究所� path back to government will involve visiting every corner of the province and listening to people.
害羞草研究所淎nd generate the ideas from within our communities and within our party and take that vision to British Columbia rooted in the free-enterprise principles that have made this party great and have made British Columbia the envy of Canada,害羞草研究所� he said.
The party will choose its next leader the first week of February.
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on and follow us on
