B.C. party leaders squared off in their main TV debate of the provincial election campaign Wednesday.
Liberal leader Christy Clark, NDP leader John Horgan and Green Party leader Andrew Weaver started with a series of questions on housing affordability.
Clark took aim at Horgan香蕉视频直播檚 proposal to provide renters with a $400-a-year tax credit, and accused him of wanting to cancel her government香蕉视频直播檚 program to offer second mortgages up to $37,500 with five years interest free.
The renters香蕉视频直播� tax credit amounts to little more than a dollar a day, Clark said.
Horgan responded that the B.C. Liberals香蕉视频直播� 15-per-cent foreign buyers香蕉视频直播� tax has slowed the rise of prices in Metro Vancouver, but young people are still leaving B.C.
香蕉视频直播淭hey don香蕉视频直播檛 want to live in a basement apartment, but that香蕉视频直播檚 all they can find,香蕉视频直播� Horgan said.
Weaver defended his plan to double the foreign buyers香蕉视频直播� tax for 香蕉视频直播渕ega-mansions香蕉视频直播� costing more than $1 million. He said his plan would make it easier to buy more modest homes, and Clark香蕉视频直播檚 government has ignored high housing prices in Kelowna, Victoria and other B.C. urban areas.
Horgan asked about temper
In a section on leadership, moderator Jennifer Burke put Horgan on the spot about his temper, asking him if he has an 香蕉视频直播渁nger management problem.香蕉视频直播�
Horgan said he is passionate about public service, and when he sees battles with teachers and children in care left to take their own lives, 香蕉视频直播淚 get angry.香蕉视频直播�
Weaver challenged Horgan about being a 香蕉视频直播渃areer politician香蕉视频直播� who has spent 16 years in opposition, saying no to the B.C. Liberals. In a heated exchange that followed, Weaver asked, 香蕉视频直播渁re you going to lose your temper on me now, Mr. Horgan, because you did last week.香蕉视频直播�
Clark ducked questions about received by her party, referring to the province香蕉视频直播檚 record on job creation. Horgan said he has moved six times to ban 香蕉视频直播渂ig money香蕉视频直播� from B.C. politics, and would do so immediately if he forms government.
MSP a hot topic
Horgan and Weaver clashed over their plans to eliminate Medical Services Plan premiums. The Green platform calls for MSP to to income taxes, and Weaver accused Horgan of having 香蕉视频直播渁 plan to have a plan香蕉视频直播� with different claims about how Canada香蕉视频直播檚 only medical service charges would be eliminated.
Horgan replied that he has been 香蕉视频直播渃rystal clear from the start.香蕉视频直播� He will match the B.C. Liberals香蕉视频直播� promise to cut MSP premiums by half in January 2018, and eliminate the rest of it by the end of a four-year term in government.
Clark said the NDP will also move the burden of MSP premiums onto other taxes. Horgan noted that the B.C. Liberal government raised MSP premiums every year until they were doubled, and promised to cut them on the eve of an election.
Clark targets Horgan on health spending
On health care and surgical waiting lists, Horgan promoted his plan to develop urgent care centres that he said will take pressure off emergency wards.
Clark shot back that during the 1990s, the NDP government didn香蕉视频直播檛 add a single doctor training space, closed hospitals and laid off nurses, because they ran out of money to provide services.
Weaver said his approach is not to throw money at a top-down system, but to develop community care that would keep more people out of hospital.
