The B.C. Liberals香蕉视频直播� leadership debate Sunday in Nanaimo underlined some of the different ways the party could be headed.

Six candidates 香蕉视频直播� Dianne Watts, Mike de Jong, Sam Sullivan, Todd Stone, Michael Lee and Andrew Wilkinson 香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙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香蕉视频直播檛 spend money we don香蕉视频直播檛 have,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Lee noted that the Liberals won only one seat on Vancouver Island and suggested the party underperformed in urban ridings, as well.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not because we don香蕉视频直播檛 care. We just didn香蕉视频直播檛 demonstrate it,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淪o issues around affordability, issues around transportation, we need to plan better and we need to articulate that better. That香蕉视频直播檚 the reason we need a different approach. We香蕉视频直播檙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.香蕉视频直播�

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.

香蕉视频直播淲here is it written in this age of technology that government must all be located in Victoria?香蕉视频直播� he asked. 香蕉视频直播淚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.香蕉视频直播�

Ferries were an area of focus at Sunday香蕉视频直播檚 debate and Watts said the fares are making the crossings unaffordable.

香蕉视频直播淲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,香蕉视频直播� she said.

Stone, former transportation minister, said the ferry system wasn香蕉视频直播檛 sustainable four and a half years ago.

香蕉视频直播淏ecause of tough decisions, because of sacrifices in coastal British Columbia, it is sustainable and fares can now start to come down,香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淢y core principle as a B.C. Liberal is you don香蕉视频直播檛 spend your kids香蕉视频直播� money on operating costs today. You pay your own way,香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淚 believe that a lot of the regulations are too tough香蕉视频直播ο憬妒悠抵辈�� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檇 like to be able to challenge the federal regulators and see if we could get a much more effective, cost-efficient ferry service.香蕉视频直播�

Candidates were allowed two opportunities to directly question one another and Stone directed both his queries at Watts. First he said, 香蕉视频直播淵ou talk about a new vision for British Columbia 香蕉视频直播� but the details of that vision have been pretty limited,香蕉视频直播� and then suggested that she could have done more, as a Conservative MP, to help the B.C. Liberals in last spring香蕉视频直播檚 election.

香蕉视频直播淚 have to be honest. I didn香蕉视频直播檛 really see that contribution from you and it could have made a difference. We might not be having this discussion today,香蕉视频直播� Stone said.

Watts replied that she 香蕉视频直播渄idn香蕉视频直播檛 realize I carried that much power that if I had done more that we would have won, but thank you for that,香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播渋t speaks well of who our party is.香蕉视频直播�

He said the B.C. Liberals香蕉视频直播� path back to government will involve visiting every corner of the province and listening to people.

香蕉视频直播淎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,香蕉视频直播� he said.

The party will choose its next leader the first week of February.

editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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