Conservatives admitted that education and health care would “take the brunt” of cuts

COQUITLAM –Lorne Doerskon has refused to explain how he would pay for $5 billion in uncosted campaign promises. BC NDP Leader David Eby said this morning that history, and Doerkson’s own caucus, already point to the answer: closed schools and stalled hospital projects.

“What’s at stake in this election is simple: the only way Lorne Doerkson can pay for his reckless plan to blow a multi-billion dollar gap in the budget is to put education and healthcare on the chopping block – just like they did before,” said David Eby. “Our families deserve quality healthcare, and our kids need the best education possible so they can succeed. That’s why we’ve been hiring doctors and teachers, building hospitals, and opening schools across B.C. We can't risk the progress we’re making with Conservative cuts and chaos.”

The last time a conservative government was in power, it closed 250 schools. It also fought B.C. teachers all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada to keep class-size limits out of their contracts. In contrast, the BC NDP is building 250 new and expanded school projects, including a new high school in Coquitlam-Burke Mountain. Conservative MLA Tony Luck admitted: “If education and healthcare are the two biggest line items on the budget, they’re the ones that are going to have to take the brunt of this somehow.”

Doerkson’s spending and tax promises add more than $5 billion in new operating costs each year, with no plan to pay for it. Every time Doerkson was challenged at Wednesday's TV debate to explain how this budget gap wouldn’t mean education or healthcare cuts, he wouldn’t answer. Doerkson skipped a full week of answering questions from journalists and still hasn’t put out a costed plan.

"Leadership means facing tough questions head-on and being upfront about how you'll pay for the things people rely on,” said Eby. “Our plan is clear: we’re asking those who have the most to contribute a bit more so we can keep hiring doctors, strengthening our health care system, and building new schools. That’s how we build B.C. strong – for all of us.”