With the general election day looming, B.C. Liberal leader Christy Clark continued her Okanagan visit on Wednesday. She was in Lake Country promoting her party’s support for the wine industry. The stop comes as the Liberals face criticism over liquor prices.
“If we are re-elected, we are going to step up our efforts to market B.C. wine, B.C. craft beer, B.C. cider and B.C. distilled products all around the world,” Clark said during a campaign stop at a winery.
“We are going to invest in targeted campaigns and new apps to continue the growth of this sector.”
Her party faced NDP criticism this week after a report was put out by David Eby, a lower mainland candidate, which said prices for many liquor products have gone up.
“It is just the NDP making up more numbers,” said Clark when questioned about the liquor price report on Wednesday.
“When you look at the real numbers and you see that more B.C. wine is being sold, the B.C. wine business is doing better than it ever has.”
However, the local NDP candidate said the report was valid.
“When David Eby has released these numbers, they are numbers he has worked hard to find out about and she just doesn’t want the public to know,” said Erik Olesen, the NDP candidate for Kelowna – Lake Country.
Olesen said his party would create an advisory panel for B.C.’s liquor industry “to help figure out how we… continue to grow this product domestically and across the world.”
The Green Party is also pledging to help wine producers by working with Ottawa to find new markets for their products.
“What we propose to do is reinvigorate the industry for the future by setting up… regional research centers that actually help viticulture and other agricultural users plan for the future,” said Alison Shaw, the Grean Party candidate for Kelowna – Lake Country.
With less than a week to go before general voting day, the parties are all hoping to win the favour of both those who make wine and those who drink it.