Final week of B.C. election kicks off with NDP focused on health care, Liberals on infrastructure

BC NDP leader John Horgan will be in Oak Bay on Monday morning to compare the health care spending promised by the BC NDP with the other major parties.

The NDP has made health care spending a high priority in the midst of the pandemic. The party has committed to spending $1.15 billion over the next three years on health care.

The BC Liberals have promised $200 million in new spending next year under the heading “better health care.”

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The BC NDP has already committed $44 million to hire 7,000 additional long-term care workers. The party is also committed to adding to the network of 21 Urgent Primary Care Centres that have already opened or are on the way.

“Ten more are on their way to deliver better and faster care in more communities, attach people to doctors, and help take the pressure off emergency rooms,” the platform states.

Health care spending is focused on more personalized care through Primary Care Networks to coordinate care with different health care providers sharing information, data and opinions.

The NDP’s health care strategy also includes The Hospital at Home, launched as part of the COVID-19 fall preparedness plan. The key to the plan is expand ehealth and telehealth services more broadly so people can get virtual visits from doctors and nurses at home.

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Horgan will be alongside Oak Bay-Gordon Head candidate Murray Rankin. Rankin is looking to win the seat back for the NDP. The riding has gone Green in the last two elections with Andrew Weaver.

BC Liberal leader Andrew Wikinson with be in Pitt Meadows to announce infrastructure money for the area.

The party is committing to spending an additional $8 billion in infrastructure improvements over three years, an increase of 35 per cent in infrastructure investments if elected.

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The funding announcement on Monday will be focused on Pitt Meadows.

Wilkinson has spent a lot of time on the campaign in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge-Mission. The Liberals lost both the seats in close contests in 2017.

Cheryl Ashlie is the Liberal candidate in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows and Chelsa Meadus is the party’s candidate in Maple Ridge-Mission.

Green party leader Sonia Furstenau will be in Brentwood Bay to talk BC Ferries with local candidate Adam Olsen. Olsen and Furstenau were the only two Green MLAs when the election was called.