In his first speech as BC Liberal Leader to the annual Union of BC Municipalities convention, Kevin Falcon criticized the NDP government on housing, crime, mental health and the health-care system at large.
The BC Liberals have called on the province to expand doctor training spaces in the University of British Columbia faculty of medicine and reduce barriers for internationally-trained physicians.
Falcon told delegates he has heard concerns from far and wide about access to health care in B.C.
“The health-care system is in a severe state of crisis in every part of the province,” he said.
“In rural British Columbia it is magnitudes of order worse than what we are seeing in the Lower Mainland, which is bad enough.”
On the issue of crime and public safety, Falcon described an increase in crime in urban areas as “social disorder” and “social chaos.” His party has been pushing for the province to address concerns from local mayors about repeat offenders.
“It is to a point of desperation when businesses and local governments do not know how to deal with it at all,” he said. “There are individuals who feel they can just walk in to stores and steal things. It has gotten that bad.”
On mental health and addictions, Falcon told delegates the current government is overpaying for motels and hotels to provide housing, leading to warehousing of the hard-to-house without proper supports.
Falcon committing to reopening the shuttered Coquitlam Riverview Hospital, a psychiatric facility, and providing additional mental health support.
“We will bring through regional centres across the province of British Columbia — updated, modernized but compassionate versions of the old Riverview which provide 24-7 services,” Falcon said, “at the same time as improving outpatient services.”
Premier John Horgan will make his speech to the Union of BC Municipalities on Friday.
Affordability is expected to be a part of the speech, including recently outlined measures to provide support for low- to middle-income earners in the province.
Falcon called out Horgan’s plan, calling it too feeble and too late while Metro Vancouver continues to have the most expensive housing and most expensive gas in North America.
The BC Liberal leader committed to work with the private sector to build more housing as a way to help first-time buyers. He also said he would back “direct” supports for renters, but he hasn’t “fleshed out” exactly how that would look.
“It is not a blame game, but it is also not about throwing in money. It is not about what we throw in, but what we get out,” he explained.
“Government is doing the same thing and expecting to get different results.”
Victoria Coun. Jeremy Loveday, who introduced two motions on housing at the convention aimed at increasing affordability, says supply should be part of the solution but shorter-term strategies are also needed.
He says the cost of renting a vacant two-bedroom apartment in Victoria rose 34 per cent in the past year, and called for the B.C. government to explore a policy to limit rent increases between tenancies.
– with files from The Canadian Press