BC NDP Leader John Horgan is heading to Coquitlam on Tuesday to showcase a valuable parcel of land the previous Liberal government sold off.
The land on Burke Mountain was supposed to be used to build a new school. Horgan is expected to make the point the BC Liberals sold off land in fast-growing areas and has set back the education system because of it.
According to concerns raised by the BC NDP in 2015, the Liberal government at the time sold 14 parcels of land in Coquitlam to a Liberal donor in 2014 for $43 million below the appraised value.
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Wesbild Holdings Ltd. purchased the Burke Mountain properties for $85 million. The NDP alleged at the time an independent appraiser pegged their value at $128 million.
Horgan will be appearing alongside local candidate Fin Donnelly. Coquitlam-Burke Mountain was the closest race in the entire 2017 election. Three years ago, NDP incumbent Jodie Wickens lost by 87 votes to Liberal Joan Isaacs.
Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson is heading to Campbell River and Courtenay on Tuesday as part of a visit to the upper part of Vancouver Island. Wilkinson will be holding a media availability in Campbell River to discuss the impact his party’s planned provincial sales tax (PST) cut will have on the forestry sector.
Wilkinson announced on Monday that if the Liberals are elected, he would scrap the PST for a year. The tax would be reduced from the current seven per cent to three per cent in the second year.
The Liberals say the goal of the tax cut is to stimulate spending in an attempt to help the economy recover from COVID-19 impacts. The promise comes at a one-year price tag of $7 billion.
Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau will be in Squamish to talk about tourism and introduce the local candidate.
The Greens came second in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky in 2017. Candidate Dana Taylor finished more than 3,500 votes behind Liberal Jordan Sturdy.