NDP isn’t giving newly-minted BC Liberal leader Kevin Falcon an easy ride as he tries to get a seat in the house at this Saturday’s by-election. In this week’s Vancouver-Quilchena debate on CKNW, NDP called out Falcon’s lies about his record of giving tax breaks to the top income bracket. 

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff

VANCOUVER – NDP isn’t giving newly-minted BC Liberal leader Kevin Falcon an easy ride as he tries to get a seat in the house at this Saturday’s by-election.

In this week’s Vancouver-Quilchena debate on CKNW, NDP called out Falcon’s lies about his record of giving tax breaks to the top income bracket. 

He said: “I think accurate facts are important when we have a discussion like this. The fact is, we did not give tax breaks to the top 1%.”

NDP said in fact, his government’s own 2001 news release shows a 25.9% income tax cut for the top bracket. This was announced on the BC Liberals’ first day in office, after they spent the election campaign denying they would do it.

When asked about his future tax plans, Falcon said: “I’m not going to be specific about something like that right now.”

Also, Falcon again attacked the Speculation and Vacancy Tax as he believes it is unfair to speculators who leave houses vacant in the areas hardest hit by the housing crisis. 

Well known advocate Jeanette Ashe is taking on Falcon in Vancouver-Quilchena By-election this Saturday.

Ashe said earlier she’s ready to take on Falcon and shed light on the fact that he’s only looking out for big corporations and the wealthiest British Columbians.

“In government, Kevin Falcon gave big tax breaks to corporations and the richest 1% of British Columbians while cutting funding for schools and hospitals,” said Ashe. “Now he’s planning new giveaways to profitable corporations and housing speculators, who don’t need it. Kevin Falcon only works for those at the top.”

Aside from Saturday’s by-election, there will be another one in Surrey as the sitting BC Liberal MLA MLA Stephanie Cadieux announced that she will be resigning her Surrey South seat in the Legislature at the end of April.

So who will run in Cadieux’s supposed safe Liberal seat? Many rumours say former MLA Dianne Watts may run as she is expected to take a senior organizational role in the Falcon regime, already serving as his campaign co-chair and is expected to be named party president at the June convention. There are also rumours that Falcon’s other campaign co-chair Puneet Sandhar may run in the seat vacated by Cadieux.