The BC NDP are setting their sights on Surrey commuters for their first billboard of the provincial election campaign.
Premier David Eby and an entourage of New Democrat candidates from Surrey arranged a visit to the billboard in question 鈥� a large electronic sign overlooking the Port Mann Bridge in the Surrey-Guildford riding 鈥� on Friday morning (Aug. 30).
Surrey, where 10 ridings are at stake in the Oct. 19 British Columbia election, is a clear battleground for any leader hoping to form government 鈥� and the NDP billboard takes square aim at the BC Conservatives and leader John Rustad over bridge tolls.
"I know affordability is front of mind for so many people in the province, and especially residents south of the Fraser. It was a significant savings for a lot of people to not have to pay tolls," Eby said, adding the removal of bridge tolls has saved the average driver $1,500 a year 鈥� or more than $10,000 since then-premier John Horgan removed the Port Mann toll in 2017.
At the time, Rustad was the BC Liberal MLA for Nechako Lakes, and he called the in the rest of B.C.
Eby was quick to resurrect those comments.
"I was really startled to hear multiple Conservative candidates double down on the fact that they believe that the tolls were good and effective, and amplifying John Rustad's message that for some reason, Surrey is the only community in the province that should have to pay for its own infrastructure," he said.
The toll issue prompted a previous dispute between the two parties, with the NDP sending out a press release in July suggesting the Conservatives would toll the bridge, citing the same 2017 comments.
In response, the Conservatives issued a press release saying, 鈥淒avid Eby and the BC NDP have resorted to outright lies in a desperate attempt to mislead British Columbians. Their false claims that the Conservatives support toll roads are nothing more than a cowardly attempt to divert attention from their own failures and broken promises,鈥� John Rustad, Leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia said. 鈥淟et me be crystal clear: the Conservative Party of British Columbia stands firmly against toll roads. We will never implement such a regressive and punitive measure that burdens hardworking families and businesses.鈥�
In a one-on-one interview with Surrey Now-Leader staff, Eby repeatedly returned to the same "why British Columbians shouldn't vote Conservative" messaging that has been a hallmark of the pre-campaign trail to date.
"I think for many of those voters, they're looking for a party that is not into conspiracy theories in a dark corner of the internet, but also understands that public services like health care, high-quality schools, roads and transit are important," he said.
Asked about overcrowding in Surrey schools and the district's desperate need for capital funding for new schools, Eby again took aim at Rustad.
"John Rustad came to Surrey and told Surrey residents that his plan to respond to the issues at schools was to have larger, overcrowded classrooms, and that's consistent with what he did in his last four years of government," Eby said. "They didn't build a single new school, not even one new school. ... As a result, we've been trying to dig out of a hole in Surrey."
Given Surrey's rapid population growth, Eby said, his commitment is to "build out the school system" and make sure kids have access to high-quality schools in their community.
"It's a basic that every kid is entitled to in our province, and it's something that was not prioritized when John Rustad was in government. And in fact, not only was it not prioritized, it didn't get any attention in the City of Surrey," he said.
Eby also took shots at the Conservatives when asked about SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) education in schools, noting the provincial government's decision to legislate access zones that set up safe perimeters around schools where protesters are not allowed to be.
"Astonishingly, John Rustad and the Conservative caucus of two voted against that," he said. "They voted against establishing that perimeter to protect our kids at school."
"I think there's lots of room to have conversations about school policy and all these other pieces," he said. "There's absolutely no space to come to school and to yell at kids and yell at teachers and bang on school windows, and we'll keep our kids safe at school."
