While the campaign period for the upcoming British Columbia provincial election has yet to begin, political parties are already preparing for the Oct. 19 election.
Voters will elect 93 people to represent them and to form the provincial government. The decisions they make at the ballot box will affect the future of the province.
At present, there are four parties represented in the provincial legislature, with the New Democrats under David Eby forming a majority government and B.C. United under Kevin Falcon as the official opposition.
However, the structure of the legislature will see significant change as B.C. United has announced it is suspending the provincial election campaign, with some of its candidates running for the B.C. Conservatives instead.
In the days and weeks leading up to the election political parties will present their vision for the province. Some have already started to make their pre-election promises.
These statements should be considered carefully. No statement exists in a vacuum, and each promise has the potential to have far-reaching effects.
If a party promises tax relief, it is important to question what this will mean. A reduction in taxes across the board will mean less money for provincially-funded programs and services, while a restructuring could see some people paying more while others pay less.
If a party promises improvements to health care, education or another sector, it is important to ask how the improvements would be funded. Spending could be cut in one area to allow for improvements in another, or taxes could be raised.
There are some huge issues facing the province, including British Columbia鈥檚 cost of living, housing prices and supply, the ongoing deaths from opioids, providing proper health care and providing a solid education system.
People will have differing views on how to address these and other issues, but the challenges facing the province cannot be ignored.
The promises made during the pre-campaign period and during the campaign period need to be examined since they set the direction a party will take if elected.
In the end, there will be trade-offs with any election platform or campaign.
It is up to the voters to decide which direction they wish to see. This choice must not be taken lightly.
鈥� Black Press
