BC United leader not concerned about poor showing in early polls

Kevin Falcon, leader of the BC United Party, unveiled his northern team for the 2024 provincial election in Prince George yesterday.

Alongside Falcon, Shirley Bond (Prince George-Valemount), Kiel Giddens (Prince George-Mackenzie), Coralee Oakes (Prince George-Cariboo North) and Shane Brienen (Nechako Lakes) were all present for a round table question and answer period after the announcement.

Falcon spoke about his “Northern Transportation Plan”  at the announcement, which he said, if elected, would see 4-lane highway expansion in more stretches between Cache Creek and Prince George, infrastructure improvements, more passing lanes on highways 97, 16 and 5, and new rest stops.

“There are lots of priorities, this is just one we are laying out,” he clarified afterwards. “We are going to have a northern plan for the north, specific to the north. Today we just wanted to talk about transportation.”

“The majority of wealth in this province is generated outside of the lower mainland, we have to make sure we are putting resources back into the communities that generate that wealth,” he said.

Currently, the polls are not looking great for Falcon and BC United, falling even behind the newly formed BC Conservative party.

Despite the polls, Falcon remained very optimistic.

“I get a kick out of this, I think it is great,” he said. “If you look at the non-NDP support, the BC United support and the confused support who is saying BC Conservative when they are really thinking federal conservative, that is our support.”

He credited some of the hit to his party’s recent name change, from BC Liberals to BC United.

“You can’t expect the public, who are busy raising kids and trying to do jobs… to be thinking about what the party is up to,” he said, adding a promise. “I guarantee you this: by the time the next election rolls around the public is going to know exactly who we are and they are going to know why they want to support us.”

There will be many hot topics this time next year when the provincial election rolls around, including – but not limited to – healthcare, homelessness, drug abuse and overdose, wildfires, and climate change.

When asked why the public should trust her with these issues for a 7th term, Bond said “there is absolutely no doubt we need to do a better job of caring for people, especially those with mental health and addictions.”

“We can’t keep doing things the same way and hoping for the outcome to be different. We want to look at regional supports, making sure people can be cared for closer to home. So when people have that moment where they want treatment, they can get it now – not two weeks from now or two months from now,” she said.

“What helped me make the decision to run again is we have a team that is willing to look at innovative solutions and challenge the status quo,” Bond said. “One of the things that motivates me to run again is we have work to do. Our hospital must be fixed – we have heard promise after promise after promise, and frankly this government has failed to deliver.”

Oakes, who voters from College Heights and farther south will see on their ballot this year, said “there is a demising sense of hope for young people and students. Whether it is healthcare, homelessness, housing, we have to make sure we are providing the supports for our young people and particularly students.”

She has been serving as the Shadow Minister for Advanced Education as a part of Falcon’s opposition.

“I want to make sure that every person living in the north has access to post-secondary education and skills training so we can ensure nobody feels that sense of hopelessness that young people feel today,” she said.

Falcon followed that up by called attention to the skyrocketing costs of home ownership in the province, saying young people graduating school are leaving with no hope and are starting to move elsewhere, like Alberta.

The next provincial election is currently scheduled for October 19, 2024.