BC Liberal leadership candidates debate rural development, opioid crisis
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — BC Liberal leadership hopefuls touted their ideas for bolstering the resource sector and tackling the province’s opioid overdose crisis in an appeal to northern voters during Saturday’s debate in Prince George, B.C.
Mike de Jong, Dianne Watts, Michael Lee and Andrew Wilkinson were critical of the current NDP government consideration to cancel the controversial Site C dam project that is already under construction.
A recent utilities commission report found the project will likely be behind schedule and over budget, but candidates said cancelling it would result in job losses in rural communities and discourage the development of future infrastructure projects.
Watts said Premier John Horgan “is sending a message globally that we do not want business in British Columbia and even if you have a project that is approved, you’re not going to get it through anyway so why would anyone come here and want to invest.”