B.C. party leaders make campaign stop at Vancouver trade board ahead of election

The leaders of British Columbia’s three major political parties—NDP Leader David Eby, Conservative interim leader Lorne Doerkson, and Green Party Leader Emily Lowan—made campaign stops at an event hosted by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade on October 13, less than two weeks before the provincial election scheduled for October 24. Each party leader addressed business leaders without engaging in a direct debate with one another. NDP Leader David Eby pledged to make permanent B.C.’s Manufacturing Jobs Fund, which supports manufacturing companies with $60 million annually, and announced plans to expand food-processing opportunities and build a new shipyard in partnership with the federal government. The event was attended by over 300 business leaders who were concerned about the province’s economic direction; 77% believed the economy is on the wrong track, 95% expressed concern over B.C.’s fiscal outlook, and 80% lacked confidence in the current government's economic policies.