By Spencer Sterritt

Nanaimo candidates weigh in on Vancouver Island campaign platform

Apr 10, 2017 | 5:58 PM

NANAIMO — For the first time, the B.C. Liberal party unveiled a platform specific to Vancouver Island as part of their election campaign.

Nanaimo Liberal candidate Paris Gaudet said a respite tax credit of up to $2,500 for those caring for seniors or the disabled and doubling the Home Renovation Tax Credit were her two favourite aspects of the platform.

“It really speaks to the innovation and collaborative and creative vision in which we’re addressing growing challenges in the community,” she said.

To boost jobs in Nanaimo, which is one of the more impoverished B.C. ridings, Gaudet said the Liberal’s biggest focus is education.

“We know that education rises people up, so there’s been investment in terms of infrastructure at Vancouver Island University (and) we’re committed to creating innovative opportunities for people to learn and grow,” she said.

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Overall, Gaudet said the Vancouver Island platform is designed to bring the island to the discussion table, where it hasn’t been in the past.

Nanaimo NDP MLA Leonard Krog agreed about not being at the discussion table and said he considered the Liberals’ platform a “crass political admission that they have deliberately ignored Vancouver Island.”

One of the major aspects is a 25 per cent tax deduction on BC Ferries fares for residents in ferry dependent communities. The deduction is to a max of $250 per year.

Krog said the break doesn’t matter for the many seniors on Vancouver Island because they don’t pay income tax and called it a distraction.

“I think people will see it for what it is, the crass, old-fashioned try-and-buy-a-vote politics. It doesn’t work with people anymore. They’re smarter, sharper and they won’t be sold on this stuff.”

The Liberals also pledged $1 million to improve reliability and access to wifi on-board ferries.

The provincial campaign officially begins Tuesday, April 11. Residents go to the polls on May 9.

-with files from Dominic Abassi

spencer.sterritt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit