BCOct 16, 2020
B.C. Liberals continue campaign after losing a candidate in provincial election
British Columbia's election campaign continues today after a turbulent day for the Liberals.The B.C. Liberals announced Thursday that Laurie Throness would not be representing the party in Chilliwack-Kent after making comments at an all-candidates meeting comparing free birth control to eugenics. Throness has been a member of the legislature since 2013, and his name and party affiliation will remain on the ballot for the Oct. 24 election.The campaign saw NDP Leader John Horgan and Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson take verbal shots at each over in a radio debate on Thursday, as each criticized
BCOct 16, 2020
B.C. records first case of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in a child; 142 cases of COVID-19 reported
B.C. has recorded its first confirmed case of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in a child after antibody testing showed evidence of COVID-19. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the child, who is under the age of five, has since recovered. She made the announcement while reporting 142 new cases of COVID-19 and no additional deaths at a briefing on Thursday. Dr. Henry says 16 children have been investigated for the syndrome in B.C. so far, but until now, none had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The syndrome is associated mostly in children and symptoms include inflammat
CanadaOct 15, 2020
Opposition MPs brace for marathon Liberal filibuster over WE documents demand
Opposition MPs are bracing for another marathon meeting of the House of Commons ethics committee today as they ramp up efforts to revive their investigation into the WE Charity affair.
Indeed, Conservative MP Michael Barrett says he and his colleagues are prepared for the meeting to drag on for days, if that's what it takes to finally force an end to a filibuster by Liberal committee members who've been blocking opposition demands for more documents.
At issue is a motion put forward by Barrett last week calling on Speakers' Spotlight, the agency that arranged speaking engagements for Prime Mi
BCOct 15, 2020
Number of active cases of COVID-19 in B.C. has ticked up to just under 1,500 as 158 new cases reported
The number of active cases of COVID-19 has ticked up to just under 1,500 as B.C. reports 158 new cases on Wednesday. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and deputy health minister Stephen Brown say in a joint news release that 84 people are in hospital, including 24 in intensive care. They say no one else has died from the illness since the province's last update, leaving the death toll at 250. The outbreak at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver is now over, while outbreaks are ongoing at two other acute care facilities and 17 assisted living or long-term care homes. More than 3,600 peopl
BCOct 14, 2020
Political parties being criticized for failing to include the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women in their election platforms
BC's three main political parties are being criticized for failing to include the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women in their election platforms. A coalition of 18 groups, including the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, has sent a letter to the New Democrat, Liberal and Green leaders expressing ``grave concern and disappointment'' about the lack of any policies to implement the findings of a national inquiry into murdered and missing women. The coalition says the COVID-19 pandemic proves governments can move quickly when lives are at risk, yet the failure to act on missing and murdered w
FeaturedOct 14, 2020
Party leaders in British Columbia back on campaign trail after TV debate
The party leaders in British Columbia's provincial election return to the campaign trail today after going head-to-head Tuesday night in a televised debate.The debate featured the three party leaders keeping their distance because of the COVID-19 pandemic.They also dispensed with the usual handshakes in a largely civil debate, with some of the most pointed disagreements emerging on the best approach for economic recovery after the pandemic and energy policy.The post-pandemic recovery featured heavily in Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson's attacks on Horgan as he accused the New Democrats of bri
BCOct 14, 2020
549 COVID-19 cases and five deaths reported in B.C.
BC has recorded 549 more cases of COVID-19 over a four-day period and five additional deaths. The province's death toll has climbed to 250. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says while the numbers are higher than they'd like to see, there was also a backlog of about 6,000 tests now completed from last week that increased the count. Dr. Henry says four more long-term care centres also have outbreaks in the province. Almost 9,000 of those initially diagnosed with the virus are considered recovered.
BCOct 13, 2020
B.C. political leaders meet in live TV debate in Oct. 24 election campaign
The leaders of B.C.'s three main political parties will meet Tuesday in a televised debate that political experts say could be one of the few events where voters get a chance to truly assess the leaders in what has been a largely scripted online election campaign.
New Democrat Leader John Horgan called a snap election last month during the global COVID-19 pandemic and the debate comes with less than two weeks remaining before election day on Oct. 24.
Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson, Green Leader Sonia Furstenau and Horgan will appear live on television, radio and online for the 90-minute deba
BCOct 12, 2020
B.C. New Democrats promise renter's rebate, rent freeze as parties ready for debate
The B.C. New Democrats have announced a renter's rebate as the latest plank of their election platform as parties prepare for the first televised debate of the provincial campaign. NDP Leader John Horgan says his party's plan also includes making a cap on rent increases permanent. Under the rebate plan, households that earn up to $80,000 a year will be entitled to $400 a year. Horgan also reiterated his party's support of freezing rents until the end of 2021. He accused the B.C. Liberals of giving tax breaks to the rich and says the NDP benefit would help those who need it most. The leaders o