After the provincial NDP made allegations of financial impropriety against the local BC Liberal candidate, the party is issuing their own attack against the local NDP representative.
The Liberals have accused Randal Macnair of supporting the Leap Manifesto, a document that calls for a fundamental restructuring of the economy and a shift away from fossil fuels towards green energy initiatives.
The Liberals made their attack through a press release issued on Tuesday, with a screen shot of a Facebook post that Macnair made in February last year from The Tyee, a newspaper based in the Lower Mainland that published an opinion article titled, ‘John Horgan, Lead Us to Leap’.
The BC Liberal release takes aim at eight candidates who allegedly support the manifesto by signing their support for it, or through posts made on social media.
“The NDP’s LEAP Manifesto calls for dramatic increases in provincial stumpage fees charged to BC forest companies, as well as higher taxes on forest companies and higher water rental rates charged to resource companies,” reads the Liberal press release.
In a statement, Macnair denied his support for the Leap Manifesto.
“John Horgan has made it very clear we don’t support that document and either do I,” said Macnair. “It doesn’t represent BC NDP policy, and for the Liberals to keep bringing it up despite John’s clear and repeated comments on the issue shows they are desperate and aren’t being heard by British Columbians.”
Macnair also hit back against the Liberals’ accusations over the forestry policies within the Leap Manifesto that are attributed to the NDP.
“The forest industry has lost 30,000 jobs under the Liberals, while raw log exports have hit record levels,” Macnair said. “A BC NDP government will create jobs in forestry - by encouraging more construction and manufacturing with BC wood.”
The provincial election is on May 9.