Friday November 22, 2019 ~ VICTORIA
~ West Shore Voice News
The BC NDP are holding their biennial convention at the Victoria Conference Centre this weekend, November 22 to 24.
Delegates will be attending the 2019 Convention from around the province.
Delivering keynote speeches on Saturday November 23 will be BC Premier John Horgan and federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
Yesterday Premier Horgan addressed media at the BC Legislature, saying that 80 percent of what was promised in 2017 when his government took office has been achieved, and that that other 20 percent will come.
Policy resolutions that get passed at conventions are available to the BC NDP Caucus for consideration but do not necessarily get accepted or acted upon.
Some of the notable resolutions have to do with eliminating parking fees at hospitals (or at least favouring patients and families over other), rolling dental care into the health care system, putting in place that $400 rebate for renters (even though the province already has robust and effective rental rebate programs for low-income and seniors), a funding boost for school supplies (even though this government has already significantly boosted funding for education, some school PACs are still left fundraising for more), a ban or reduction plan for plastics (economic and health care challenges with that), including paid leave for victims of domestic and sexual violence, reducing the voting age to 16 (something the BC Greens have been pushing for, but which Horgan is not in favour of — instead pushing for a better way to register teens before they turn 18), and youth members pushing for the drinking age in BC to be lowered to 18 from 19 (highly unlikely to get much consideration given the impacts it would have on policing and the health care system).