"Winning takes work": BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson delivers a speech to a party in Vancouver

BEFORE CHRIST. Liberal Party Leader Andrew Wilkinson urged party members to be bold enough to keep taxes low in the province, defeat the proportional vote and propose new insurance solutions. automobile.

Wilkinson, who was elected leader of the party in February, delivered the keynote address at BC Liberal Party Congress – his first as a leader – Saturday in Vancouver at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Center.

The theme of the convention was "Winning takes the job".

The 60,000-member Wilkinson party has also unveiled its new brand identity, "Opportunities for All British Columbians". The slogan was based on the comments of the discussion groups.

Wilkinson began his speech by celebrating LNG Canada's $ 40 billion national liquefied gas project announced in early October. The project is expected to generate direct government revenue of $ 22 billion over the next 40 years and employ up to 10,000 people during construction.

Wilkinson said the green light for the project was the result of several years of work under the former BC. Premier Christy Clark added that her party needed to ensure the success of the project and possibly other opportunities for LNG.

The Liberal leader also rose against new taxes in the province, targeting the NDP school tax, which adds a 0.2% tax on the taxable value of homes worth more than $ 3 million, or 0.4% for a house of more than 4 million.

He also criticized the NDP's removal of premiums from the Medical Services Plan and the introduction of a new employer health tax designed to collect income.

Wilkinson said that we could not trust the NDP so that it would not further increase taxes, which would hinder the province's economy.

He then turned to the referendum on proportional representation of the province. BEFORE CHRIST. residents have begun to receive packets of votes in which they ask if they are in favor of changing the first past the post system to a turn of B.C. and, if so, what style of public relations would they like?

Hundreds of protesters gathered and waved placards saying "Protect our democracy" outside the center before the speech.

Wilkinson launched a challenge to Prime Minister John Horgan during a debate on the referendum on public relations in September. It will take place on November 8th.

Wilkinson said the public relations referendum was confused and flawed and that he had promised to put Horgan on his feet in the referendum at the next debate.

Wilkinson's major volley during his speech was to promise significant changes to the way vehicles are insured in the province.

He described ICBC as a state monopoly and that it was time to introduce competition in the province.

"Let's not be shy," he says.

Bad driving habits have been a headache for the public insurer, which is facing a financial loss of $ 1.3 billion following the increase in the number of costly claims.

ICBC revealed in July that the cost of claims in 2017 amounted to $ 4.8 billion, or $ 13 million a day.

There were 350,000 road accidents that year, or 960 accidents per day, an increase of 25% over 2014.

With records from Jon Hernandez and the Canadian Press.