Election 2024: Campaign Roundup - Day 21

Welcome to Day 21 of our British Columbia 2024 Campaign Roundup!

With the 2024 BC election now finally underway, we'll be bringing you daily updates on all the policy proclamations, platform promises, and political point-scoring from the campaign trail.

As always, our work is entirely funded by donations from British Columbians just like you, so if you appreciate the updates, please consider making a one-off donation or signing up as a supporter for just $10 a month - that's just 36 cents per email!

Campaign Roundup - Day 21:

• The Conservative Party of BC announced its "Next Generation Healthcare" initiative, focused on reproductive health and family formation. Key pieces of the initiative include funding for second-round IVF treatments, one month of paid compassionate leave after a miscarriage, and a program that would allow nurses to transition into midwifery.
  
  
• The BC Conservatives also announced a $5-million investment for an athletic facility in the community of Queensborough. Steve Kooner, BC Conservative candidate for Richmond - Queensborough, said that the facility would be a hub for social activity, and would give back to a community that “has been underserved for decades”.
  
  
• Leader of the BC NDP, David Eby, touted an endorsement from IAFF Local 18, the union representing Vancouver firefighters.
  
  
• Sonia Furstenau, BC Green Party Leader, and David Eby, BC NDP Leader, attended the Provincial Leadership Dialogue at the Surrey Board of Trade, to discuss issues of importance to the community, and the province.
  
  
• In the lead-up to election day, parties are employing a mix of traditional and modern tactics to engage voters, like random digit texting and door-to-door canvassing. Experts say that small shifts in voter turnout could significantly impact the election outcome. While the BC Conservatives are leveraging text messaging to reach a broader audience, the BC NDP and BC Greens are relying heavily on personal outreach and established voter databases.
  
  
• Voter turnout in BC is projected to rise this election, and young voters under 35 making up one in five eligible voters in the province. The BC Federation of Students has launched a campaign to inform young voters, emphasizing that youth engagement is crucial for the upcoming election.
  
  
• In Northern BC, traditionally a stronghold for the BC Liberals, voters are looking for options. Former BC United MLA Coralee Oakes is running as an Independent in the riding of Prince George - North Cariboo, and BC Conservative Leader John Rustad, who was born and raised in Prince George, is running in the nearby riding of Nechako Lakes.

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