B.C. Election: Who won, who lost the leaders’ debate? We asked voters

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Maureen, an 82-year-old retired accountant from Chilliwack, stated she realized one thing throughout Tuesday’s televised leaders’ debate, nevertheless it wasn’t about social gathering platforms or insurance policies.

“I realized just a few issues about these two guys,” she stated of B.C. NDP Chief David Eby and B.C. Conservative John Rustad.

“That they only can’t play properly collectively.”

The 2 males spent an excessive amount of time “firing barbs at each other,” as a substitute of calmly explaining their platforms, she stated.

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In the one televised debate of the election, Eby, Rustad and Inexperienced social gathering Chief Sonia Furstenau fielded questions for 90 minutes Tuesday night time.

Maureen is a part of a panel of determined and undecided voters assembled by Postmedia Information and the Leger advertising firm to present suggestions on the marketing campaign. She and several other different panelists offered feedback concerning the debate whereas it was taking place or after it was over.

Maureen was pissed off that Eby criticized Rustad for issues that his former Liberal authorities did 20 years in the past, and that Rustad dumped on Eby for issues the NDP did during the last seven years.

“We don’t care what they did for the final seven years. We wish to know what they’re going to do now,” stated Maureen, who has 4 grownup kids, together with one who collects incapacity funds and one who simply misplaced his job.

“I believed Furstenau gained the talk,” stated Andrew, a 37-year-old kinesiologist from Surrey, noting she spoke with “maturity” about her platform. “Eby and Rustad have been continuously at every others’ throats and didn’t actually discuss sufficient about what they themselves have been going to do.”

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A standout second for Andrew was when Furstenau stated the rebates supplied by the opposite events are simply makes an attempt to woo voters and gained’t repair well being care, transit or housing challenges. (The Tory rebate will exempt as much as $3,000 a month in mortgage or lease from revenue tax by 2029, whereas the NDP guarantees a middle-income tax minimize of $1,000 a yr.)

Blake, a retired railworker from Abbotsford, argued it’s not honest to say Furstenau gained the talk when she is unlikely to kind authorities and due to this fact she will be able to make guarantees that may by no means be examined.

After listening to Eby and Rustad “throw mud balls” at one another, Blake remained unconvinced that the NDP chief deserves extra time in workplace to repair B.C.’s massive challenges.

“After (Tuesday) night time, ask your self the query: ‘Are you higher or worse off than you have been 4 years in the past?’ And when you give the present authorities the licence to proceed, ‘The place will you be 4 years from now?’ ”

Rustad’s social gathering, although, is the one one which hasn’t launched a platform, which left him on the talk stage making “wide-eyed guarantees with no costing and no timeline,” stated Wayne, a retiree from Kelowna.

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“Not as soon as giving solutions did (Rustad) look into the digital camera on the voters, by no means smiled. (He) delivered a doom and gloom message.”

By comparability, Eby and Furstenau spoke to the digital camera and sometimes smiled, Wayne stated.

However Eby, he added, spent an excessive amount of time going after Rustad and never sufficient explaining any good issues his authorities has performed, corresponding to new housing for homeless folks in Kelowna.

“Sonia was the one grownup within the room,” Wayne stated of the “articulate” Inexperienced chief.

Christopher of Victoria agreed that Furstenau “summed up the challenges dealing with B.C. in a transparent and insightful manner.”

Eby, he stated, struggled to answer Rustad and Furstenau’s criticisms that his authorities hasn’t lived as much as its guarantees on points corresponding to housing and well being care.

“Rustad is coming throughout as insincere and Eby just isn’t responding adequately to the criticism of his authorities’s monitor document, or lack thereof,” Christopher commented throughout the debate.

When Eby repeatedly pushed Rustad to disclose how a lot his marketing campaign guarantees will price, the Conservative chief didn’t reply. Christopher stated that was insulting since many households have to observe a price range, and “are struggling to place meals on the desk and pay the lease.”

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Rod from Burnaby stated Rustad promised he would run the federal government higher than the NDP — so folks can discover good jobs, afford groceries and take care of their children — however didn’t assume the chief particularly defined how that may be achieved.

Eby, he stated, had “an affordable efficiency, a bit strident at instances and repetitive, however said his positions clearly.” Furstenau, alternatively, was “calm, curious, decided, informative” answering her questions.

Brendon, a 41-year- previous carpenter from North Vancouver, famous the leaders didn’t clarify how lengthy their massive guarantees — corresponding to increasing bridges and SkyTrain — will really take.

“Something they promise they will’t actually ship … in a well timed method,” he stated. “They will’t actually implement an excessive amount of (fast) change in actuality.”

With information from Alec Lazenby and Postmedia Information

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