B.C. Liberals slam NDP plan for new $789M Royal B.C. Museum
The B.C. Liberal party is criticizing the NDP government's plans to redevelop the Royal B.C. Museum at a cost of $789 million.
The recently sworn-in leader of the B.C. Liberal party, Kevin Falcon, says the announcement was "tone deaf."
"Life has never been more expensive than it is today under this two-term NDP government — but instead of providing people with relief from skyrocketing grocery costs and gas prices hitting $2.34 a litre, the premier has launched a pricey vanity project in his own backyard," said Falcon in a press release on Tuesday.
Falcon says he believes renovations and seismic safety upgrades could be completed at the site for around $100 million, though it's unclear without a business case.
A portion of the First Peoples gallery is shown: (Royal BC Museum)
"I would love to see the [museum] CEO release the full un-redacted business case," said Falcon while speaking on CFAX 1070 on Tuesday.
The B.C. Liberal leader says the province released what he calls a heavily redacted business case for its plans to build a new and expanded Massey Tunnel in Vancouver, which he fears will happen again for this project.
"They redacted all the important information that would tell you if it made financial sense or not," he said of the tunnel.
Falcon said that if he were the premier, he would "100 per cent" cancel the museum project as it stands.
On Friday, the NDP government said the museum redevelopment was necessary to bring the museum up to modern safety and accessibility standards.
The redevelopment plan also includes the safe transfer of the museum's seven million artifacts, and design work with local First Nations and other experts.
AFFORDABILITY IN B.C.
As the province faces the highest fuel costs in the country, and hundreds of thousands of residents struggle to find a family doctor, Falcon says he'd take more immediate steps to address the problems than the current government is.
The B.C. Liberal leader says he'd "waive all provincial taxes" on gas for then next three months to offer some relief at the pumps.
"That would result in a typical minivan fill up being $36 less than it is today," he said.
Falcon says he'd also streamline doctor certification for physicians who are trained outside of Canada, and change the model for family doctor funding in B.C. – though he didn't specify what that would look like while speaking with CFAX on Tuesday.
COMMUNITY OPINION
Most people who spoke with CTV News in Victoria on Monday said the funds for the museum could be better spent elsewhere, such as on the healthcare system, education system, or on infrastructure.
Others, however, said they approved of the project so long as it could stay on budget.
"The response that I've heard from this announcement Friday has been that the government is either not hearing British Columbians and the problems they have, or they're just focused on their own agenda and are choosing to ignore it," said Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands on Monday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.