The writ is dropped and the stumping has begun as B.C. officially entered election mode yesterday.
“I love campaigning,” said New Democratic Party Leader Carole James, as the party launched its “Take Back Your B.C.” campaign at a rally at Burnaby’s Byrne Creek Secondary.
“I love getting out on the road and meeting British Columbians where they live and where they work.”
James, who is touring the province on a bus with a giant photo of herself on it, attacked the Liberals on issues like job losses, crime, homelessness, child poverty, care for seniors and assistance for post-secondary students.
“Gordon Campbell calls that strong,” James said. “I call that wrong. I call that a betrayal of the values that built British Columbia.”
The opening rally was linked via video to a similar rally at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. She cited the rally as an example of mixing old and new campaigning techniques.
Rallies, advertisements and door-knocking will be used with social media like Twitter and a soon-to-be-released NDP Internet radio stream. A kick-off rally last night at the Italian Cultural Centre in East Vancouver was live-streamed on the NDP site.
B.C. Liberals, who yesterday began waving placards at the south end of the Burrard Street Bridge, officially kick off their campaign when they unveil their platform this morning in Vancouver. The Greens are also holding a rally in the city this morning.
