(Vancouver) – Vision Vancouver Councillor Raymond Louie is offering to debate any NPA Council candidate on the cost comparison of the two party platforms.
Louie, who has been Chair of the City's Finance Committee for the last three years, guiding the City budgeting process, says it's critical information taxpayers deserve before they cast their ballots.
“So far the NPA has refused to share the secret costing for their platform, but I think voters have a right to know exactly how and if it adds up before they go to the polls Saturday,” says Louie. “That's why today I am offering to debate any of the NPA's council candidates on their plans and their numbers – any time, any place, anywhere.”
On Monday, Louie released Vision Vancouver's costing analysis of both the Vision and the NPA platforms. At the time, NPA Council candidate Mike Klassen claimed that the NPA plan is “well-costed” and that their numbers “stand up.”
However, more than 48-hours later, neither Klassen nor the NPA have released their costings.
“It's simply irresponsible to put together a wish list of platform promises without giving voters and taxpayers any idea where the money would come from,” says Louie. “The NPA should release their costing, and I will be happy to debate it with one of their candidates so that voters know the clear choice they have on November 19th.”
Vision Vancouver's costing analysis showed that the NPA platform includes an increase of $390.1 million in new capital spending, as well as $10.2 million in new annual spending, ranging from reopening planning processes, to building a streetcar line without TransLink, to creating several new offices, studies and commissioners. The NPA are proposing to balance this by promising just $1 million in spending cuts – leaving a massive, unanswered hole in their platform.
“You can't run a business without a sense of how the numbers work, and you certainly can't run a city government that way,” concludes Louie. “The NPA should fall into line with every other political party in Canada and provide their costings so the voters can judge the risk of voting for them. And I'm more than happy to put my numbers up against theirs anytime.”
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