VICTORIA – This morning, Andrew Wilkinson will be in Mission. However, Mission residents remember how they were largely neglected and ignored by the B.C. Liberals when they were in government.

“Andrew Wilkinson and B.C. Liberals left the people of Mission behind when they were in power,” said Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Bob D’Eith. “Our new government is ensuring everyone benefits from better services by making decisions that put people first.”

Here’s how the B.C. Liberals neglected people in Mission when they were in government:

• Saw the closure of five schools under their watch.
• Sat by and did nothing while housing prices reached crisis levels, and people struggled to find an affordable place to live.
• Ignored Mission parents struggling to find affordable and accessible child care.
• Neglected seniors through cutbacks to necessary services.

Our new New Democrat government is working hard for the people of Mission. In just one year, we have:

• Funded nearly $2.5 million in upgrades for the Mission School District, so students can benefit from safer, more efficient and comfortable schools.
• Increased rental subsidies for low-income families and seniors in Mission by:
  • Increasing SAFER rent subsidies by 42 percent, and
  • Improving eligibility requirements and increasing subsidies for the RAP program.
• Taken action to open a new addiction clinic in Mission in a province wide effort to prevent overdoses.
• Awarded $117,000 in community gaming grants to organizations in Mission that help people and protect the environment.

While Andrew Wilkinson and the B.C. Liberals continue to focus on the interests of their rich friends at the top, the New Democrat government is making different choices to make life better for everyone in Mission.