VICTORIA – At his campaign launch on Tuesday, B.C. Liberal leadership contender Todd Stone attempted to fool people into believing that helping families is his top priority.

But people won’t be fooled given his and his B.C. Liberal government’s well-documented record of neglect when it comes to families.

Claim: “…our most important job is to help families”

Truth: Life became less affordable for B.C. families thanks to the B.C. Liberals. While wage growth stagnated under their watch, the average family paid over $1,000 more per year for Hydro, MSP and ICBC fees alone. In fact, people are facing even more ICBC and hydro rate increases, thanks to a series of bad B.C. Liberal choices that weren’t in the best interests of families.

Claim: “…focusing on families also includes caring more for our seniors…”

Truth: Under the B.C. Liberals, 91 per cent of seniors’ care facilities did not meet minimum staffing benchmarks, and the number of hours of home care support seniors received dwindled. Seniors deserve to live in dignity. Where was Todd Stone and his government when seniors and their families needed them?

Claim: “…major increase in the number of childcare spaces, training more early childhood educators”

Truth: The B.C. Liberals ignored the child care crisis in B.C. for years as waitlists grew and fees went through the roof – becoming the second highest in Canada. With the lack of quality and affordable childcare spaces, too often families had to make difficult choices about their careers.

Claim: “Ensuring that we meet the needs on affordable housing is really important.”

Truth: For two years, the B.C. Liberals sat on their hands as housing prices spiraled out of control, all the while raking in millions of dollars in big money donations from developers and their real estate friends. Todd Stone and the B.C. Liberals were only there for their big donors, not families trying to afford a home