Advance polls opened on Day 25 of the B.C. campaign, and the parties are no longer just talking to undecided voters. They're talking to people walking in to vote.
With municipal elections a day away, Michael Gardiner and Azim Jiwani were joined in the BC War Room by Kareem Allam, the Vancouver Liberals candidate for mayor of Vancouver.
Allam said running for City Hall during a provincial campaign has made it harder for municipal races to break through and created some confusion over his party's name. In his view, the provincial race erased incumbent Mayor Ken Sim's spending advantage and drew away many of his volunteers, leaving momentum with the two centrist campaigns: his own and Rebecca Bligh's. He added that Emily Lowan's attacks on David Eby could complicate the progressive coalition behind Pete Fry.
On the provincial race, Allam argued both major parties have run incremental campaigns and urged them to take bigger swings. He pointed out that B.C. is now a net importer of electricity and that no new SkyTrain has been approved in a decade, calling for lines to UBC and down King George Boulevard. With one in 12 Lower Mainland jobs tied to transportation, he said, getting cars off the road keeps the port and airport competitive. Jiwani questioned whether voters want a visionary or stability, and Allam agreed both campaigns have chosen to sell trust.
Doerkson's promise to replace the Massey Tunnel with a 10-lane bridge sparked the liveliest exchange. Gardiner called it planning in the rear-view mirror, warning a reversal would mean new reviews and years of delay. Jiwani defended the bridge as the more sensible engineering choice. Allam's position was simple: build whatever gets done fastest so the province can move on to other priorities.
At Vancouver doors, Allam said congestion is the top issue, and he expects the city to stay largely NDP, with a few ridings, including Vancouver-Yaletown, worth watching.
The conversation closed on reconciliation. Allam argued land certainty with First Nations can unlock billions in investment, while Jiwani said many British Columbians are worried about uncertainty on the land base and their own property rights.
Stay tuned to the BC War Room with new episodes dropping every weekday morning until election day.
Click HERE to watch on YouTube, or, if audio is more your style, click HERE to listen on Spotify, and HERE for Apple Podcasts.
