Recent crimes, including a man accused of lighting police officers on fire in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, dominated Monday’s question period in the B.C. legislature.
“I was shocked to see the video of two Vancouver police officers set on fire last week,” said B.C. Conservative public safety critic Elenore Sturko.
Home invasions like a brazen February attack in Surrey, and last week’s major fentanyl lab bust were also front and centre, fueling calls for the province to push Ottawa for tougher bail laws.
“How did this B.C. government allow B.C. to become a safe haven for industrial scale fentanyl production, where drug peddling criminals operate with virtual impunity?” asked B.C. Conservative MLA Bruce Banman.
Attorney General Niki Sharma pointed to B.C.’s advocacy on bail reform and says she’s pushing for tougher laws from whichever party forms the next federal government.
“I’ll be looking at every example in B.C. where we think the bail system failed, and continue to advocate for the changes that we know we need,” said Sharma on Monday.
The B.C. Conservatives are also seeking more support for police, accusing the NDP of enabling the violence through what it characterizes as failed mental health and addictions policies and support for drug-user advocacy groups.
“The people risking their lives to protect us are under attack and this premier is working against them,” said Sturko.
The Vancouver Police Department has flooded the Downtown Eastside with officers and hired more than 200 since 2022. The premier condemned the increase in violence but also pointed to increased resources being allocated to the issue.
“We’ve worked closely with the City of Vancouver to support additional enforcement in the Downtown Eastside, to address those issues,” said Premier David Eby. “We have larger systemic work to do with them.”
