In her first campaign rally in Prince George, Premier Christy Clark highlighted the differences in her Liberal party's platform with what's being proposed by the NDP.
In front of a full house at the Liberal campaign office on Thursday evening, Clark touted her party's achievements in government and its plan for the the next four years which emphasizes continued resource development.
"One of the values that differentiates us is they don't believe in the north and I do," she told the media prior to the event. "I believe in northern British Columbia and I know this is the part of the province that's not just going to drive the provincial economy, it's going to drive the whole national economy. Canada needs northern British Columbia - all of us do."
Prince George-Valemount NDP candidate Sherry Ogasawara said her party is also making the north a priority in the campaign and pointed to leader Adrian Dix's visit to Prince George on Monday.
"That was something that Adrian wanted to do," she said. "He wanted to make those [forestry] announcements in Prince George, reassure people and offer an alternative."
Ogasawara said her party has been consulting with industry groups regularly in the past few years and has developed a platform focused on northern issues like forestry and skills training.
"These are really targeted to people in the north because these are issues of significant importance to the north and the northern economy," she said.
The Conservatives have also been unveiling a northern-specific platform in recent weeks and came out with another plank on Thursday. The party has pledged a $50-million grant program over three years to support recreation, arts and culture in the region.
Prince George-Mackenzie candidate Terry Rysz said community groups and municipal councils will be able to direct the money to things like upgrades to curling clubs or swimming pools.
"With so much of the province's wealth coming from the north, we have to make it an attractive place for people to live," he said.
Rysz said the Conservatives want to improve the quality of life for northerners and the he hopes the new investments will help attract more people to the region.
The Liberals currently hold three seats in the central interior, but the NDP and Conservatives each have their sights set on stealing one or more away when the votes around counted on May 14. Clark has been campaigning hard on behalf of incumbents Shirley Bond and John Rustad as well as Mike Morris, who is trying to retain the seat held by retiring MLA Pat Bell.
This is Clark's second trip to Prince George in two weeks and her 13th since becoming premier - which works out to a trip to the region about once every two months.
"In every election campaign I assume that we're going to have to earn every single vote out there and that's what I'm working to do," she said when asked if she thinks the Prince George-area seats are at risk this year. "It's not just whether or not these ridings are important - they are important, of course they are, the north is important and Prince George is important - but I need those guys in Victoria."
Clark is building her campaign around economic issues, particularly in the resource sector. She spent most of Thursday in the Peace region talking about her party's plan to grow the liquified natural gas industry and use the royalties to fill the government's coffers.
"I am proud of our forestry, of our mining, of our natural gas industries because that's what keeps the trains running and the clock's ticking in our province," she said. "Government's job is to figure out how to help those industries thrive, how to keep people working."
She said her party is best positioned to take advantage of the growing resource economy.
"If we want to secure tomorrow for kids, we have to build a strong economy," she said. "The only way to build a strong economy is for government to get out there and encourage the private sector to thrive. You can't grow government and think somehow you're going to be putting people to work across the province."
Clark is staying in the region on Friday, with events planned in Terrace and Prince Rupert.
