A comfortable and sometimes folksy Adrian Dix, the newly-selected leader of the provincial opposition NDP, continued Wednesday to lay out an agenda to clearly differentiate the party from the ruling Liberals.
Under his leadership, the NDP would roll back the most recent corporate income taxes implemented by the Liberals, money which would be used for investments is health, education and social services, as well as to reduce recent increases to Medical Service Plan and long-term care fees.
Dix also wants to ensure the resources harvested on B.C. Crown land manufactured in this province to create jobs.
During the leadership campaign, in which he won a narrow victory last Sunday, Dix advocated more restrictions on raw log exports, for example.
Dix also has pledged to put a focus on rural health care and public education, as well as working with all groups in communities, including small businesses.
He is also planning to play a leading role in fighting the harmonized sales tax in a vote scheduled for June.
"As you know, I'm determined to present an agenda of change to the people of British Columbia," Dix told reporters from the northern B.C., the Interior and Vancouver Island on a conference call.
"There's going to be no time for rest, and I'm fired up and ready to go," said Dix, noting there is the possibility of a provincial election following the HST vote.
New Liberal Premier Christy Clark, who is contesting a by-election in Vancouver, has not ruled out calling an election later this year.
One of Dix's more controversial promises is to roll back the latest three rounds of corporate tax cuts. The roll backs -- valued at $268 million this year, and about $330 million the next fiscal year -- would still leave British Columbia with a competitive tax regime, he argues. "I think what you want here is balance," said Dix.
Also on the economic side, Dix said he wants to see more local buying from government, particularly in health care, to support local businesses.
With ferry users facing a rate increase, Dix questioned the pay of management and said he would like to see ferries built in B.C. to create jobs and tax revenues, not in Germany.
Dix, who was chief of staff under former-premier Glen Clark in the 1990s, largely stayed away from partisan shots. His biggest dig towards the new Liberal premier, Clark, was on the health care front.
He argued Clark was advocating massive cuts to public health care with her leadership campaign pledge to link health care funding increases to economic growth.
Dix said health care costs have to be reduced in some areas like prescription drugs, so investments can be made in other areas like home care and home support.
He said he would also make aboriginal issues -- including settling treaties - a priority.
He made a pledge to visit northeast B.C. in the next few months, a stop off he didn't make during his leadership campaign.
