The B.C. Liberal Party is buying a half-hour on TV next Sunday night so Premier Christy Clark can make her pitch for re-election directly to voters.
The program will air April 14 at 7 p.m. on Global TV, two days before the formal 28-day election campaign begins for the May 14 vote. It will emphasize the economy and include testimonials from community leaders, said Mike McDonald, the B.C. Liberal campaign manager.
"It is also a matter of basic respect for voters to outline our priorities and policies," McDonald said. "We hope the NDP will change course and do the same."
NDP leader Adrian Dix has indicated he will roll out his party's election platform in a series of announcements, an apparent effort to maximize media coverage.
Clark has tied her campaign to the government's heavily promoted jobs plan, putting the party at the mercy of volatile federal employment statistics. After a surge of new jobs reported in February, there was an equally steep plunge in the March numbers, pushing B.C's official unemployment rate from 6.3 per cent to seven.
Clark has also emphasized her commitment to develop liquefied natural gas exports from the B.C. North Coast, a project that has attracted global investment.
Spending and deficits are another focus of the campaign. The B.C. Liberals tabled a balanced budget in March, which the NDP claim has understated spending and overstated revenues to the tune of a $790 million deficit.