VANCOUVER, B.C. — The Conservative Party of BC is introducing a Youth Jobs Plan, giving young British Columbians a reason to stay in the province after nine years of NDP devastation.

After nine years of the NDP, British Columbia has become too expensive to live in and too hard to get started. Entry-level jobs that young people depend on, from first jobs and summer work to shifts at the local cafe, are disappearing. Many young British Columbians are now asking whether they have a future in the province at all, and too many are packing up and leaving.

Last month, British Columbia lost 20,000 jobs, and nearly 14,000 of those jobs were young British Columbians. While jobs disappear, the cost of living in our cities has never been more unaffordable. This year, Vancouver was ranked the least affordable housing market in the world, and four of the five most expensive cities to rent in Canada are in Metro Vancouver.

“Twenty thousand jobs gone in a single month, and most of them belonged to young people like me,” said Ayla Dumais, candidate for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky. “I’ve watched my friends pack up and go because the NDP made BC too expensive to live in and too hard to get started. My generation is asking a simple question: why stay?”

The Conservative Party of BC will give British Columbians a reason to stay. Their Youth Jobs Plan includes a First Job Tax Credit, which rewards businesses that hire young British Columbians for their first job. The credit will help young people earn their first paycheque, gain real experience and get their first rung on the career ladder, while helping local employers grow.

After nine years of the NDP, young British Columbians deserve a reason to stay, and Lorne Doerkson will deliver the strong leadership for serious times needed to give them one.

You can watch the BC Conservative Party video on the First Job Tax Credit here.

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Media Contact:
Alex Shiff, Director of Media Relations
media@conservativebc.ca