B.C. election: Key developments from Day 18

VANCOUVER – A look at some key developments from Day 18 of the B.C. election campaign for each of the parties:

LIBERALS:

— Liberal Leader Christy Clark ratchets up the pressure in the trade dispute between the United States and Canada over softwood lumber.

— Clark says she hasn’t received a response from Prime Minister Justice Trudeau to a letter she wrote asking Ottawa to ban the shipment of thermal coal through B.C.’s ports, which would hurt U.S. coal producers.

— If Ottawa doesn’t act, Clark says she is ready to go it alone by taking measures such as imposing a heavy tax on coal shipments in a bid to stop them.

NDP:

— NDP Leader John Horgan says Christy Clark has not addressed the issue of thermal coal during her time as premier, but now that she’s in an election campaign she’s making “provocative” statements.

— Horgan says the government should have acted sooner to get a softwood lumber deal with the United States.

— Horgan did not rule out taking retaliatory actions on softwood if he is elected May 9, adding that he will look at all the available options, but he didn’t elaborate.

GREENS:

— Green Leader Andrew Weaver took Christy Clark to task over the liquefied natural gas promise she made in the last election, saying the industry she envisioned hasn’t materialized.

— Weaver says Clark’s credibility on the economy has been lost over her LNG commitment.

— Weaver says his party wants to help B.C. prepare for the emerging economy by creating an Innovation Commission and appointing an innovation commissioner to support the technology, while also promoting investment in clean energy and transportation.