Weaver bangs local drum

Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver wants his party to focus on the economy in the upcoming Kelowna-West byelection.

Weaver was in the Castanet newsroom, Wednesday, talking live with Okanagan Oldies morning show host Gord Vizzutti.

"Our candidate Robert (Stupka) is an award-winning professional geoscientist and an innovator in this community," said Weaver. "The BC Liberals have been branding themselves as good economic managers – they're actually not."

Weaver says the B.C. economy is being driven by an out-of-control housing sector.

"The problem is the BC Liberals and the NDP are focusing on the supply. This is not a supply issue, this is a demand issue...  I don't like taking a baseball bat to problems, but we certainly need to start doing things. In Vancouver, there are a large number of new condos that are just vacant."

Weaver also addressed the potential rift between himself and Premier John Horgan over the Site C dam.

"It was a strain, there's no question it was a strain," he said. "This is an issue we strongly disagree with. We do not accept the reasons, and we are continuing to get them to see the folly of moving forward.

"What are our options? We call an election? How's that going to change the decision? We have to work within the system."

He says his party has not given up the fight to reverse the decision.  
 
Weaver is in the Okanagan to support Stupka in a byelection that's expected to be called next week.

Weaver and Stupka will take questions at a townhall meeting Thursday night, 7-9 p.m., at the Westbank Community Centre.